Life Teen Mass

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I have attended Life Teen Mass for the past several years and have come infinitely closer to the Catholic Church having participated. At our parish, we work hard to follow the rubrics and prevent abuses. There are a few changes that I would like to see occur, but overall I feel that teens are able to simultaneously experience traditions of the Church (Mass, adoration, Rosary, etc.) while being able to worship with friends and more modern worship music. I realize that not everybody enjoys the music, but certainly a large group does. (The LT Mass at my parish is always packed.)

What are your thoughts?
 
I’m glad you started this thread.

I’m a horrible walking contradiction.

In many ways, I returned to the Church after some powerful experiences in a Life Teen setting.

Today, however, I attend the most conservative parish in the vacinity and sneer when I recall some of the liberties taken with the LT mass at our old parish.
 
For some strange reason when people hear “Life Teen” they tend to think liturgical abuse. Even though these things seem to occur at very few Life Teen Masses I have ever seen.

I have been involved with a Life Teen program for a couple of yrs now. I can’t say that I get alot out of the LT Mass but teens sure do get alot. I personally MUCH prefer the Tridentine Mass. But the parish does seem to do it abuse free. So it is quite possible.

The thing that few people seem to realize about Life Teen is that there is more to it than just Mass once a week. There is also a ton of catechesis involved after Mass and often throughout the week. Most teens involved with LT will know more aobut the Faith than the average parishoner. The program itself, while being slightly liberal (NOT unorthodox) liturgically is incredibly orthodox when it comes to presenting the Faith.

Some LT parishes like to pile on the liturgical abuses and these should be corrected. But this is done by the priest involved and is not a part of the program.

James
 
As part of the Life Teen program I am involved in we have a Life Teen Mass once a month. On 2 or 3 Sundays a month we do what is know as a Life Night - this is basically a time of catechesis. Could be doctrinal such as on the Eucharist, or maybe about issues facing teens like chastity.

We also do a weekly Bible study and for a few months out of the year a program called Dead Theologian’s Society - which is a study of the lives and the writings of the saints.

It’s all incredibly orthodox. Otherwise I wouldn’t have any part in it.

James
 
Don’t get me wrong, I love occasionally hearing our parish choir perform traditional hymns (the Easter Vigil was exceptional 🙂 )

Certain LT abuses could be done without, such as using “the Mass never ends…” at the end of Mass. But at my parish, we don’t have other abuses that I hear about elsewhere.
 
Big L:
Certain LT abuses could be done without, such as using “the Mass never ends…” at the end of Mass. But at my parish, we don’t have other abuses that I hear about elsewhere.
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We don’t do the “the Mass never ends…” thing. And we don’t gather around the altar. The thing I least care for is the tendency to hold hands during the Lord’s Prayer. But that isn’t really an abuse.

The music is pretty contemporary but doctrinally sound, I believe. I like the music itself but don’t particularly care for it in Mass.

James
 
LifeTeen is destroying the music program at my old parish… an antique tracker organ (hard to find these days) in excellent condition is going to be torn out in favor of a platform for a rock band and drumset. Call me a crank, but if you really are a Catholic, you need to submit to the teachings and norms of the Church. And what are the norms regarding sacred music? Hmm… Oh, yes. Gregorian Chant is to be given primacy over other forms of music, and the Pipe Organ remains the normative instrument for the accompaniment of the choir. That has not changed. Our Holy Father recently reminded us that it has not changed.

Trashy protestant/secular music can stay where it belongs. Study history. Check out a CD of good Catholic music from your local library. There were many wonderful protestant composers who do still had a sense of the sacred after being long separated from Rome… why can’t Catholics see what they have and run with it instead of sucking up the music of the “Revelation Bible Church” down the road and modern Christian artists who are just out to make a buck? Forgive me, but LifeTeen is directly opposed to our mission as Catholics. They want us to conform the Church to their standards… to Protestant standards. I, for one, know that I cannot and will not do that.
 
Archbishop 10-K:
But what is a Life Teen Mass!?
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A Special Mass that is geared toward Teens and for Teens. See the problem?

Many of the Mass features rock and roll music along with clapping.
 
I like it as a once in awhile treat. I like to go to different Masses, not the same one every week. I also like daily Masses whereever I can get them. The Body of Christ is composed of many different members. Thank God we’re not all eyes or hands! Variety is the spice of life, I say. But then, I’m a marcher to a different drummer type of gal!😃
 
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Iohannes:
A Special Mass that is geared toward Teens and for Teens. See the problem?

Many of the Mass features rock and roll music along with clapping.
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Argh…

I think I just posted in “why people become traditionalists” that the Traditional Latin Mass is what many teens are turning to nowadays.
 
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CatholicNerd:
LifeTeen is destroying the music program at my old parish… an antique tracker organ (hard to find these days) in excellent condition is going to be torn out in favor of a platform for a rock band and drumset. Call me a crank, but if you really are a Catholic, you need to submit to the teachings and norms of the Church. And what are the norms regarding sacred music? Hmm… Oh, yes. Gregorian Chant is to be given primacy over other forms of music, and the Pipe Organ remains the normative instrument for the accompaniment of the choir. That has not changed. Our Holy Father recently reminded us that it has not changed.

Trashy protestant/secular music can stay where it belongs. Study history. Check out a CD of good Catholic music from your local library. There were many wonderful protestant composers who do still had a sense of the sacred after being long separated from Rome… why can’t Catholics see what they have and run with it instead of sucking up the music of the “Revelation Bible Church” down the road and modern Christian artists who are just out to make a buck? Forgive me, but LifeTeen is directly opposed to our mission as Catholics. They want us to conform the Church to their standards… to Protestant standards. I, for one, know that I cannot and will not do that.
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Come on, now. I think that you misperceive the Church’s teachings on Sacred music. The GIRM states that Gregorian Chant and the pipe organ hold places of pride in the liturgy of the Latin Rite. That does not mean that Gregorian Chant and the pipe organ must always supercede other types of music at Mass. (Don’t get me wrong. I find what is happening at your parish unfortunate. At a parish in my area, instead of remodeling the sanctuary, the LT Mass is held in the Parish Hall.)

