I feel as though my faith in the Church is dwindling

  • Thread starter Thread starter jas84173
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

jas84173

Guest
I came back to the Church about ten years ago after being fallen away. I came to accept Christ in my life. At 33, I now go to Mass daily and also try to go to adoration as much as possible.

My faith in the Church however has nothing to do with my faith in Christ. It is more the modern Church.
I began attending Latin Mass and I personally feel a growing resentment to the new Mass. I never knew this before because I had never attended the Tridentine Mass. I can say for me personally , I feel at one with Christ. The Mass seems more like a sacrifice. The sacredness and reverence is just amazing. I can’t help but wonder why on earth the Church did away with this?
I find myself resenting the second Vatican Council. I don’t even know if I accept it anymore. It’s as if Protestantism was thrown into the Faith. We are supposed to believe any religion can save? That undermines the Church. Modern churches I can’t even walk into without being just saddened. Tabernacles to the side. No altar railings, which signify the boundary between sin and holiness.
What started out as a curiosity has turned into a full on questioning of it.

Has anyone else felt this way? Does it make me bad?
 
I am a convert going the through this same struggle right now, prayers!
 
I’m a life-long Catholic and struggling too but more interested in the Eastern Church and Divine Liturgy than the EF Mass. About 20 years ago I had an opportunity to pursue conversion to the EO but decided not to do it. Now I truly want to but now it’s no longer possible. So I try and find ways to somehow stay in the Catholic Church without too much sadness. Perhaps an Eastern Catholic Church is an option for me and I’ve been thinking about it.

Anyway. . . you’re a young man and it’s good to be honest with God and yourself. Pray about this and reflect on it and don’t rush into anything.

May the Spirit of God be with you on your journey.

God Bless you!
 
Last edited:
There are many things that Vatican II did not call for that are present in the mass today. Those little changes may have resulted in little faith in many, as we see that belief in the Real Presence has dwindled significantly. There were many waiting for something like Vatican II to get an allowance on certain practices. They took it and ran with it. But the Vatican II council itself was not wrong; in fact it can’t be.
 
Last edited:
The Eucharist is the source and summit of our spiritual experience as Catholics. This will always be. It is one important aspect of living the faith. Besides attending Mass and adoration, what else are you doing to grow your faith? How are you helping the poor? How are you evangelizing the ignorant? How are you practicing the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy? When we get angry and bitter, we must try to remember it’s not about us at all. We have the responsibility to build up God’s church on earth, not tear it down.
 
Sounds like a crisis of faith.

You cannot separate Christ form His Church! It is His mystical Body.

I strongly suspect that you have been looking to your left and right and seeing nothing but sinners and disappointment. Well, you can stop that!

Look up at that crucifix. Ask Christ in the Blessed Sacrament to renew your faith.

Remember: “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

That is your 100% rod-of-iron clad guarantee.

Something - or someone - is trying to lure you away from Christ’s Church.

James 4:7 “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
 
Last edited:
Amen.

Don’t be folled by those who would deride the church for their own agenda
 
Do you, by any chance, read a lot of trad blogs and websites? Or perhaps have outspoken trad friends? I ask because you mention details that I consider rather secondary but to you they are heartbreaking. So I was wondering if the difference is down to the influence of our respective peer groups and/or reading lists.
 
Last edited:
Yes I read the FAQ section of the Society that i go to services of. The one of “What’s wrong with Novus Ordo Missae?” really effected me the most.

http://sspx.org/en/faq-page

"The Novus Ordo Missae was introduced in April 1969 by Pope Paul VI. From the start, this new rite was intended to have an ecumenical nature as declared by its chief architect, Fr. Annibale Bugnini in 1965:

“We must strip from our Catholic prayers and from the Catholic liturgy everything which can be the shadow of a stumbling block for our separated brethren—that is, for the Protestants.””
 
Last edited:
Are you sure you want to attend SSPX Masses?

Does your Diocese have any EF Masses near you? My Diocese has a “stand alone” (can’t think of the proper word) EF parish that anyone can join that is completely Traditional – not a hint of anything “new” yet it’s still under the Bishop and Diocese and part of the RCC. Do you have anything comparable in your area?
 
There’s one diocese and one done by the FSSP.

I like the one done by the SSPX by far more. The priest seems so knowledgeable on the Church history and has given me a lot of guidance on my journey in faith. I really feel it’s the best offering.
 
Local church here has the Tabernacle up front and center (mid-late 1970’s build). Even with the upcoming renovation, it’s still going to be front and center (or so it looks). The priests out here view Vatican II and the Tabernacle placement thing to be issues impacting bigger churches where tourists come and visit. I.E., that it wasn’t meant to place it to the side of the altar, it was that the Tabernacle was to be placed in a place less accessible to the touristy masses. They think it’s absurd to set it off to the side of the altar.

The other ones I’ve gone to in the Diocese all seem to have the Tabernacle front and center too. except for the main church which has it in an adoration chapel. Haven’t gone to the one yet where teenagers entered and proceeded to urinate, etc. all over the altar area, so not sure what they’ve done in response. Simply stated, their position is: if there’s no legitimate reason to move it (i.e. potential tourist damage), it stays centrally located.

