Am I just nuts?

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thunderballs75

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I always have to go to the OF of the Mass. I’ve gone to about 6 or 7 different parishes in the diocese. I was sort of thinking about this after Mass today. It seems everywhere I go, loud guitars/drums, liturgical innovation, dancing, etc. is the norm. I can’t escape it.

I’m just wondering, am I like, extreme? I think the EF is the better way to worship. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it should be in every parish. Somehow, it just seems terrible to me that every single parish is so willing to embrace these new things, which I consider irreverent, but they would never do anything traditional. Also, it seems like this happens EVERYWHERE. This is the way everybody does it. I think it has gone too far, and I am a little bit frustrated because I have no other choice. Am I just crazy?? Please tell me if I just need to get with the times, and stop being so fanatical.

Is it different where you live? I live in southern California, diocese of San Bernardino, which is sort of near LA. Or is this the way it is everywhere?
 
thunderballs75 said:
I always have to go to the OF of the Mass. I’ve gone to about 6 or 7 different parishes in the diocese. I was sort of thinking about this after Mass today. It seems everywhere I go, loud guitars/drums, liturgical innovation, dancing, etc. is the norm. I can’t escape it.

I’m just wondering, am I like, extreme? I think the EF is the better way to worship. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it should be in every parish. Somehow, it just seems terrible to me that every single parish is so willing to embrace these new things, which I consider irreverent, but they would never do anything traditional. Also, it seems like this happens EVERYWHERE. This is the way everybody does it. I think it has gone too far, and I am a little bit frustrated because I have no other choice. Am I just crazy?? Please tell me if I just need to get with the times, and stop being so fanatical.

Is it different where you live? I live in southern California, diocese of San Bernardino, which is sort of near LA. Or is this the way it is everywhere?
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It’s different in the traditional parishes I go to.

There is one (well, at least one) church in my hometown that is orthodox but NO. And, there is also St John Cantius which does both.

It’s not just you. Are there no trad-parishes in San Bernardino? 😦
 
Different areas, different styles, I think. In Chicago, I could find NO parishes that were very conservative and NO parishes that were quite, shall I say, “innovative.” The Arlington Diocese here in Virginia is pretty liturgically conservative, with a few parishes known to be exceptions. Washington’s archdiocese, on the other hand, is reputed to be exceptionally creative, and yet there are plenty of traditional parishes around. When I go to St. Louis, I’m always surprised at how non-traditional the parishes I have randomly attended are, especially given the reputation of former Archbishop Burke as being so very conservative.

Have to admit, I would be appalled to live in an area that I could only find one approach to the Mass – especially if it was one to which I didn’t particularly relate.
 
thunderballs75 said:
…I think it has gone too far, and I am a little bit frustrated because I have no other choice. Am I just crazy?? Please tell me if I just need to get with the times, and stop being so fanatical.

Is it different where you live? I live in southern California, diocese of San Bernardino, which is sort of near LA. Or is this the way it is everywhere?
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TB, you are not crazy. You are a Catholic.

Make some friends in your area. There are some options…

unavocesb.org/mass-locations-and-times/

unavocesb.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html
 
No, you’re not nuts! In this area we have mostly somewhat “innovative” parishes, but not strongly so (not traditional at all and no reverence, however not as “creative” as some I’ve heard of on here). I attend different churches once in a while so I don’t get blase and maybe I’ll find one with a more reverent Mass - there aren’t any EF Masses around here, the closest being a couple hours away. I can’t afford the gas and parking to go to those.
I was blessed by being able to assist at one parish that was quite reverent (the one with the Latin N.O.), however I moved away from that area.
 
You are not nuts. You live in an area that unfortunately - there are some of these places - happens culturally to be dominated by this sort of “flakiness,” as we might call it. Rest assured - I have lived all over the country - that this kind of thing is NOT the norm (and we will remember that a lot of things you describe here are actually not permitted according to the rubrics in the first place). But what it comes down to is how we are going to let this sort of thing determine our reaction. The mass is still (barring *extremely extraordinary *circumstances) valid, and you receive Christ there, and you are worshiping God in sincerity of heart (offer up your distractions as an act of humility or whatever you like), and you are united to your fellow Christians there. Just try to be patient and pray hard.

