How to get used to the Ordinary Form of the Mass?

[LatinByzCath]

Hi, all.

I grew up in a very traditional Byzantine Catholic Church that celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Women wore scarves on their heads, there was lots of incense and chanting in Church Slavonic, and most clergy had long beards. These are of course just small traditions that don’t necessarily mean a whole lot to our faith, but I find that the traditions that make up our heritage as Catholics, especially when it comes to showing reverence in God’s house, really shapes and effects my experience of the Church.

My forefathers lived during the harsh anti-religious regime of the USSR. I have extended family that died in labor camps or were shot in front of their families because of their faith, such as the case with an extended relative who was a Russian Orthodox priest, shot in front of his wife and children because he would not tell his congregation that God didn’t exist. Because of this persecution, the people in Eastern Europe held tight to the traditions of the Church when it went underground, and it was sticking to these traditions that the Christian lifestyle was preserves and eventually resurrected.

I live in a community (a diocese) that only offers the Ordinary Form of the Mass. Some Churches are a bit on the crazy side (the tabernacle is in the back, no one ever goes to confession, etc. You’d think they were Episcopalians!) And some are very solid and perform the Ordinary Form of the Mass, keeping things like the old statues and the like. Nothing wrong with a charismatic mass, as there is room for that in the true universality of Catholicism.

My issue here is not with the Ordinary Form of the Mass. I fully accept its validity. I’ve read the documents of Vatican II, which are so beautiful that they remind me of sacred scripture. I acknowledge that there are those on both sides of the spectrum that have gone to the point of heresy, but the Church has always had heretics.

My issue is with my own faith.

I have so much trouble in the Ordinary Form of the Mass. I have such a difficult time connecting to it. No incense, no chants or hymns (I can’t abide guitars at mass. I just can’t.) This is something I was raised with, but in the Catholic world I feel like something of a pharisee. I want to have the love that the people around me have, love for Christ in the Eucharist which transcends the language of the liturgy or anything else.

What can I do to become more used to the Ordinary Form of the Mass? My diocese has been very effected by a liberal bishop who put in some pretty liberal pastors (though I hate to use the term!) At one point he tried to take out kneelers from the Churches - imagine a Latin rite Church without kneelers!

The people around me at mass have such a ridiculous amount of faith and love for Our Lord and His Church. I was raised to almost put tradition upon the altar and worship it, or at least that seemed to be the attitude of those around me.

I tried attending the Tridentine Mass an hour away. The priests and people were very extreme right-wingers, and many of them didn’t even like the Holy Father (this parish was FSSP.) I like the TLM, but after a while the intolerance of the people around me, and the strange homilies at mass got to me, and I had to leave, because I felt myself losing that spirit of faith, hope and love.

What’s also getting at me is that I think I may have a vocation to something. I’m very much attracted to the Franciscans, and I can see why the Ordinary Form of the Mass in its simplicity and intimacy would very much fit in with Franciscan spirituality. No matter where I go, at least for the time being, I’ll probably be living my life around the Ordinary Form of the Mass. This scares me. I will be with people who love and adore our Lord and pay no mind to the changes that have been made to the mass, while my mind isn’t able to get off of the topic for too long.

Please help me. I’m not trying to sound judgmental, self-righteous or anything like that. I was just raised in a tradition that’s pretty foreign in comparison to the majority of the Church.

I’m just not sure how I can stop letting it bother me that people other than the priest and deacon distribute Holy Communion, that people receive the Eucharist in their hands, that little girls serve in the altar, etc.

How can I stop letting these things bother me? After a year of being in the Latin rite, it’s starting to really effect my spiritual health.

