How has assisting at the TLM changed the way you practice your Catholicism?

[marthaferretti]

I’ve cut & pasted an email I received about 10 years ago from a friend. Her reaction to the TLM pretty much mirrored mine although my ‘conversion’ was a process over time.

So how did/does assisting at the TLM changed the way you’ve practiced the Faith?

First, a little history, I attended the only mass I knew - Novus Ordo - for thirty-three years. For the last two years, I have attended exclusively the Old Latin Mass. Despite having a longer history with the Novus Ordo Mass, and mindset, it has been through the Old Latin Mass, and adhering to the practices, and teachings of the Traditional Catholic faith that I have felt God’s graces working to strengthen my faith, and my relationship with Him. Prior, at best, I was a lukewarm Catholic - prayed infrequently, attended mass at my whim, neglected the Rosary, paid little attention to the devotions, shunned Confession (18 years), grew apathetic to the Real Presence, read little on the Catholic faith, gave God the backseat in my life, disregarded the consequences of sin, gave greater importance to my earthly life over my spiritual life, fit God into my life instead of my life into God’s. When I walked into my first Traditional mass, it was with indifference but I left with humility, gratitude, and an immense love of Christ, and my Catholic faith. As Ann states, Traditional churches are “vertical” i.e., everything is geared “upwards,” pointing to God, heaven, the angels, etc which in attendance leads a Catholic’s focus upwards, pointing to God, heaven, the angels, etc… With this “vertical” focus, it is impossible for Catholic to be indifferent to God, or the Catholic faith. From personal experience, I have witnessed my own focus shift from horizontal to vertical - my indifference replaced with accountability. In the end, it’s this sense of accountability to God that has brought into my life – daily prayer, my Sunday obligation, the Rosary, the devotions, frequent Confession, the significance of the Real Presence, the culpability of sin, books, and a greater knowledge on the faith, and my subjection to God, and my faith. I am not holier than the next Catholic but in spite of that fact I can’t deny that I practice my faith differently than I did before the Traditional Mass with its vertical focus. Given such a God-centered Mass, it is almost or near to impossible for a Catholic not become fully aware of their dependence on God, and their responsibility to Him in fulfilling the duties that He asks of all of us. As it’s only by way of God’s graces that we are lead to Him, I am ever grateful to Him for having guided me to the Traditional Catholic faith.

 

[obliviuossquire]

I’ve cut & pasted an email I received about 10 years ago from a friend. Her reaction to the TLM pretty much mirrored mine although my ‘conversion’ was a process over time.

So how did/does assisting at the TLM changed the way you’ve practiced the Faith?

First, a little history, I attended the only mass I knew - Novus Ordo - for thirty-three years. For the last two years, I have attended exclusively the Old Latin Mass. Despite having a longer history with the Novus Ordo Mass, and mindset, it has been through the Old Latin Mass, and adhering to the practices, and teachings of the Traditional Catholic faith that I have felt God’s graces working to strengthen my faith, and my relationship with Him. Prior, at best, I was a lukewarm Catholic - prayed infrequently, attended mass at my whim, neglected the Rosary, paid little attention to the devotions, shunned Confession (18 years), grew apathetic to the Real Presence, read little on the Catholic faith, gave God the backseat in my life, disregarded the consequences of sin, gave greater importance to my earthly life over my spiritual life, fit God into my life instead of my life into God’s. When I walked into my first Traditional mass, it was with indifference but I left with humility, gratitude, and an immense love of Christ, and my Catholic faith. As Ann states, Traditional churches are “vertical” i.e., everything is geared “upwards,” pointing to God, heaven, the angels, etc which in attendance leads a Catholic’s focus upwards, pointing to God, heaven, the angels, etc… With this “vertical” focus, it is impossible for Catholic to be indifferent to God, or the Catholic faith. From personal experience, I have witnessed my own focus shift from horizontal to vertical - my indifference replaced with accountability. In the end, it’s this sense of accountability to God that has brought into my life – daily prayer, my Sunday obligation, the Rosary, the devotions, frequent Confession, the significance of the Real Presence, the culpability of sin, books, and a greater knowledge on the faith, and my subjection to God, and my faith. I am not holier than the next Catholic but in spite of that fact I can’t deny that I practice my faith differently than I did before the Traditional Mass with its vertical focus. Given such a God-centered Mass, it is almost or near to impossible for a Catholic not become fully aware of their dependence on God, and their responsibility to Him in fulfilling the duties that He asks of all of us. As it’s only by way of God’s graces that we are lead to Him, I am ever grateful to Him for having guided me to the Traditional Catholic faith./QUOTE

