Do you hate Mass?

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There are a lot of objections about the Mass in this and in the Liturgy and Sacrament section.

Last night as I was reading one of the many threads (I think it was about noise in Mass), it dawned on me that many of the people on this forum sound like they hate Mass and find very little good in it and suffer through it most of the time.

Or is that the point–Mass isn’t supposed to be something that we “like?”

After all, if Mass is only a “sacrifice,” I will never like it because to “like” a sacrifice is perverted. I will hate it because I hate seeing the Lord Jesus suffering and dying because of my sin.

Am I getting it now? Am I sounding less “Protestant?”

I really don’t like this at all and feel that if this is really what Catholicism is supposed to be, it’s pretty glum. But people on this forum tell me that Mass isn’t about “what I like” and I’m not supposed to be “entertained” at Mass, so perhaps I should try to “hate” Mass more and find it less pleasing.
 
Cat said:
There are a lot of objections about the Mass in this and in the Liturgy and Sacrament section.

Last night as I was reading one of the many threads (I think it was about noise in Mass), it dawned on me that many of the people on this forum sound like they hate Mass and find very little good in it and suffer through it most of the time.

**Or is that the point–Mass isn’t supposed to be something that we “like?”

After all, if Mass is only a “sacrifice,” I will never like it because to “like” a sacrifice is perverted. I will hate it because I hate seeing the Lord Jesus suffering and dying because of my sin**.

Am I getting it now? Am I sounding less “Protestant?”

I really don’t like this at all and feel that if this is really what Catholicism is supposed to be, it’s pretty glum. But people on this forum tell me that Mass isn’t about “what I like” and I’m not supposed to be “entertained” at Mass, so perhaps I should try to “hate” Mass more and find it less pleasing.
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No. The Mass is supposed to be a holy reverent event. A prayer. The reason people find the Mass hard to tolerate is because the Novus Ordo Mass has become an irreverent and often sacreligious event. That is not what it is supposed to be. The people are responding reasonably - as they should - to a horrible liturgy. They should feel this way; and if they don’t something is wrong.

But consider how many of these same people respond when they attend their first Traditional Mass. You hear it over and over again: “It was beautiful. It was so reverent and holy, I can’t wait for the next one, etc.”

That is what Mass is supposed to be. It is not supposed to be something we hold our nose and suffer through. Yet that is the result of the “liturgical renewal” since Vatican II. And the solution to the reasonable feeling of disgust is to avoid that Mass if at all possible and attend only the Traditional Mass.

Never forget the saying “lex orandi lex credendi”, which means, the way we pray is the way we believe. What this means is that an irreverent and often sacreligious Mass that produces disgust within us, will do more harm than we realize. It will almost certainly damage our faith.
 
Cat said:
There are a lot of objections about the Mass in this and in the Liturgy and Sacrament section.

Last night as I was reading one of the many threads (I think it was about noise in Mass), it dawned on me that many of the people on this forum sound like they hate Mass and find very little good in it and suffer through it most of the time.

Or is that the point–Mass isn’t supposed to be something that we “like?”

After all, if Mass is only a “sacrifice,” I will never like it because to “like” a sacrifice is perverted. I will hate it because I hate seeing the Lord Jesus suffering and dying because of my sin.

Am I getting it now? Am I sounding less “Protestant?”

I really don’t like this at all and feel that if this is really what Catholicism is supposed to be, it’s pretty glum. But people on this forum tell me that Mass isn’t about “what I like” and I’m not supposed to be “entertained” at Mass, so perhaps I should try to “hate” Mass more and find it less pleasing.
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Absolutely NOT.
I LOVE Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I LOVE IT.
I worship God. Im given the opportunity to sit at table with Jesus. I worship the God the Father with Jesus.
NO NO NO NO NO I dont hate mass. I love it.
GraceAngel.
 
Cat said:
There are a lot of objections about the Mass in this and in the Liturgy and Sacrament section.

Last night as I was reading one of the many threads (I think it was about noise in Mass), it dawned on me that many of the people on this forum sound like they hate Mass and find very little good in it and suffer through it most of the time.

Or is that the point–Mass isn’t supposed to be something that we “like?”

After all, if Mass is only a “sacrifice,” I will never like it because to “like” a sacrifice is perverted. I will hate it because I hate seeing the Lord Jesus suffering and dying because of my sin.

Am I getting it now? Am I sounding less “Protestant?”

