"Life Teen" Liturgy and it's destruction of centuries of Holy Tradition

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Servus_Pio_XII

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Hopefully most everyone here knows what I’m talking about here. Recently, a youth group has arisen known as “Life Teen” which uses contemporary “Christian” rock music in the Mass! I see this as a compleat disgrace to the Mass, and but one more front in the ongoing war for the Church fought between 2,000 years of tradition and the modern era.

Now, I am, if you didn’t guess, still advocating Latin Masses, but to anyone with any reasonably moderate viewpoint, this Liturgy with rock music must seem like an abomination!

Please post opinions below, I am open to a civilised debate.
 
I like variety, from solemn to lively. 🙂 I’ve been to LifeTeen at our Cathedral and love the priest there, and the music is up-lifting. I don’t particularly care for the teens at the altar bit, which I think is kind of corny.
 
One thing that LifeTeen does, I’ve noticed, is provide really good youth group activities after the Mass. I wish there was something like that at my parish, which has very quiet Masses, but nothing for our young people.
 
LIFE TEEN brings 'em in, which is good.

The Eucharist is still the Eucharist, no matter what song is playing. I myself have been equally moved by well-played classical music and guitar-oriented music at Mass.

The Saints tell us to fall in love with Jesus as the way of perfection. The emotional fervor of Life Teen music is a door to that conversion.
 
Hi JohnPaul,
One thing that’s important to keep in mind is that whether we like it or not our culture has changed rapidly in the past 50 years. Our youth are very influenced by media. I think LifeTeen attempts to provide a way to reach these kids in a way that is meaningful to them. These are the kids that learned their ABC’s to the hip-hop beat of Sesame Street.

I think the disharmony bettween old and new in the Church reflects the wider cultural disequalibrium we see in the nation and the world. The Church is attempting to respond to this reality, and it makes some people uncomfortable.

The Churches that offer LifeTeen seem to offer a variety of Masses. It seems that the Sunday Evening Mass is generally the more contempory style one in most parishes. So, people have a choice, which is good I think. 🙂
 
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HelpingHands:
Hi JohnPaul,
One thing that’s important to keep in mind is that whether we like it or not our culture has changed rapidly in the past 50 years. Our youth are very influenced by media. I think LifeTeen attempts to provide a way to reach these kids in a way that is meaningful to them. These are the kids that learned their ABC’s to the hip-hop beat of Sesame Street.

I think the disharmony bettween old and new in the Church reflects the wider cultural disequalibrium we see in the nation and the world. The Church is attempting to respond to this reality, and it makes some people uncomfortable.

The Churches that offer LifeTeen seem to offer a variety of Masses. It seems that the Sunday Evening Mass is generally the more contempory style one in most parishes. So, people have a choice, which is good I think. 🙂
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Sounds like we agree.
 
The Eucharist is still the Eucharist, but the Eucharist is Jesus. Jesus should not be treated BY THE MUSICAL SETTING as some hip pop-culture icon. Rather, he should be treated as someone to be revered in a solemn and holy way.
 
since the genuine liturgical abuses which arose in some parishes using the Life Teen program have been addressed, with positive and obedient response by most of those using the program, a lot of the discussion here is no longer relevant. The issue of the style of music is another topic altogether, and as long as the music chosen is not problematical from the standpoint of theology or suitability to the feast or liturgical season and the part of the Mass, it is a matter of personal preference. Something that is contrary to personal preference is not, by definition, a liturgical abuse.
 
Scott Waddell:
Rock music in the mass is tawdry pandering.
Scott
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Psalm 33:3 “Sing to God a new song; skillfully play with joyful chant”

Consider this: at some point in history, every hymn was a new song. Eventually, time will separate the wheat from the chaff in music. I can appreciate that you don’t want to be part of the milling process, but I hope you can recognize that it the process always has been there.

Peace.
 
There are dozens (or hundreds?) of varieties of “rock music.” The mere fact of using drums or having a beat does not in itself constitute liturgical musical abuse.

(I don’t think we’re going to see Mick Jagger at a Life Teen Mass. He’s too much of a codger.)
 
I don’t like rock music in Church, but I cannot objectively say we shouldn’t have it for the Teen Life Masses. I wouldn’t wish to go to a Teen Life Mass, so ya know what? I don’t go. I go to another Mass. THAT I think is the answer: if you don’t like a particular Mass, don’t go to that Mass.

