Anxiety Over Mass

[smndtupidisaftr]

Yes, all the abuses should be ended, but they are not yet.

In your shoes, I would go and have a good spiritual talk with the EF priest, to get myself sorted out. Then I would attend which ever Mass he suggested, or the EF if he left it up to me.

Whenever I must attend a Mass which is iffy, as you describe, I offer up my suffering for Christ. I see these “broken” Masses as being a part of His Passion… if He was able to suffer so much for me, then I can suffer for Him.

This is a really tough thing. For a while, I did not have an option, and my attitude (not the Mass) caused a lot of spiritual problems for me, as you indicate you are noticing about yourself.

Why the EF priest and not the OF priest?

 

[The_Blunt_Brig]

Go to the bad English mass and video the priest’s abuses that are against current canon law (e.g. changing the words from the translation of the English mass to what he wants). Send it to your bishop. If you don’t send proof he will probably write you off so put the video you record on a DVD for him or flash drive etc. The bishop hopefully will privately correct him and tell him he can’t do that.

 

[53_Veer]

When we moved from the East Coast some 1,800 miles west, there were serious changes to the Mass – most of which we didn’t like. During Lent, I’ve had the great luck (and honor) of having some real time to spend with our new parish priest. I’ve asked questions about parts of the Mass - which are required, which were optional, etc., etc.

Now, we never had any experiences as severe as what you’re describing, and I don’t want to make light of them, but I might suggest that you go talk to the priest with whom you have the issues. Explain your feelings to him, and see how he responds.

In some cases (when I did this), I got a better understanding of the Mass. In others, I got an understanding of what the Bishop here has requested of his priests (which is, of course, different from what was going on back east). In other cases, it was simply what it was.

I know someone who drives two hours (one way) to go to Mass because that’s the home he found. Don’t let it discourage you, but don’t be afraid to talk to the Man (i.e., pray) and then the man (i.e., make an appointment and talk to the priest) directly. Open communication solves many problems.

With best wishes,

Anthony

 

[robwar]

Go to the bad English mass and video the priest’s abuses that are against current canon law (e.g. changing the words from the translation of the English mass to what he wants). Send it to your bishop. If you don’t send proof he will probably write you off so put the video you record on a DVD for him or flash drive etc. The bishop hopefully will privately correct him and tell him he can’t do that.

correction. you have no way of judging the “bad English” Mass based on one person’s opinion and observation. You can have a video etc but you will be turned down by the Bishop’s office if you have not discussed your concerns with the priest himself and work it out with him first. Secondly, going to Mass to video and “get that priest” is just the nastiest of attitudes and OP already has one and even admitted to pride. What I don’t see in these kinds of threads is advise for praying for our priests and support for them to be faithful to the celebration of the liturgy. With a shortage of priests and this being aired on the internet do you really think anyone with half a brain is going to want to become a priest knowing that there are Catholics out there like you just wanting to video anything that might have been done wrong so you have the satisfaction going to the Bishop in a sting?

 

[AlanFromWichita]

Go to the bad English mass and video the priest’s abuses that are against current canon law (e.g. changing the words from the translation of the English mass to what he wants). Send it to your bishop. If you don’t send proof he will probably write you off so put the video you record on a DVD for him or flash drive etc. The bishop hopefully will privately correct him and tell him he can’t do that.

As I wrote to the other poster with the same idea…

The idea of going to Mass with the specific intent to gather incriminating evidence against the priest saying it and getting him into trouble with his boss is, well, icky to put it mildly.

I’m sure the bishop has heard it all, anyway. A parish of any reasonable size has plenty of snitches who go running to the bishop every time the priests does something they don’t like.

Alan

I’d rather not go to Mass at all, than to go in as a mole to undermine a priest. If I saw somebody videotaping Mass or taking notes and found out it was to get my pastor into trouble I would so whatever I could to put an end to it. I would address the person as I would a weasel and frankly if they wouldn’t stop I would shun them and encourage others to do the same. Not to mention it would be a slap to the OP’s parents’ faces – they think he’s just going to Mass with them to have a self-righteous exercise.

Does anybody have some good quotes from saints telling us that it is our job to police our priests? Somehow I think we’ll find them in agreement that we should respect priests.

Alan

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

Would it be better for me to attend the EF anyway for myself? …] I know it’s leading me to pride, and honestly I feel despair thinking about the Mass. It seems that there is absolutely nothing that can be done.

I’d go to the EF mass if I were you. I know exactly how you feel and I have also experienced great frustration at OF mass and it did lead me to pride. No reason to suffer through it since you have the opportunity of EF mass.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

I wonder if this priest is exactly what your fellow parishioners need to be brought closer to God.

The mass itself should bring people closer to God, not the personality of the priest, imposed upon the mass. I’m afraid you do not have an understanding what the mass is. I’m sure it is all very different in protestant churches who have different reasons to go to church on sunday.

 

[St_Francis]

Why the EF priest and not the OF priest?

For a number of reasons: you will trust what he says; he will probably have lots of experience with this problem; he will be more likely to take both sets of your concerns seriously; he may be able to advise a good course of action; etc.

Of course, you know the priests involved and so you may decide to go to the OF pastor instead. These are just my thoughts looking in from the outside

 

[St_Francis]

Another thing to consder is this: sin means a weakness. We are to avoid occasions of sin (tempting situations) because those are our areas of weakness. Some sins we test by doing the opposite, some sins we flee from because we know they are too strong for us. I don’t think attending the EF Mass would be a bad thing for you to do.

 

[latingirl]

So sorry that you live so far from the Mass offered in the Extraordinary Form. I attend the EF when possible (like the OP, I have a drive of about 30-40 minutes one way), and though it took a few weeks to get used to, I feel that it is probably the most beautiful thing on earth (I haven’t seen a Divine Liturgy, though!)

I emphasize with the sense of isolation in the OF Mass, feeling miserable when everyone else appears to be happy. I also love and respect the local priest, and although what I said above (post #5) was partly a joke, it was largely true; I can easily get ‘wound-up’ and depressed over little things, and I can forget how much good there is, especially when I think of how little I have to annoy me during Mass when others have much more immense problems to annoy them in their parishes. (I was going to say that they have 'Mass’ive problems, but I won’t…)

I take Mass very seriously precisely because Jesus is there. It is wrong to think that people like us are just caught up in appearances. We know the power of the liturgy, that Jesus works through it and teaches us through it and just hate to see it treated like something frivolous. It isn’t pride but zeal.

 

[Michael_Francis]

Closed pending review by this forum’s mod ** Klara Collins.