I really don’t like this at all and feel that if this is really what Catholicism is supposed to be, it’s pretty glum. But people on this forum tell me that Mass isn’t about “what I like” and I’m not supposed to be “entertained” at Mass, so perhaps I should try to “hate” Mass more and find it less pleasing.
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I often ask myself the same question. It seems that there is a (thankfully) small, but very loud faction that would have us believe that if the Mass is in any way comfortable or pleasant to the congregation, there must be something wrong with it.

We have threads going right now, that take any and every conceivable angle to try and discredit the NO Mass or anything to do with the post-Vatican II Church.

What kind of hatred and malcontent drives people to such avid pursuit of criticism of God’s Church on Earth? Why must Mass be something painful and miserable in order to be good and holy?

It is quite apparent, that for many here, Sunday Mass is little more than an “opportunity” to find fault with the Church or the Mass. Unless, of course, they have driven 50+ miles to find a Mass that suits them. :rolleyes:
 
I think what you’re seeing on the forums is not necessarily a hatred for the Mass, but people expressing their opinions that Mass should be given a higher regard towards reverence. If you stop and think what the Mass is really all about, which is more than just the re-presentation of the sacrifice on Calgary (the sacrifice is the pinnacle of the Mass), and how it’s a fulfillment of what God intended, our approach and participation in it should reflect at least some of that understanding.

We should also try and understand that each person in the Body of Christ is on their own faith journey and are at different points on that journey. Some have a great understanding in what the Mass is, others do not, still others are learning. It’s important that we don’t remain stagnant in our faith and do what we can to bring about that deeper understanding.

Knowing that the Mass is more than just a service or a sermon or a homily brings great joy and awe to me. I may not like the way some in our congregation chat amongst themselves in front of the Blessed Sacrament; I may not like some of the innovations that have seeped their way into the Mass at different parishes; but these things in and of themselves will never make me hate the Mass. That would actually be pretty shallow of me if it did and I would miss the whole point of what the Mass is all about.

God Bless!
 
Cat said:
There are a lot of objections about the Mass in this and in the Liturgy and Sacrament section.

Last night as I was reading one of the many threads (I think it was about noise in Mass), it dawned on me that many of the people on this forum sound like they hate Mass and find very little good in it and suffer through it most of the time.

Or is that the point–Mass isn’t supposed to be something that we “like?”

After all, if Mass is only a “sacrifice,” I will never like it because to “like” a sacrifice is perverted. I will hate it because I hate seeing the Lord Jesus suffering and dying because of my sin.

Am I getting it now? Am I sounding less “Protestant?”

I really don’t like this at all and feel that if this is really what Catholicism is supposed to be, it’s pretty glum. But people on this forum tell me that Mass isn’t about “what I like” and I’m not supposed to be “entertained” at Mass, so perhaps I should try to “hate” Mass more and find it less pleasing.
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It’s complicated. When you’ve attended Mass your entire life, you definitely form strong opinions about it. That’s natural. You envision what constitutes a ‘good’ Mass from experience and your understanding of the Mass, theologically, and that sort of becomes your personal standard. When you attend Masses that don’t measure up, sometimes you can be disappointed. When you encounter Masses that are way off the mark, you might even get agitated. It’s a personal experience extended over the course of your natural lifetime.
 
Pax_et_Caritas said:
No. The Mass is supposed to be a holy reverent event. A prayer. The reason people find the Mass hard to tolerate is because the Novus Ordo Mass has become an irreverent and often sacreligious event. That is not what it is supposed to be. The people are responding reasonably - as they should - to a horrible liturgy. They should feel this way; and if they don’t something is wrong.

But consider how many of these same people respond when they attend their first Traditional Mass. You hear it over and over again: “It was beautiful. It was so reverent and holy, I can’t wait for the next one, etc.”

That is what Mass is supposed to be. It is not supposed to be something we hold our nose and suffer through. Yet that is the result of the “liturgical renewal” since Vatican II. And the solution to the reasonable feeling of disgust is to avoid that Mass if at all possible and attend only the Traditional Mass.

Never forget the saying “lex orandi lex credendi”, which means, the way we pray is the way we believe. What this means is that an irreverent and often sacreligious Mass that produces disgust within us, will do more harm than we realize. It will almost certainly damage our faith.
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I guess Pope Paul VI, Justin Martyr, and our Early Christian ancesters had it all wrong with their sacreligious Masses that produce disgust within us.
And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen
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That was a writing from Justin Martyr from the year 150 A.D. Does this type of Mass sound familiar?
 