 

[ServusHumilis]

What you described at the FSSP parish near you doesn’t make them look very good. I have to say I’ve never had ANY such experience at the FSSP parish near me though if I did I wouldn’t have been likely to return either. I do however prefer a diocesan parish that offers the Extraordinary Form of the Mass which I’m lucky enough to have near me. I’ve only heard one person say something relatively negative of the Pope (and not so bad that I even remember what it was) though he isn’t seen every week anyways. This was right after the confusion caused by the synod in October too. If you think about it at the Ordinary Form you’re conversely going to be more likely to run into those of the opposite side of the spectrum who seem to be “so nice” but at the same time might not fully agree with Catholic teaching and would still go up for communion every week. You’ll have to put up with nonsense wherever you go. Of course neither represents the typical congregant at either but which is worse? I find the best Ordinary Form Masses are offered by priests who also offer the Extraordinary Form or those offered at Abbeys. Do you have an Abbey near you?

 

[Cat]

Hi, all.

I grew up in a very traditional Byzantine Catholic Church that celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Women wore scarves on their heads, there was lots of incense and chanting in Church Slavonic, and most clergy had long beards. These are of course just small traditions that don’t necessarily mean a whole lot to our faith, but I find that the traditions that make up our heritage as Catholics, especially when it comes to showing reverence in God’s house, really shapes and effects my experience of the Church.

My forefathers lived during the harsh anti-religious regime of the USSR. I have extended family that died in labor camps or were shot in front of their families because of their faith, such as the case with an extended relative who was a Russian Orthodox priest, shot in front of his wife and children because he would not tell his congregation that God didn’t exist. Because of this persecution, the people in Eastern Europe held tight to the traditions of the Church when it went underground, and it was sticking to these traditions that the Christian lifestyle was preserves and eventually resurrected.

I live in a community (a diocese) that only offers the Ordinary Form of the Mass. Some Churches are a bit on the crazy side (the tabernacle is in the back, no one ever goes to confession, etc. You’d think they were Episcopalians!) And some are very solid and perform the Ordinary Form of the Mass, keeping things like the old statues and the like. Nothing wrong with a charismatic mass, as there is room for that in the true universality of Catholicism.

My issue here is not with the Ordinary Form of the Mass. I fully accept its validity. I’ve read the documents of Vatican II, which are so beautiful that they remind me of sacred scripture. I acknowledge that there are those on both sides of the spectrum that have gone to the point of heresy, but the Church has always had heretics.

My issue is with my own faith.

I have so much trouble in the Ordinary Form of the Mass. I have such a difficult time connecting to it. No incense, no chants or hymns (I can’t abide guitars at mass. I just can’t.) This is something I was raised with, but in the Catholic world I feel like something of a pharisee. I want to have the love that the people around me have, love for Christ in the Eucharist which transcends the language of the liturgy or anything else.

What can I do to become more used to the Ordinary Form of the Mass? My diocese has been very effected by a liberal bishop who put in some pretty liberal pastors (though I hate to use the term!) At one point he tried to take out kneelers from the Churches - imagine a Latin rite Church without kneelers!

The people around me at mass have such a ridiculous amount of faith and love for Our Lord and His Church. I was raised to almost put tradition upon the altar and worship it, or at least that seemed to be the attitude of those around me.

I tried attending the Tridentine Mass an hour away. The priests and people were very extreme right-wingers, and many of them didn’t even like the Holy Father (this parish was FSSP.) I like the TLM, but after a while the intolerance of the people around me, and the strange homilies at mass got to me, and I had to leave, because I felt myself losing that spirit of faith, hope and love.

What’s also getting at me is that I think I may have a vocation to something. I’m very much attracted to the Franciscans, and I can see why the Ordinary Form of the Mass in its simplicity and intimacy would very much fit in with Franciscan spirituality. No matter where I go, at least for the time being, I’ll probably be living my life around the Ordinary Form of the Mass. This scares me. I will be with people who love and adore our Lord and pay no mind to the changes that have been made to the mass, while my mind isn’t able to get off of the topic for too long.

Please help me. I’m not trying to sound judgmental, self-righteous or anything like that. I was just raised in a tradition that’s pretty foreign in comparison to the majority of the Church.