Of course, the congregation in the various locations contains a lot of German Catholics along with Lebanese Catholics, plus some Ukranians, and they are a stubborn group it seems 🙂 The mis-translation of the Our Father concept hasn’t gained much traction out here. Same for the put the Tabernacle off somewhere idea.

I think a lot of what you’re talking about just depends on the interpretation of directives. As a person who suffers from asthma and allergies, I do appreciate the lessening of the incense, even if it does remove “something” from the Mass. Interestingly, when our most senior priest came back from sabbatical in Europe, the Mass became more “formal” including the introduction of plain-chant, and various other things.
 
jas84173 said:
Yes I read the FAQ section of the Society that i go to services of. The one of “What’s wrong with Novus Ordo Missae?” really effected me the most.

http://sspx.org/en/faq-page

"The Novus Ordo Missae was introduced in April 1969 by Pope Paul VI. From the start, this new rite was intended to have an ecumenical nature as declared by its chief architect, Fr. Annibale Bugnini in 1965:

“We must strip from our Catholic prayers and from the Catholic liturgy everything which can be the shadow of a stumbling block for our separated brethren—that is, for the Protestants.””
Click to expand...
I’m going to be charitable here. That FAQ is weak. To the big question of "What’s wrong with Novus Ordo Missae?,” all they came up with is one opinion from one priest to the effect that it is ecumenical. If that is their best shot, you have nothing to worry about with the Novus Ordo Mass. I would be a lot more worried about the hubris of those few who think they know better than bishops, cardinals, and popes.
 
I often have similar thoughts as the original post. The more I attend EF Mass, the more “wrong” the OF Mass seems. It almost seems Protestant to me at this point. It’s like it seems like an entirely different denomination, and much impoverished liturgically.
However, the RCC seems the most correct theologically, so I hang in there. Could you try the Ordinariate? (Anglican use – supposed to be high quality and reverent liturgy). I literally thank God that we can attend the Latin Mass now – how did anyone survive with their faith intact through the late 60s and 70s?
 
Last edited:
It is nearly identical to Anglican services. And why wouldn’t it be? The 1979 Book of Common Prayer revision states in the beginning it was influenced by the Second Vatican Council liturgical reform.

That’s just great.
 
It’s easy to feel that way in these days–other good Catholics have felt the same way in times past. And yet, despite all the problems of the present day–and the Church has overcome similar problems in the past–the Creed is still the same, the dogmas are still the same, the Scriptures are still the same, the Commandments are still the same, and the sacraments are still the same seven, even if many in the Church neglect or disrespect them (again, not the first time).

Vatican II is one Council among many–and just like Catholics are not engrossed in every other Council or papal decree ever issued, we don’t need to be obsessed with Vatican II—we know the truths and moral laws we need to follow and the sacraments we need to receive. Let the theologians and others argue about the nuances, let others go to the ecumenical shindigs, etc. and let’s be about our Father’s business: you can still worship at the Eucharistic Sacrifice offered worthily, you can still obey the Commandments, you can still receive the sacraments, and you can still do your part in building up the Body of Christ and Communion of Saints.
 
Last edited:
It’s only prudent to remove yourself from the field if you can’t take the pressure.

Perhaps the above is correct but only you would know if it were.

Because I believe in God. My faith cannot waver. Yet as I time goes on I sense many of you are so engrained in the small print, a battle awaits at every turn. I wonder how you cope!

Be mindful that you don’t become Protestants. Wrangling at the call of a thousand different interpretations and denominations.

Do you presume Gods power so small, he is incapable of presiding over one small planet and the church he founded upon it.

Mayhap some reflection is required on your belief at large.
 
Last edited:
Our Faith in Church is because of our Faith in Christ. One without the other for a knowledgeable Catholic doesn’t make sense to me.

But, yes, I have felt like that. Let me tell you why.

A LOT of those changes have about nothing to do with Vatican II. But, why have the change in the first place? Well, a lot of people didn’t have a good grasp of Latin anymore, and oftentimes they would play songs like classical songs that could take hours, think Beethoven. But, it was English more rarely to aid in understanding. The mass envisioned by the Council fathers was a lot different than modern novus ordo. But, I want you to think about it. The old Mass might need an understanding of the Mass, concentration, reverence, etc. Unbeknownst to humans, but completely known to the everliving God, soon, kids would have less concentration than fish, completely distracted all the time because of things like the internet and mobile devices, etc., and that there’d even be an epidemic of eating laundry detergent.

Tl;dr we are worse off now and something more modern-friendly is helpful for us. Vatican II is a lot less “liberal” than people tend to think.
 
It’s not the TLM, it’s the people who go out of their way to attend a TLM vs the average Mass on Sunday at your local parish.

The parish Mass is attended by people of all different levels of faith and understanding of Catholic Doctrines.

Be careful here !

Faith is not religion.

Faith is God’s revelation of Himself to the individual, however that may happen. Faith is an experience, of God.

Religion is our response to faith.

If possible, try attending a Novus Ordo Mass at a monastery, like the Trappist or Benedictines.

You’ll find the level of reverence and sacredness in those Masses that you won’t see in your local parish or even in an TLM.

In all, Christ is the source of faith. He is the reason why we are Catholic, not because we have a romance to the rites and doctrines which merely serve our ego’.s.

Jim
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top