Cat said:
There are a lot of objections about the Mass in this and in the Liturgy and Sacrament section.

Last night as I was reading one of the many threads (I think it was about noise in Mass), it dawned on me that many of the people on this forum sound like they hate Mass and find very little good in it and suffer through it most of the time.

.
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I think your observation has validity. that is the danger of continually approaching liturgy in police mode, suspecting and looking for “abuses”. 90% of what I have seen discussed here equates “abuse” with “personal preference”. since that illogic is behind most of the genuine liturgical abuse out there, I find that very telling.
 
Cat said:
There are a lot of objections about the Mass in this and in the Liturgy and Sacrament section.

Last night as I was reading one of the many threads (I think it was about noise in Mass), it dawned on me that many of the people on this forum sound like they hate Mass and find very little good in it and suffer through it most of the time.

Or is that the point–Mass isn’t supposed to be something that we “like?”

After all, if Mass is only a “sacrifice,” I will never like it because to “like” a sacrifice is perverted. I will hate it because I hate seeing the Lord Jesus suffering and dying because of my sin.

**Am I getting it now? Am I sounding less “Protestant?” **

I really don’t like this at all and feel that if this is really what Catholicism is supposed to be, it’s pretty glum. But people on this forum tell me that Mass isn’t about “what I like” and I’m not supposed to be “entertained” at Mass, so perhaps I should try to “hate” Mass more and find it less pleasing.
Click to expand...
Uhhhh…actually, no…you’re not getting it. And sorry, but you’re sounding a little more Protestant" right now.
 
puzzleannie said:
I think your observation has validity. that is the danger of continually approaching liturgy in police mode, suspecting and looking for “abuses”. 90% of what I have seen discussed here equates “abuse” with “personal preference”. since that illogic is behind most of the genuine liturgical abuse out there, I find that very telling.
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I believe a poster in the Liturgy forum made the observation that as people become better informed as to what the Mass should be(as per the Church) --irregularities become more noticeable. So it really is not about “policing” the Mass but of knowing what the Mass is to be.
 
Cat, I think your post is interesting, but I also think it may have been better placed in the Liturgy and Sacraments forum, since that is where most of the arguments about abuses are. The trads who hang out here - and there aren’t that many any more, to be honest, which is a shame - LOVE the Gregorian mass and you don’t see them complaining about abuses in it. “Abuses” in the OF and OF vs. EF are really two separate issues, IMO.

As for whether you should hate the sacrifice of the mass because to like a sacrifice is “perverted”. Are you being sarcastic here? I am genuinely flummoxed at the point you are trying to make. The sacrifice of the mass is the greatest gift God has given to us. It is in no way “perverted.” It is beautiful. Those who want to see it treated reverently aren’t saying that we’re supposed to hate it; they’re simply saying that we should treat it as what it is rather than viewing it as social hour or a chance to be entertained, which really is a valid point.
 
Pax_et_Caritas said:
No. The Mass is supposed to be a holy reverent event. A prayer. The reason people find the Mass hard to tolerate is because the Novus Ordo Mass has become an irreverent and often sacreligious event. That is not what it is supposed to be. The people are responding reasonably - as they should - to a horrible liturgy. They should feel this way; and if they don’t something is wrong.
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Pax…really, this is uncharitable. I must say here that I never feel that way. And I don’t think I would at any Mass because of what it is…the Mass. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t be upset if my parish did some of the abuses that I have read about on here. But hate the “Mass”. Never.
 
Cat said:
There are a lot of objections about the Mass in this and in the Liturgy and Sacrament section.

Last night as I was reading one of the many threads (I think it was about noise in Mass), it dawned on me that many of the people on this forum sound like they hate Mass and find very little good in it and suffer through it most of the time.

Or is that the point–Mass isn’t supposed to be something that we “like?”

After all, if Mass is only a “sacrifice,” I will never like it because to “like” a sacrifice is perverted. I will hate it because I hate seeing the Lord Jesus suffering and dying because of my sin.

Am I getting it now? Am I sounding less “Protestant?”

I really don’t like this at all and feel that if this is really what Catholicism is supposed to be, it’s pretty glum. But people on this forum tell me that Mass isn’t about “what I like” and I’m not supposed to be “entertained” at Mass, so perhaps I should try to “hate” Mass more and find it less pleasing.
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The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the most beautiful thing this side of heaven. It’s heaven on earth-the epiphany of God made man.
It’s not entertainment, it’s something far far greater. Love is sacrifice-in mass God’s love is manifested.
 