I’m just not sure how I can stop letting it bother me that people other than the priest and deacon distribute Holy Communion, that people receive the Eucharist in their hands, that little girls serve in the altar, etc.

How can I stop letting these things bother me? After a year of being in the Latin rite, it’s starting to really effect my spiritual health.

My suggestion is that you contemplate/meditate on Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament throughout the Mass. Keep your eyes off the people and the actions taking place and instead, see Jesus only.

And be careful about trusting the people. People can betray you. (Sorry to be so negative–I’ve had personal experience with this.)

Another suggestion is to read Scott Hahn’s great book, The Lamb’s Supper, which describes the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Dr. Hahn was a Protestant pastor, and when he started attending Mass, he recognized it as straight out of the Bible. Perhaps a more full understanding of what is happening at the OF Mass will help you develop a love for it.

Finally, keep in mind that Catholics who attend the OF Mass have also lost loved ones or family members to religious persecution/martyrdom.

 

[christus_vincit]

I live in a community (a diocese) that only offers the Ordinary Form of the Mass. Some Churches are a bit on the crazy side (the tabernacle is in the back, no one ever goes to confession, etc. You’d think they were Episcopalians!) And some are very solid and perform the Ordinary Form of the Mass, keeping things like the old statues and the like. Nothing wrong with a charismatic mass, as there is room for that in the true universality of Catholicism.

My issue here is not with the Ordinary Form of the Mass. I fully accept its validity. I’ve read the documents of Vatican II, which are so beautiful that they remind me of sacred scripture. I acknowledge that there are those on both sides of the spectrum that have gone to the point of heresy, but the Church has always had heretics.
.

Certainly the reverence and sublimity of the Tridentine Mass would be more in accord with the liturgical back ground from which you have come. But since that option has failed in your case, I would suggest finding the most “traditional” of the OF parishes around your area (for example, a parish that has a dignified altar as opposed to a “table” and a where the tabernacle is central, not off to the side or in the back, etc.) These seemingly small matters are actually, in my experience, indicative of the attitude of the pastor and the parishioners towards the Mass. Lex orandi, lex credendi - the law of prayer is the law of belief. If the priest offers and the people assist at the liturgy in a reverent manner, and the church is configured in a way that clearly emphasizes the sacrificial character of the Mass, the people will believe in that same wholesome manner.

 

[ProVobis]

In my experience it is almost impossible to change parishes into what you think they should be. I would suggest going to both or alternate. That way you won’t feel trapped by one or the other.

 

[TimothyH]

I would suggest that being scared of the liturgy, loosing faith because of it and affecting one’s spiritual health is a sign that something else is going on apart from the liturgy itself.

Prayer, frequenting the sacraments and good works are the three sides of a triangle which make up our spiritual health. One of those is deficient. I don’t think being more connected to the liturgy will fix anything.

-Tim-

 

[L_Marshall]

You seem to have a very good understanding of the different forms of liturgy within the Church.

Perhaps try this: Read the Book of Revelations, especially the parts about the Heavenly Liturgy. Meditate on how every form of liturgy is supposed to show forth this Heavenly Liturgy: that we may decrease and it may increase. Try to see in all the forms of the Mass that you go to.

 

[St_Francis]

I feel a lot of sympathy for you, because, altho I was only able to go for a few months, I love the Divine Liturgy!

What I learned to do when we moved into a not-so-great Latin parish was to offer up the deprivation I felt to Christ. I thought about what He went through during His passion and death–lots more deprivation-- and that helped me to feel grateful for what seemed to me to be crumbs I was getting after getting full, wonderful meals. A later move led us to a better parish, so pick the best parish around.

 

[TimothyH]

The OP acknowledges that the liturgy is not the problem but himself and points specifically to the many people who have a vibrant and deep spiritual life at the parish.

He says that his mind is focused on liturgy so much that he can barely focus on anything else. Others come to CAF with the same complaint, that they have become singularly focused on liturgy so much that they are enraged during Mass because of the music, have to leave, argue with their wives after Church or can’t receive communion. Depression and anger are not problems with the liturgy.

