To the perceptive, the coronavirus lockdowns can teach almost as much about the Mass as the Council of Trent. For others . . . maybe not as much. First off, the lockdowns teach that the Mass is essentially a sacrifice offered by the priest, and the participation of the laity, although good for the integrity of the offering, does not pertain to its essence. It must be a sacrifice: it may additionally be a communal meal or a celebration. It is stunning (for those who know Church history) that no one has called into question the liceity of “private Masses,” which continue to be offered by our priests during the lockdown. We all speak of “private Masses” as if, of course, they must be proper.