I see a dangerous trend on these forums in some people. They want to make everything everywhere exactly the same. Even in the days pre-conciliar Church, there was a variety, if only inasmuch as you could say, “I’m going to Father Smith’s Mass at 10:00, he says a lovely one,” or “oh, no, not High Mass at Saint Michael’s again this week, didya hear that awful tenor last week?” If you don’t like something, don’t participate. Unless heresy is being taught, it’s a matter of subjective opinion.
 
I’ve never attended a LifeTeen Mass, but I’ll chime in anyway. There are some amazing, reverent Christian rock songs out there. I have those songs that I turn to when I’m down, when I need to feel that connection to God. The music is like a prayer for me. As long as the Mass is being conducted with due reverence (I’m guessing many will disagree with me that such music can be reverent), there is nothing wrong with having that type of music.
 
Servus Pio XII:
Hopefully most everyone here knows what I’m talking about here. Recently, a youth group has arisen known as “Life Teen” which uses contemporary “Christian” rock music in the Mass! I see this as a compleat disgrace to the Mass, and but one more front in the ongoing war for the Church fought between 2,000 years of tradition and the modern era.

Now, I am, if you didn’t guess, still advocating Latin Masses, but to anyone with any reasonably moderate viewpoint, this Liturgy with rock music must seem like an abomination!

Please post opinions below, I am open to a civilised debate.
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I guess all of this is very subjective. But, I see the Catholic Church as being more of a living organism. That’s one thing that bothers me about the Eastern Orthodox. They really pride themselves as being unchanged. But, to me it means they are stagnant and stuck culturally in another time and place. I don’t neccessarily think it’s a positive thing to always remain totally unchanging. Even their monastic system is uniform in it’s approach, according to an EO friend of mine.

So, to me that fact that Catholicism is able to encompass many different traditions under the leadership of the Pope is very positive. I think it’s a strength and should be viewed so. Because people are so different from one another in what moves them. It’s even more pronounced today in our fast-paced, quickly changing society. So, I think we should all be very respectful of one another, because our goal is the same, namely Christ the Lord.
 
I’ve been to a few Life Teen Masses in my parish, though I didn’t know they were going to be that in advance. The ones I saw (and I don’t pretend to speak for the whole movement) made me angry and struck me as borderline irreverent. And it’s a weird feeling to be angry while in church. I almost walked out.

But then again I don’t care for the modern hymns we have in our regular Masses either. If it’s been written since World War II I’m not likely to care for it. And I’m only 41.

When I was trying to decent between converting to Catholicism or Orthodoxy I admit I really fell in love with the Orthodox Divine Liturgy. I liked the fact they haven’t changed much. It seemed more reverent, more like I was out of the constraints of time, worshipping in the Early Church. But I’m an old-fashioned guy…
 
I agree HelpingHands. Though I’ve never been to a Life Teen mass, I’ve heard awesome things about it. I don’t think it’s such a bad thing to add some different and refreshing music to mass. When has mass ever been about the music anyways? I do understand keeping the tradition of it, but in that case, just go to another mass. I know this was also stated earlier. Some people react differently to different things. If this is what draws in kids, without totally conforming to the world, then praise God and keep it going!!! The bible does say to make a loud noise unto the Lord, to sing a new song, even dance! Let’s not keep that out of mass, just because it’s not part of “tradition”. Praise the Lord that we even have the FREEDOM to do such things!!
 
:o Wish I had voted differently…well I voted no - then thought about it some more. I end up at the mass a lot due to my schedule, which bothers me, but I should just get into the habit of going to Saturday night mass instead. Like others have said, it isn’t an abuse to have loud obnoxious music…if I don’t like it I can go to a different mass. Others seem to like it (although I don’t know how they keep from jumping through the roof when those drums get going during a “prayer moment” :eek: )
 
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JohnPaul0:
Psalm 33:3 “Sing to God a new song; skillfully play with joyful chant”

Consider this: at some point in history, every hymn was a new song. Eventually, time will separate the wheat from the chaff in music. I can appreciate that you don’t want to be part of the milling process, but I hope you can recognize that it the process always has been there.

Peace.
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I never made such an argument about newness. Rock music is objectively inferior music unworthy of the King of Kings in mass. And I say this as someone who enjoys and actually performs rock music. We might as well start eating Big Macs in the pews.

Scott
 
Not only do I see no need for rock music in the Mass, I can see absolutely no reason at all for a Teen Mass. Teenagers should be able to grasp the concept of the mass without difficulty, so why have a separate Mass for them? Dividing the faithful into different groups is the only reason I can think of. I doubt in his teaching Christ had youth and teen meetings only, and I sincerely doubt that they do any good at all.
 
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