The OP mentions liturgy and incense and tradition but doesn’t mention prayer. He mentions the Franciscans and vocation but goes on to talk about the form of the Mass. The form of the Mass is number 9587 on the list of things which make a Franciscan a Franciscan. .

I’ll bet a copy of Praying with St. Francis that this has nothing to do with liturgy but with prayer.

LatinByzCath - consecrate your life to Mary. That is what the Franciscans told me to do. And then go to a monastery for a few days and ask them to teach you to pray.

-Tim-

 

[Seeker2013]

Remember that the Latin Mass was a vernacular Mass of its day since Latin was the official vernacular of the Romans. It became solidified by tradition. A vernacular Mass is a return to the early church where services were in the vernacular. Jesus, for example, spoke at least Aramaic and read Hebrew, probably not Latin. The first Christians may have celebrated the Mass in Aramaic for the Jerusalem churches or Greek for Paul’s churches. .

I agree with the advice to concentrate on the presence of Christ in the Mass; He’s always there regardless of the externals and He is seeking you too.

I am a convert to Catholicism and am always surprised at how much stress is placed on externals. Maybe I missed something in RCIA, but I thought we were to concentrate on the presence of Christ in the Mass which is still awe inspiring to me.

 

[christus_vincit]

Remember that the Latin Mass was a vernacular Mass of its day since Latin was the official vernacular of the Romans. It became solidified by tradition. A vernacular Mass is a return to the early church where services were in the vernacular. Jesus, for example, spoke at least Aramaic and read Hebrew, probably not Latin. The first Christians may have celebrated the Mass in Aramaic.

I agree with the advice to concentrate on the presence of Christ in the Mass; He’s always there regardless of the externals and He is seeking you too.

I’m not sure what that has to do with this thread but I will respond from a different point of view.

The Last Supper - the first Mass - was a ritual meal conducted in Hebrew - not the vernacular Aramaic. Since when is it the practice of the Catholic Church to throw aside tradition as if meaningless? Are not the “externals” of the Liturgy meant foremost to glorify God and to call to mind the sacrificial nature of the Mass?

 

[Denise1957]

I’m just not sure how I can stop letting it bother me that people other than the priest and deacon distribute Holy Communion, that people receive the Eucharist in their hands, that little girls serve in the altar, etc.

How can I stop letting these things bother me? After a year of being in the Latin rite, it’s starting to really effect my spiritual health.

The issues you mentioned above may always bother you, but with time and prayer, they may bother you less than they do now. I’m speaking from experience, since I had the same problem when I first began attending the OF after attending the EF for many years.

Here are a few things that have helped me:

1. be sure to pray your morning prayers before going to Sunday Mass, as this inclines the mind and heart toward God.
2. Ask (pray) to our Lord and our Lady to help you to not be upset by these things when Mass first begins.
3. Pray the Litany of Humility by Merry del Val, especially the last part, before going to Mass, or at Mass when you find yourself being bothered. Here’s the last part:

“That others may become holier than I, provided I become as holy as I should, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.”

Litany of Humility:

ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/humility.htm

 

[Hodegetria]

All excellent answers already put forth. I also love the Byzantine Mass and used to drive 60 miles into Canada to attend when I needed that extra spiritual experience. This past Sunday, on the Epiphany, we had the incense and I just loved it, I wish we could have it at every Mass. Anyway, I would try a couple things:

Have you tried the website masstimes.org? I no longer drive 60 miles one-way to a Byzantine Mass in Canada because I found one 25 miles away that I didn’t even know existed, in fact there are 3 or 4 Latin Masses in my area I never knew about. You’ll have to peruse each listing and see if the Byzantine or the Latin Mass is among the regular services.

I burn incense at home during my rosary, meditations or lectio divina. I use an electric burner for safety and ease of use. Monasteryicons.com is a good source.

Attend Eucharistic adoration more frequently if possible. Light a candle before or after Mass (if they are still available. I do not like seeing the electric mini-candles…) for your intentions.

