Charismatic church

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I have been to a charismatic youth festival and loved it even though I was one of the helping adults. 8000 people kneeling down for Adoration after some uplifting singing. Loved it ! None in my area sadly šŸ˜¦ but then again if we had it all the time it wouldnā€™t be so special for me. As long as I can go to mass thatā€™s what is important but feel very at home with charismatic due to non denom background
 
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Your knowledge of Church history on the matter is limited. There have been a multitude of saints through the centuries who exhibited gifts of the Spirit.
 
If I attended a charismatic Mass, what would I see? How is it different from a regular Mass?
 
Hereā€™s a thought: Donā€™t participate! Itā€™s just that easy. But, what I see over and over and over and over again (a nod to Barry McGuire) is voices which may have the effect dissuading others from involvement in a movement which may greatly benefit them.

(takes breath) Once again, ā€œfeelingsā€ are not not not the goal. The joyful experience of the Holy Spirit is; the revelation of and use of oneā€™s charisms is the point. Once one realizes their charism and begins to use it, joy is the natural, unavoidable result.

Again, should be judge the Church by abusive priests? Should we judge the Church by the adulterer we see at mass? Should we judge the Church by the lukewarmness of many if not most of the parishioners?

No, no and no. We look to the Presence of Christ and the beautiful teaching of the Church. And so it is with the Charismatic Renewal. If we think others are weird, best not to ask them what they think. Reminds me of Fleetwood Macā€™s song ā€œOh, wellā€
ā€œDonā€™t know about the shape Iā€™m in,
Canā€™t sing, ainā€™t pretty and my legs are thin.
But donā€™t ask me what I think of you,
I might not give the answer that you want me toā€
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Are there some mentally or psychologically unstable persons involved?

Of course! But then again, we might just be some of them.

If that is our standard, we are in the wrong Church.

Donā€™t like it? Donā€™t participate. Simple.
 
I think Iā€™d be anxious that Iā€™d attend but not feel the spirit. Then Iā€™d try harder, and it still wouldnā€™t work, and Iā€™d get frustrated and stressed and end up feeling dejected by the experience.
 
I havenā€™t read about any event in church history that is like modern Catholic charismatic events with people dancing around to praise music falling down and murmuring indecipherable sounds. As an aside, edit to my first post on this subject, to be fair, the Pentecostal-looking thing that happened on my week end away took place right at the end of Mass not during it.
 
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That was how i felt as well, and isolated because i didnā€™t ā€˜feelā€™ like anyone else there. Then I read some traditional sitesā€™ opinion on this subject and I guess Iā€™m of that mind
 
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What you might see at a Catholic Charismatic Mass:
  • People enthusiastically waving their arms and doing lots of gestures during the hymns and responses
  • An Evangelical-style homily with people calling out Amen or other responses, also it may go on much longer than a regular homily
  • Lots of references to the Holy Spirit
  • People speaking or praying in tongues before or after Mass
  • Some type of witness statements during the Announcement time
  • Healings after Mass where the priest or other healer present lays hands on people and some of the people fall over and rest in the Spirit.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
  • People enthusiastically waving their arms and doing lots of gestures during the hymns and responses
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But this is not in the GIRM. Next thing you know, weā€™ll have Catholics using the orans posture. šŸ˜

Thank you. Iā€™ve tried looking online but havenā€™t found any basic specifics and donā€™t want to read long treatises on a screen.
 
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Thereā€™s a lot of variation in the Charismatic Masses. Iā€™ve been to some that were similar to a regular ā€œguitar Massā€ and others that were more like a pep rally or a Pentecostal revival.
 
I think it varies from country to country then. In France, the masses celebrated by the largest charismatic group the Emmanuel Community are normal OF masses with charismatic songs. They have become so widespread that non-Emmanuel masses stand out. Their songs have had such an impact that most parishes use their music.

The only perceivable difference I see is that people lift up their arms during the processional hymns and also during Gloria and Sanctus but the rest of mass is very reverent.

It is totally not my thing but I love their songs and appreciate what they are doing for the church. They also seem to have a lot of vocations, so all good there.
 
ā€œPraise & worshipā€ seems so foreign to me that I canā€™t imagine being comfortable with it. And Iā€™m congenitally private about my emotions and NOT someone who can ā€œlet goā€ no matter the situation.

Taken together, this is exactly why part of me would really want to experience it.

The Mass that concluded my daughterā€™s confirmation retreat bordered on P&W, and at the same time I felt it was kidsā€™ stuff, I was also sort of energized.
 
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Yes, the Catholic healing services have a ā€œcatcherā€ as well. No cloth though. They just get lain down gently out of the way of the other people coming up until they wake up and go back to the pew. Not all that many people fell down at the services Iā€™ve been to, only a couple.
 
The Catholic Charismatic healing services I participated in did have blankets (prayer blankets - blessed sacramentals) available to cover people with if they fell over. I guess itā€™s different wherever you goā€¦

I thought it was a respectful and thoughtful thing to do, especially for the women on the floor.
 
One worry i have about Charismatics is a potential overemphasis on emotionality. Iā€™ve never been to a Charismatic Mass; I think itā€™d be an interesting experience. Though, I prefer a quiet, reverent Mass where I can contemplate the Liturgies as they happen.
 
There is definitely the possibility of over-emotionality in the Charismatic Masses, prayer groups, etc. You are aware of it, though, so thatā€™s a kind of armor for you to wear in case you ever check out a Charismatic Mass :+1:t2:
 
I have been to a number of Charismatic events and Masses and have never seen people dancing around. There has been praise music (and I have no idea why that might be offensive, given how much those singing loved Christ and the Church). I have witnessed people being ā€œslain in the Spiritā€ and it is not muy cup of tea, but it is a minor matter in the overall meetings I have been to, and I have only seen twice - it is not a ā€œmain eventā€ if you will. And it certainly is not a requirement.

A goodly portion of America has a background in what I call the ā€œNorthern Countriesā€ (I being 3/4 Dutch) and emotions are certainly not highlighted. I can understand (as it is part of my makeup) that showing emotion, while not particularly spoken about, simply is not part of our daily lives. We are not outwardly as expressive as other groups.

However, my experience from the late 1960ā€™s goes back to a priest professor at my university, a deeply prayerful man, one who clearly but quietly identified as a Charismatic. Showy? Most definitely not.

There are two gifts of speaking in tongues; one is to be interpreted, the other is a prayer tongue, not meant for others but for the individual. and both are mentioned in St. Paulā€™s letters. What has amazed me is the reaction to the gift of tongues by some, as if it is some goofball (at the minimum) silliness.

Having had, off and on, some minimal contact with the Charismatic Movement over the last 50 years, it has long been my opinion that much of the negative reaction to it has an underlying fear, that somehow inviting the Holy Spirit into us personally, that we are somehow giving up control of our lives. It doesnā€™t help that sometimes people refer to it as being seized by the Holy Spirit.

I am not out to convert anyone; as noted, I have been on the periphery. I do believe it has been and is an ongoing outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is easy to be on the outside and look on with mixed feelings, and I will just leave it at that.
 
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