QUAERITUR: Gregorian Masses for the living?

From a priest reader:

     I have a question for you or your readers.
 
     Do you think that the Missae Gregorianae can be offered for the living?
 
     I have found this custom here in Barcelona, amongst some of the OF people (not of course amongst the EF).

I don’t need to put this out to the readers.

First, he is not talking about the older form of Mass, the TLM, which some people call the "Gregorian Rite".  The questioner is asking about the 30 consecutive Masses offered for the repose of the soul of a person who has died.  These are called "Gregorian Masses".  I have written about these before.

My understanding is that the Gregorian Masses are celebrated for the dead.

But nothing prohibits that a priest say 30 consecutive Masses for a person who is living, and under roughly the same conditions.

On that note, a friend of mine sent me Mass intentions all the time for his mother saying, "Why wait until she dies?  Why not have Masses for he while she is alive?" 

Exactly!

Masses can be offered for the dead and for the living.

This is why before saying Mass priests always were to say… and really should be saying right now…

Ego volo celebrare Missam iuxta ritum sanctae Romanae ecclesiae, ad laudem omnipotentis Dei, totiusque ecclesiae triumphantis, ad utilitatem meam, totiusque ecclesiae militantis, pro omnibus qui se commendaverunt orationibus meis in genere et in specie, ac pro felici statu sanctae Romanae ecclesiae.

I intend to celebrate Mass according to the rite of the holy Roman Church, to the praise of the almighty God and of the whole Church triumphant, for my benefit and that of the whole Church militant, for all who have commended themselves to my prayers in general and in particular, and for the happy estate of the holy Roman Church.