Is there a Franciscan monastery close enough to make a retreat? I drive 190 miles to a wonderful one near Binghampton NY and I stay in a cabin in the woods, electric but no water (outhouse) and I fast and pray and usually write an icon or do another work of religious art. I only stay 3 or 4 nights but it completely renews me and refreshes my spirit. Best of all, Latin Mass 2x a week. If possible for you, I highly recommend it.

Finally as others have said, concentrate on Jesus in the tabernacle. I’d definitely switch to a church that has the tabernacle front and center.

Remember these are exterior things that trouble you, you are still getting the full blessings/benefits of the Mass. Ignore those around you, they will always be a problem. Forgive them and ask Jesus to forgive them for their irreverent behavior. It helps to love them and see them as your brothers and sisters in Christ and needing to be there.

Good luck and God Bless you.

 

[christus_vincit]

The OP mentions liturgy and incense and tradition but doesn’t mention prayer. He mentions the Franciscans and vocation but goes on to talk about the form of the Mass. The form of the Mass is number 9587 on the list of things which make a Franciscan a Franciscan. .

How can a Catholic, in good faith, separate prayer from the Liturgy? The Mass is the central act of worship that the Church offers to God. Everything in our spiritual lives stems from it. One’s prayer-life should be deeply rooted in the Mass and should find it’s sustenance there. Yes - it is possible to be hung up on the “bells and smells” of the traditional Liturgy (although, I do not think this is the case of the OP and this should not be the automatic conclusion regarding everyone who laments the irreverence of many OF Masses). But it is equally possible to carelessly dismiss such as “mere externals”. The OP comes from a background that has a rich and ancient liturgical tradition. He is looking for a Mass that will grant him that same experience. The fact is - the form of the Mass DOES matter greatly to one whose prayer life is inseparable from the supreme and central act of worship.

 

[OraLabora]

I have so much trouble in the Ordinary Form of the Mass. I have such a difficult time connecting to it. No incense, no chants or hymns (I can’t abide guitars at mass. I just can’t.) This is something I was raised with, but in the Catholic world I feel like something of a pharisee. I want to have the love that the people around me have, love for Christ in the Eucharist which transcends the language of the liturgy or anything else.

First of all what you describe isn’t the Ordinary Form of the Mass. It’s the Ordinary Form how it is celebrated in some places. The OF does not ban incense or chant.

On the other hand low EF Masses have no chant either and popular hymns were not invented after Vatican II.

Most Benedictine abbey’s I’ve visited celebrate the OF Mass as intended. The one to which I’m affiliated as oblate, uses incense appropriately (Sundays, solemnities, major feasts), uses chant every day for the Propers and Ordinary (Latin for the Propers and Latin/Greek for the ordinary), and chants the rest in French plainchant, including the readings. The only thing not chanted is the homily and the intercessions on ordinary weekdays (they’re chanted on Sundays and solemnities). It is the OF as sacrosanctum concilium intended.

What’s needed, I agree, is more reverence (and better music!) in many places.

As for guitars, well we must remember the history of the beautiful hymn “Silent Night”. The guitar at Mass is not an invention of the OF!

 

[27lw]

As for guitars, well we must remember the history of the beautiful hymn “Silent Night”. The guitar at Mass is not an invention of the OF!

Of course, the only reason they used guitar, was because the organ was not functioning (or so says the legend).


To the original person posting:
I feel the same way that you do. I think part of the answer is to occasionally (once a month or so?) to attend Mass at a different parish. Then you get a little balance, see that some things are in fact done well at your parish, etc.
Also, do you have a cathedral near you? It seems to me that liturgy is often celebrated there more reverently.