Let me say that I consider myself a pretty informed and well-read, doctrinally orthodox Catholic (though I don’t like these labels - see the statement on that by Pope Benedict XV nearly a hundred years ago), who sometimes goes to the EF but prefers (I don’t know, maybe just because I’m more used to it) the OF because of the way we get to participate more directly (and the whole English-language thing). Now - that having been said, I once arrived very late to a Sunday OF mass that was celebrated in Latin, ad orientam. Since they had already begun the Roman Canon, I actually could not tell whether the mass was EF or OF. So there you are. Try not to get too focused on the difference between OF and EF - where problems lie are really in how it is celebrated.

But I think God prefers a humble, obedient heart to a critical or proud one (not that I think you are doing anything wrong!).

God be with you, and pray for the continual conversion of our Church and for each one of us - we have always, do now, and will always need constant re-conversion.
 
Your question has been answered by others.

The Mass is a very solemn celebration. I’ve been reading a Jewish commentary on the book of Leviticus, and it brings out how the Israelites were to be holy and to be “pure” in the ritual and in the spiritual senses as well.

I think that is especially relevent to modern Mass attendance. We SHOULD be dressed appropriately for meeting God, as we do. When the commandments were given at Sinai, the people were told to prepare for three days, to bathe and wash their clothes. So, that’s a minimum.

Twice in Psalms it says “worship the LORD in holy attire.”

The Mass is a celebration of the eternal sacrifice that bought us freedom from our sins, expiation is the word that applies. This is very important.

Personally, I think the “noise” is there to satisfy people who are “bored” – who shouldn’t be bored in the first place.

I don’t know about SB – is that where you guys have all the fires? Anyway, find a church where you can WORSHIP as you ought.
 
Eastern Catholic parishes are VERY traditional–just a different tradition.

If I’m not mistaken, there’s a Melkite Catholic parish in the San Bernadino area–St. Phillip’s.

Try checking it out at

www.melkite.org
 
Cluny said:
Eastern Catholic parishes are VERY traditional–just a different tradition.

If I’m not mistaken, there’s a Melkite Catholic parish in the San Bernadino area–St. Phillip’s.

Try checking it out at

www.melkite.org
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Woah! This is great news to hear! Thank you so much for finding this out for me!!!

Anyways, yeah, please don’t take this is as a self-righteous or prideful statement of mine! I DO obediently make myself go to an OF Mass at least once a week. I just prefer reverence and solemn worship towards God. I understand that every Mass with a valid priest is licit and true. I don’t think the OF nor the vernacular should be abolished. I think that the Latin Mass EF and the English OF should both be offered. Just, reverently.

Maybe until there is an EF Mass nearby, I can go to this Melkite church. I’m going to talk to the pastor at the local parish, because he may (thank God) be willing to celebrate the Latin Mass. If not, I should be getting my drivers license in about a month, so I may be able to drive to the Latin Mass about half an hour away. However, there is only one of these and it is only on Sundays. Do you guys recommend I go to SSPX? That one is about 15 minutes away. However, doing this I feel uncomfortable, as if I am encouraging disobedience.

God bless!
 
Do you guys recommend I go to SSPX? That one is about 15 minutes away. However, doing this I feel uncomfortable, as if I am encouraging disobedience.
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Catholics MAY go to SSPX Masses, as they do fulfill the Sunday obligation…under certain circumstances. SSPX Masses are valid, but they are gravely illicit because of the organization’s schismatic nature.

You can attend an SSPX Mass to satisfy the Sunday obligation only if there is NO other way to go to a LICIT, VALID Roman Catholic Mass. As much as you dislike the Novus Ordo Masses in your area, they are likely valid, so I don’t think you can rely upon the SSPX Mass to satisfy the Sunday requirement.

Plus, in instances in which there is no licit, valid Roman Catholic Mass available, you are automatically relieved of the Sunday obligation, so you don’t even have to attend an SSPX Mass under those circumstances.

Might I suggest the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter? As far as I know, they’ve been known to plunk down in areas without EF options and breathe life into the Catholic community! Give them a call!
 
Neither form of the Mass is better than the other; the Mass is the Mass. Liturgical abuses happen, and we must do our part to prevent them by going to the appropriate authority. The Pope dose want the EF in every parish, so you are, in that sense, thinking like the Pope.
 
