Is the Church Leaving Me?

[AJC]

I describe myself as a Practicing Catholic who’s gonna keep practicing until he gets it right. But being a Catholic for 66 years I no longer recognize our beautiful Roman Catholic Church. The focus no longer seems to be the Gospel of Jesus Christ but the Gospel of What Would Jesus Do? Priests give tepid or nondescript homilies. The liturgical music is sentimental and wimpy. The language of the Mass is uninviting. Maybe it’s my age? I remember Churches so full we had to have an additional Mass in the basement. Regularly, not before Mass, Confession and Reconciliation. Being able to pray before Mass and not have people talking and socializing. Beautiful moving hymns with a message and choirs were the norm. No gimmicks, like projectors and silly charismatic arm raising and hand holding. We had a Church that built hospitals, orphanages, schools, and supported missions. All because of the Gospel. We had Church leadership that were preparing us for God’s coming Kingdom. Now we have Church leadership, under the guise of “social justice” that comments and involves itself in all the “in” things of politics. Honestly the only thing that keeps me Roman Catholic is Christ and the Sacraments. But for how long?

 

[Cruciferi]

Find a Parish and Rite you’re comfortable with. My grandfather was quite upset by Vatican II changes so he became Maronite! Me, I attend the Diocesan Cathedral. Just switch things up and see what you prefer.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

The Church’s teachings and Sacraments are the same as they have been for two thousand years. Your complaints are about relatively trivial matters compared to the Gospel message. We usually remember our childhood as a rosier time, because we remember the good and not the bad, but such memories may not be realistic.

 

[ChunkMonk]

Honestly the only thing that keeps me Roman Catholic is Christ and the Sacraments. But for how long?

As long as it takes, my brother.

Hard times create good men.
Good men create easy times.
Easy times create soft men.
Soft men create hard times.

 

[Melodeonist]

I’d recommend seeking out a parish that offers the Traditional Latin Mass. They always tend to be far more reverent, less chatty people before Mass while you try to pray, and way better homilies.

 

[DeepDeepTrouble3]

I recommend EF also.

 

[pianistclare]

Forever, don’t be that guy who is a complainer.
Christ is present int he Eucharist. Go for HIM.
The CHurch still does good works all over the world.
your church still offers Reconciliation. Go. The time of day is irrelevant.
Ask your Parish musicians to play some older hymns at one Mass.
Social Justice is part of our Catholic heritage. We need to embrace it and work toward it.
Corporal works of mercy, remember.
As a Parish Music Director I take exception to your remarks about the music. We try to select hymn that go with the readings, and appeal to a broad range of people, not just a certain segment, although there are some Masses that are attended by an older set and I try to provide music that resonates with them. Oddly enough, the Mass with the most elderly attendees demand the new Christian “lite” music. Who know? Seems odd to me, so you see, not everyone has the same tastes.
But the MASS REMAINS.
The rest of it is nothing to leave over. Not by a long shot.

 

[jfz178]

I’ve been a Catholic for 65 years and was an altar server in the Latin Mass. The old church is hardly recognizable, but that’s fine with me. To your points: I hope the message we all take from the Gospel of Jesus Christ IS “What Would Jesus Do?” Our priest is from Ghana. His English is just passable, but he gives GREAT sermons. I have been a liturgical music minister for 40 years and while there is some new music I object to, at least people can understand it now and sing along. Most parishes always butchered Gregorian Chant, truth be told. If you studied chant, you’d realize you’ve probably never heard real chant in a Catholic church.

No offense meant, but maybe it is you age…your mental age. At our age, we have to be careful about becoming curmudgeons and taking this shrill “Back in my day…” stance. It is a false association to blame declining Mass attendance on the form of the Mass. There are lots of reasons for it.

Every parsh I’ve been in still builds hospitals, orphanages, schools, and supports missions. Church leadership has often taken controversial positions. I don’t like some of the positions they are taking now, but I accept it. I don’t see it as some sign of gloom and doom.

And while you are typing on your computer, some kids might have wandered into your yard. You could be out there yelling “Get off my lawn!” Wouldn’t that be fun!

 

[Spyridon]

The Church is Jesus; Jesus is the Church.

As such, Jesus (the Church) never leaves anybody.

Individual people, they leave the Church (Jesus).

 

[adgloriam]

But for how long?

People get cranky when they get older. You’re gonna go astray amidst your “golden years”? Stop your membership in the “wimping choir”, get out there and get “into it” reaffirming you love for the church and taking part in the “new evangelization” those youngsters need your more than ever!!! You have no small job ahead of your, no sir, it’s a battle out there!!!

