Can my mother avoid the "Novus Ordo" and wait for the Tridentine Mass?

[Dan_Sheffield]

My 75-year-old mother has a propensity to the Tridentine Mass. In and of itself, there’s no real problem there. The problem is that she’s been been given some slippery advice by some priest, who is a proponent of the Tridentine Mass. There is only a once-a-month Tridentine Mass in the area and on the other weekends, this priest has advised her not to attend the “New Mass” but to wait for the “real” once-a-month Tridentine Mass.

She’s in the “We’re in the End Times”-mode and considers herself to be in a “Church-in-hiding.” She’s bought into that and goes to Mass (Tridentine only) once a month now because of her aversion to the “New Mass.” Is this not shirking one’s Sunday duty? This is very disturbing to me. Thoughts?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Your mother has been given very bad advice by this priest. Skipping Mass on Sunday simply because one prefers to attend the Tridentine Latin Mass rather than the standard rite of the Mass means that one has not fulfilled the Sunday obligation. We might hope that your mother’s age, perhaps a lack of proper catechetical formation, and the misplaced trust in this priest may mitigate her culpability for breaking the Sunday obligation, but you may still want to try to convince her of the serious obligation she has to attend Mass every Sunday.

Perhaps one way to approach her on this is to point out that fear of the End Times is preventing her from finding Christian joy in the present moment. Rather than focus on what may or may not happen tomorrow, the Christian should focus on living in the present moment and entrusting the future of the world to God. Jesus said:

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” … But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day (Matt. 6:31-34).

Another thing that might help may be to seek out a solidly orthodox priest, deacon, or religious in your area and ask him or her (if a nun) if he or she would be willing to visit your mother sometimes. If your mother is given the opportunity to cultivate relationships with other clergy or religious in the Church, she may begin to be able to see that the priest upon whom she has been relying is untrustworthy in matters of Church doctrine.