H/T 2 Fr.Z
As if nothing else matters...
Jesus was just riffing when he upbraided Simon the Pharisee and his guests for failing to properly receive and recognize Him, and then contrasted their non-chalance with the antics of a "working girl" who crashed the shindig, maybe in a last ditch effort, to invest the last shred of any personal dignity, her desperate tears and whatever treasure she sequestered on perfumed oil to annoint the feet and hands of someone she knew to be her Savior. Yes, of course, Jesus counted a few beats and then guffawd "Just messin' wichyouse, fellahs. This girl is whack!" A hearty huzzah and a round of applause from the lounging sycophants ensues.
Seriously, in what way is it ever appropriate to applaud at Mass? After a choir renders a "Miserere mei"? When a parishioner publicly vows to pray for vocations? When converts, reverts and newbies are sacramentally initiated into the Great Commission of the Church?
"Sometime it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble."
Does anyone actually think that there's applause in between sets of the heavenly choirs' "Hosanna's"? Like "Wow, God, You did a great job with the whole creation, redemption thing! And let's hear it for Jesus and the Paraclete, too! Hey, and don't forget, Mary in da House, folks, give it up for the BVM, people...."

Will the Silly Season ever be OVER?!?

From George Weigel's GOD'S CHOICE (p.169)"Divine worship, (Ratzinger) wrote, is 'a matter of life and death' for the Church. 'If it is no longer possible to bring the faithful to worship God, and in such a way that they themselves perform this worship, then the Church has failed in its task and can no longer justify its existence.'"