 

[Cat]

How can a Catholic, in good faith, separate prayer from the Liturgy? The Mass is the central act of worship that the Church offers to God. Everything in our spiritual lives stems from it. One’s prayer-life should be deeply rooted in the Mass and should find it’s sustenance there. Yes - it is possible to be hung up on the “bells and smells” of the traditional Liturgy (although, I do not think this is the case of the OP and this should not be the automatic conclusion regarding everyone who laments the irreverence of many OF Masses). But it is equally possible to carelessly dismiss such as “mere externals”. The OP comes from a background that has a rich and ancient liturgical tradition. He is looking for a Mass that will grant him that same experience. The fact is - the form of the Mass DOES matter greatly to one whose prayer life is inseparable from the supreme and central act of worship.

How?

Out of necessity.

If the Mass that we wish to attend is not possible for us, then we must learn to accept the Mass that is available to us without pining and sighing for that which we cannot have.

Whenever questions like this come up, I remember St. Maximillian Kolbe celebrating Mass in a concentration camp, with a can lid and a shot glass, surrounding by evil, death, and the glorification of Satan. HE managed to do without a beautiful Mass, and so can we if we must, and without sighing over our loss.

 

[Denise1957]

Whenever questions like this come up, I remember St. Maximillian Kolbe celebrating Mass in a concentration camp, with a can lid and a shot glass, surrounding by evil, death, and the glorification of Satan. HE managed to do without a beautiful Mass, and so can we if we must, and without sighing over our loss.

It wasn’t possible for St Maximillian Kolbe to have a reverent Mass in a concentration camp, so he made do with what was available. However, in our modern world, it is possible to have more reverent Masses, and I think that there’s a trend toward that, since a lot of priests and/or bishops are seeing the merit in a more reverent Mass.

Things can change. We can have hope, without giving in to despair, that the situation will improve. We can pray for it, and offer sacrifice for this end. Even if we pine and sigh for what is not yet available, it can become a means for our sanctification, if we view it correctly.

 

[Praedicare]

LatinByzCath, you have my deepest sympathy, affection, and love. I am in the same situation with regards to the O.F. Mass. Most of the time it is celebrated atrociously in my area. I often try to influence my somewhat-moderate pastor to use incense more often, and to sing the dialogues of the Mass. My best way of helping him make the Mass a little more reverent is to altar-serve with him. He is slowly coming around to a more “traditional” way.

The best way you can get used to the O.F. Mass is to memorize it. One great advantage of it is its paucity of words and simplicity of manner. To keep all of its words, actions, and responses in your heart is very easy. Once it is memorized, sit in a quieter pew out of the way of others, close your eyes, and meditate. Imagine you are surrounded by billions of angels in festal gathering, bearing incense, gold, myrrh, vestments, and holy oils. The gifts go up with the great archangel to the seraphim, who presented them to Christ and to God the Father through Him.

Sit with the Mass. Even the worst celebration of Mass can be mulled over. Ignore the external actions of others. Those who are irreverent, use guitars, or do other things we dislike should merely be offered to the Lord in our prayer. Be silent, listen, and love. If you are tempted to anger by the way Mass is celebrated, remember that the Holy Mass is the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection all at once. Offer your “little crucifixion” to God through Christ’s Eucharistic crucifixion. I assure you that every time someone sings like a hinge, He cringes a little bit with you.

Be patient… God will restore Israel…

 

[ProVobis]

Remember that the Latin Mass was a vernacular Mass of its day since Latin was the official vernacular of the Romans. It became solidified by tradition. A vernacular Mass is a return to the early church where services were in the vernacular. Jesus, for example, spoke at least Aramaic and read Hebrew, probably not Latin. The first Christians may have celebrated the Mass in Aramaic for the Jerusalem churches or Greek for Paul’s churches.

Latin as we hear it was from all accounts never a vernacular. Classical Latin was the administrative language of the Roman Empire and the Church chose to Christianize the language for preserving the liturgy, documents, scripture, and other religious matters when Christianity subsumed the empire. Except for the last 50 years, Latin was the norm for the Latin Rite since the 3rd century or so.

Vulgar Latin was the street language by the 3rd century and this language was the basis of the Romance languages we know today.