 

[Crocus]

Now we have Church leadership, under the guise of “social justice” that comments and involves itself in all the “in” things of politics. Honestly the only thing that keeps me Roman Catholic is Christ and the Sacraments.

“Social justice” in the church is nothing new.

Rerum Novarum, an encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on 15 May 1891, is a foundational text in the history of Catholic social thought, establishing the position of the Church on issues pertaining to the proper relationship between capital and labor.

As for “Christ and the Sacraments,” if that’s all you have, I must ask: What more do you really need?

(Trusting His promise to be with us always, and that the Holy Spirit will preserve our church in holiness.)

 

[misstherese]

Your complaints are about relatively trivial matters compared to the Gospel message.

As Saint Padre Pio has said, “It Is easier to live without the sun than to live without the mass.”

such matters may seem trivial to some, but they are crucial to others. Things like the changing the beautiful Latin (which was meant to not be done away with completely anyway) to receiving communion in the hand (which arose from disobedience) can have disastrous effects on those who relied on these ways as what they considered to be properly worshipping Him and offering Him what they could through these reverent methods in the mass.

 

[adgloriam]

Things like the changing the beautiful Latin

After Vatican II half the population in southern Europe hardly knew how to read. How about the southern hemisphere?

(which was meant to not be done away with completely anyway)

I have vernacular and Latin mass being celebrated 15 minutes away form my home. I don’t really think it was ever meant to be “done away with”.

to receiving communion in the hand

At mass, those wanting to receive in the mouth open their mouth. Those wanting to receive in the hand open their hands. Those wanting to kneel, kneel…It’s a matter of conscious, you kneel with your heart and within your heart foremost. Without kneeling with you heart the outwardly gesture is meaningless.

can have disastrous effects on those

There are plenty stirring up controversies about non-issues having no other desire than to instill hate and unneeded questioning of the church with questions they don’t answer themselves. I trust the popes on this matter, and I’d be ill advised to trust anyone else.

such matters may seem trivial to some

They are not trivial to me, that’s why I do think about it and will not be deceived by the first “traditionalist” crossing my path.

 

[adgloriam]

I have seen an alarming number of youth here on CA echoing this discourse to their loss. Those promoting such controversies have undoubtedly reached their aim at creating division and discord in the minds.

 

[Viki63]

We just got a new priest assigned. He is wonderful! One recent homily of his was so hard hitting, he inspired a friend of mine to stop receiving communion because he wasn’t in line with all that the church teaches, He’s back on board now.
The music has become much more reverent and traditional.
And Christ is still present in the Eucharist. I am full of hope.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I’ve been to pretty chatty Latin Masses. You’re doing this thing called generalization.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I take issue with the criticisms of the OP and the charismatic movement, it seems. If you don’t want to be a part of that, don’t be a part of that, I’m not, but it’s Church approved. I usually go to a pretty barebones Mass, but I enjoy it. But even if I didn’t I would still go, as I am there for God. The Church isn’t leaving you, the Church isn’t a political party. You’re projecting an image of the Church that never really was.

 

[ConfusedLucy]

Is it really realistic to expect something to stay exactly the same over several decades?

 

[Francis]

Honestly the only thing that keeps me Roman Catholic is Christ and the Sacraments. But for how long?

That 's what is required, Be faithful in small things till death,Jesus, is with you till the end of time, are you with Jesus? is the question you should ask yourself,I do appreciate your concern,just accept it in good will, cling to Him make Him your own God Bless

Hebrews 12:1-5 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners,so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—

12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

Revelation 2:10 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction.Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Is it really realistic to expect something to stay exactly the same over several decades?

No.
And as someone who was a regular weekly attendee of Catholic Church from the mid-60s through the mid-90s, almost all the changes the OP is talking about happened, or were significantly “in progress”, by the mid-70s. They are not anything new that just happened in the last 10 or 20 years. Therefore, the OP has already been attending church for about 40 years under the “new” regime.

I would go so far as to say that some of the changes listed by the OP have actually “changed back”. I have heard homilies in the past year at probably 20-30 churches in USA and the vast majority of them have been good. This was not the case back in the 70s and 80s when most of them were boring, and it’s not because I have become so old and wise, rather the priests seem to be getting some better basic training in how to speak to an audience. There is still an occasional clunker in the mix, but I’d say 9 out of 10 homilies are decent. Unless you are looking for the hellfire-and-brimstone type of preaching about sin, which the vast majority of priests do not do, and which I don’t terribly miss.