Eucharisted said:
Neither form of the Mass is better than the other; the Mass is the Mass. Liturgical abuses happen, and we must do our part to prevent them by going to the appropriate authority. The Pope dose want the EF in every parish, so you are, in that sense, thinking like the Pope.
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The problem is that the rock band guitars, drums, dancing, Lifeteen-like stuff is not, legally speaking, liturgical abuse. Apparently it’s not actually forbidden.
 
thunderballs75 said:
The problem is that the rock band guitars, drums, dancing, Lifeteen-like stuff is not, legally speaking, liturgical abuse. Apparently it’s not actually forbidden.
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Care to show me where in the GIRM they are permitted?
 
thunderballs75 said:
The problem is that the rock band guitars, drums, dancing, Lifeteen-like stuff is not, legally speaking, liturgical abuse. Apparently it’s not actually forbidden.
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All of those things are abuses, actually.

The GIRM and other documents lays out exactly what can and cannot happen in Mass. Any deviation from that can be termed “illicit.” (Of course, “illicit” does not make a Mass invalid except in very extreme circumstances).

I actually just wrote a letter to my bishop about such abuses I witnessed at the NO on Easter Sunday. We have a duty to report these abuses.

youtube.com/watch?v=mqnjgg1vNgU
 
Sancto_Spiritu said:
All of those things are abuses, actually.

The GIRM and other documents lays out exactly what can and cannot happen in Mass. Any deviation from that can be termed “illicit.” (Of course, “illicit” does not make a Mass invalid except in very extreme circumstances).

I actually just wrote a letter to my bishop about such abuses I witnessed at the NO on Easter Sunday. We have a duty to report these abuses.

youtube.com/watch?v=mqnjgg1vNgU
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Exactly!

What I don’t understand is, how can Traditionalists think such abuses are a part of the NO? I cannot imagine what they’ll be thinking when abuses pop up in the EF! (And they will, trust me)
 
Eucharisted said:
Exactly!

What I don’t understand is, how can Traditionalists think such abuses are a part of the NO? I cannot imagine what they’ll be thinking when abuses pop up in the EF! (And they will, trust me)
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Yes, they will. I’m actually going through THIS, too!

The priest who said the EF in my original parish when I first started attending is sloppy. He’s old and the bishop forces him to say the EF because he’s the only one who can do it. He doesn’t wear traditional vestments. He says “Corpus Christi” when distributing communion instead of the proscribed words in the missal, and his Masses take only 30 minutes on a good day. He just rushes through it without any feeling or passion.

Luckily, I’m at a parish now that has two dedicated, wonderful priests. Today, High Mass took 1 hour 45 minutes, but it was beautiful and solemn. The priest wore beautiful white vestments and every movement he made was calculated and precise. No liturgical abuses here.
 
Sancto_Spiritu said:
Yes, they will. I’m actually going through THIS, too!

The priest who said the EF in my original parish when I first started attending is sloppy. He’s old and the bishop forces him to say the EF because he’s the only one who can do it. He doesn’t wear traditional vestments. He says “Corpus Christi” when distributing communion instead of the proscribed words in the missal, and his Masses take only 30 minutes on a good day. He just rushes through it without any feeling or passion.

Luckily, I’m at a parish now that has two dedicated, wonderful priests. Today, High Mass took 1 hour 45 minutes, but it was beautiful and solemn. The priest wore beautiful white vestments and every movement he made was calculated and precise. No liturgical abuses here.
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Pray for your old priest 🙂

I am happy God has led you to a good parish 🙂
 
Eucharisted said:
Exactly!

What I don’t understand is, how can Traditionalists think such abuses are a part of the NO? I cannot imagine what they’ll be thinking when abuses pop up in the EF! (And they will, trust me)
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Because in this diocese (the same one as the OP), just about every Mass has those things in it. It is almost impossible to escape them.
 
Thunderballs, I have been living abroad and in different places around the country (west coast and Hawaii) for the past 16 years and have had the pleaure of going to many different parishes. Invariably, I gravitated to the parishes that had the most reverent, traditional mass possible. I consider myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to receive the sacraments in some pretty far flung parts of the world. That said, I think one should go where they can find spiritual sustenance. I used to take a train for an hour and a half in order to go to an orthodox mass. Overall, I have been blessed with parishes that have been orthodox (to varying degrees) and where I could grow spiritually, and of course where I could receive the sacraments. I am sure that there is a parish not to far away from you that you will find to be traditional enough. I have always found an orthodox parish, even in a liberal diocese.

Ishii
 
psr13 said:
Because in this diocese (the same one as the OP), just about every Mass has those things in it. It is almost impossible to escape them.
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Get evidence of the abuse (like a few photos) and write a letter to your bishop. Send him the evidene of the abuse, too, so he can verify your case. He will take care of the abuses for you. But if he dose not, after so many attempts, than write to the Holy See.
 
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