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That truly is a blessing to receive that zeal for the Glory of God. In my experiences, I have been to both and trust me, I do understand where you are coming from, and my experience is slightly different though. I have never experienced a “horizontal” focus in a Novus Ordo mass. That “feeling” is individual, for the Novus Ordo mass is geared to God in all ways, you can only get what you put into your faith. The Tridentine mass is truly a great mass and its importance is immense, for myself I have come to love the Church more from attending both style masses. A the Church is eternal and living, it is great to see how, in the Novus Ordo mass, the congregation is more vocally participating, for we should all worship as a community in the spirit of Christ, with our whole mind, body and soul. This is told to us within the Psalms. The tridentine mass is very traditional and humbling although and it is great to see the growth of Catholic Worship by observing both forms of mass, the old and the new. Again, I am extremely happy that you have the opportunity to go to attend those masses and have ur spiritual life renewed and strengthened.

May the Lord bless you and keep you all the days of your life!

 

[ConstantineTG]

I was in an EF Mass once and I prayed that I want to grow my faith and spirituality. I asked the Lord if the path for me is being a Traditional Catholic. 3 days later I was at a Byzantine Divine Liturgy and a great joy filled my heart. I stayed and became an Eastern Catholic.

This is not about which form of Liturgy is better. They are all the same. We as humans are limited and can only understand God on a limited way. That is why we have so many different forms of Liturgy across several Liturgical Traditions. Some of us hear God better in the OF, some in the EF, some in the Byzantine Divine Liturgy, some in the Holy Qurbana of the Syriac Rites. No one of them is greater than the other, we should go where we connect with God better. And let us be thankful that such diversity is the true expression of a universal Church and universal faith.

 

[obliviuossquire]

I was in an EF Mass once and I prayed that I want to grow my faith and spirituality. I asked the Lord if the path for me is being a Traditional Catholic. 3 days later I was at a Byzantine Divine Liturgy and a great joy filled my heart. I stayed and became an Eastern Catholic.

This is not about which form of Liturgy is better. They are all the same. We as humans are limited and can only understand God on a limited way. That is why we have so many different forms of Liturgy across several Liturgical Traditions. Some of us hear God better in the OF, some in the EF, some in the Byzantine Divine Liturgy, some in the Holy Qurbana of the Syriac Rites. No one of them is greater than the other, we should go where we connect with God better. And let us be thankful that such diversity is the true expression of a universal Church and universal faith.

Well put!

 

[pollycarp]

the way I practice my Catholicism? - I take it much, much more seriously. I connect with God better at the EF these days I believe.

 

[Zacdecat]

My whole life

 

[laszlo]

Some principles:

Jesus Christ is the center of our life, not any outside form. He is equally present in both forms.

The whole life is 168 hours a week, the Mass, even if one attends daily only 7 out of that ,but for must people only 1 hour out of 168. The form for that time can make only very swallow changes.

I feel at home in an old fashioned church (my grandchildren’s word). I born into that and hopefully will be buried from that type. But that church is defined by the reverence, not any outside form.

 

[archangel04]

Some principles:

Jesus Christ is the center of our life, not any outside form. He is equally present in both forms.

The whole life is 168 hours a week, the Mass, even if one attends daily only 7 out of that ,but for must people only 1 hour out of 168. The form for that time can make only very swallow changes.

I feel at home in an old fashioned church (my grandchildren’s word). I born into that and hopefully will be buried from that type. But that church is defined by the reverence, not any outside form.

True, but teh OP question was “How has assisting at the TLM changed the way you practice your Catholicism?” Not “is Jesus more present in the EF form”. I know from reading past post of yours you don’t attend the EF, which is ok, but as I stated the OP is asking how has ones life, if any, changed since attending the EF.