I was indifference to mass growing up because I never thought deeply about its meanings and such. I didn’t hate it or like it. Now it seems life forever waiting for mass on Sunday if I don’t go daily.
 
Hello! I’m brand new…to the forum, that is.
I accidentally bumped into this thread. I am what is known as a “fallen away” Catholic. I haven’t been to Mass in years. But I do know what some of you are talking about here. Years ago, before I left the Church, I got to where I found the Mass very boring and uninspiring. Many of my Catholic friends said the same thing, many of them are still active in the Church, but still find the Mass boring. They, and I, didn’t “hate” going to mass, but considered it a ritual…something we had to do. Of course, most of the blame goes on the individual for not activily seeking God in the Mass, but some of the blame, I believe, lies with the Church and the individual priests who say the Mass. Many Catholics do not understand what is going on in the Mass, or they have grown to take it for granted. Every once in a while, the priest should take a time-out from the ritualized Mass and stop and explain to the congregation everything that is going on, along with it’s historical and spiritual significance. That, I belive, would be a great help to those who are finding the Mass a chore instead of a celebration. Myself, and MANY Catholics I know, dreaded going to Mass because it was the exact same thing every time, with no variation at all. And, while I’m at it, the Protestants do have one up on the Church in that most (not all) of their preachers know how to preach a sermon, whereas many (not all) Priests have a very hard time preaching even a 10-minute sermon that can hold peoples’ attention. When I went to church, people would arrive at the very last minute, and leave the second the Mass was over. In many of the Protestant churches I’ve been in, the opposite is true. People show up early, talk and chat, and stay long after the service is over. I have found that the norm in many of the churches I’ve attended. I really think the Catholic Church would do itself and its members a great service if it would sometimes vary the Mass even a little bit. A pep talk about the nature of the Mass and the overpowering significance of it would do no harm. Priests seem very reluctant, howver, to stray from the norm. This is a shame. Jesus showed that branching out in different directions from what is expected can yield great results.
Anyway…That’s my two cents, for what it’s worth.
Thanks.
TommyMike
 
tommymike said:
Every once in a while, the priest should take a time-out from the ritualized Mass and stop and explain to the congregation everything that is going on, along with it’s historical and spiritual significance.

I really think the Catholic Church would do itself and its members a great service if it would sometimes vary the Mass even a little bit.

Priests seem very reluctant, howver, to stray from the norm. This is a shame. Jesus showed that branching out in different directions from what is expected can yield great results.
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sigh…I don’t mean this unkindly but you haven’t learned anything about the Mass since you’ve been gone. We can’t make it a protestant service.
 
This will probably come across as a very odd response.

The negativity you see may be more a function of the internet than of the mass. Strangers (e.g. posters on forums) seem to be more inclined to talk about controversy than about goodness. Take for example the forums dedicated to the game World of Warcraft. About ten million people play the game, paying each month to continue to do so, so obviously people are having fun. Yet if you look at their forums, it is page after page after page of complaining about this aspect of the game or that.

There are many differences between the two communities of people in the CA and WoW forums, but I think that there is one thing they have in common: when people are happy, they go out and live their lives, whether that means playing a video game or attending church. When everything is fine, there is less to discuss. So when you come here, you’re more likely to hear about what is wrong than what is right.
 
Binary said:
This will probably come across as a very odd response.

The negativity you see may be more a function of the internet than of the mass. Strangers (e.g. posters on forums) seem to be more inclined to talk about controversy than about goodness. Take for example the forums dedicated to the game World of Warcraft. About ten million people play the game, paying each month to continue to do so, so obviously people are having fun. Yet if you look at their forums, it is page after page after page of complaining about this aspect of the game or that.

There are many differences between the two communities of people in the CA and WoW forums, but I think that there is one thing they have in common: when people are happy, they go out and live their lives, whether that means playing a video game or attending church. When everything is fine, there is less to discuss. So when you come here, you’re more likely to hear about what is wrong than what is right.
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I hate the monthly subscription model. 😦
 
I love Mass.

I reject the performances that masquerade as the Mass. I reject the heterodoxy of certain priests who change the Mass. I reject the attitude of the people who speak on their cell-phones or to their neighbor throughout the Mass.

But I love the Mass.
 
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