In addition, LT does not “suck up” the music of Protestant churches (though some is originally composed by Protestants, so are many hymns). Rather, much of the music is written specifically by Catholics for use at Mass. LT does not conform the Church to Protestant standards, rather it allows for new developments in music which greatly add to the worship experience at Mass.
 
I accidentally attended a Life Teen mass a few weeks ago, having missed the morning Sunday masses at my parish.

I was surprised to see so many instruments, including an electric guitar. The band was really, really good, but I’m fairly conservative. It wasn’t even the music so much that made me sure I would not attend another Life Teen Mass.

The band was good, but I couldn’t get used to seeing the priest bee-bop is head to the music with his arms crossed. One of the teens participating in the Mass had a sleeveless t-shirt on, big pants, and unlaced sneakers without socks (I was almost aghast during the opening procession when I’d seen them.) I honestly wondered if the church was still a Roman Catholic church. People waived there arms in the air during certain parts.

My daughter is 6 years old and I was surprised that she didn’t find the entire thing entertaining. She’s been coming to Mass with me for a while and likes our conservative priest and our as-conservative-as-can-be-for-the-new-order Mass. I’m relieved.

I don’t think I know anything about anything, but I do know I won’t attend or take my daughter to another one if I don’t absolutely have to.

JELane
 
I’ll refrain from name calling. I happen to play bass in two choirs at our parish. We have a FT Music Director on staff who is trained in the study of liturgy and participates as part of the liturgy committee with the pastor and others on the staff. The music we provide as part of the choirs is carefully selected for the readings of the mass, the celebration of the day, and the liturgical season. We use music from the Breaking Bread and Spirit and Song hymnals the year round. The mission of the music ministry is to enhance the prayer and praise of the mass, not to re-direct the focus or become a show in itself. There are four portions of the mass that the choir has liberality in using music that is not neccessarily to include congregational singing. The prelude, preparation of gifts, the second Eucharistic hymn (Sometimes we need two songs for the Eucharist, large parish 2300 families), and the postlude after the recessional. All other music selections within the context of the mass MUST be congregational singing. Even though these four selections don’t have to be sung by the congregation they MUST fit the other criteria of the liturgy for season, feast, etc. If we’re not enhancing prayer and praise, we shouldn’t be there.
The instrumentation guidelines set forth recently are exactly that, guidelines. Let me remind you that string, precussion, and wind instruments long preceed historically any semblance of an organ (any type). With the correct attitude and ensemble blending, I assure you, these instruments accompanying the voices of the choir and the congregation are equal to if not superior to that of an organ (any type). It boils down to stewardship. Talents are gifts from God given to us for a purpose, ostensibly to give greater glory to Him. How is anyone besides someone graced with the gift of being able to play an organ supposed to give that glory in the public prayer of the church? My suggestion if you don’t like the music at one mass, try a different mass. We always have at least two masses every Sunday with Organ and Cantor only.
 
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cnelms:
The music we provide as part of the choirs is carefully selected for the readings of the mass, the celebration of the day, and the liturgical season.

The mission of the music ministry is to enhance the prayer and praise of the mass, not to re-direct the focus or become a show in itself.

With the correct attitude and ensemble blending, I assure you, these instruments accompanying the voices of the choir and the congregation are equal to if not superior to that of an organ (any type). It boils down to stewardship. Talents are gifts from God given to us for a purpose, ostensibly to give greater glory to Him. How is anyone besides someone graced with the gift of being able to play an organ supposed to give that glory in the public prayer of the church?
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“The music is carefully selected…” Just pick up a Graduale, or better yet, a Liber Usualis. And there’s plenty of polyphonic music written expressly for specific feast days. Just go to the Choral Public Domain Library!

“The mission of the music ministry is to enhance the prayer and praise of the Mass…” Right and wrong. The Mass is the most sublime thing on this planet. The Church has declared Sacred Music to be “the humble handmaid of the liturgy.” Music cannot possibly enhance what’s going on… the Sacrifice of Calvary cannot possibly enhanced. What Sacred Music must do is be a reflection of the splendor of Calvary. We cannot enhance the Mass as musicians. We can only properly reflect its glory, and this is how we enhance the prayers that the people offer when uniting their hearts to that of the priest.

“With the correct attitude and ensemble blending, I assure you, these instruments accompanying the voices of the choir and the congregation are equal to if not superior to that of an organ” Uh, right… how many parishes have professional orchestras? At least an organ will play in tune and with proper balance so long as the parish keeps it in good working order (the things are invincible. Organs built hundreds of years ago work perfectly well today). It is not as easy for the voices of singers to blend with electric guitars as it is for them to blend with an organ. Ask any singer. And I should say that if Rome shared your opinion, she would have said so.

While there are many wonderful orchestral liturgical works, it is not feasible to have them played at every Mass, obviously… But ya know what? You can get organ reductions of the instrumental scores. The organ is an incredibly flexible instrument, and when played properly can emulate an orchestra as well as create its own very unique and edifying sounds. Sounds that no other instruments can emulate.

“How is anyone besides someone graced with the gift of being able to play an organ supposed to give that glory in the public prayer of the church?” Well, let’s see, they can sing, for one thing. As long as people are trying to adequately capture the splendor of the Mass, then I think it’s cool with God. Resorting to bad music to handle the overwhelming number of bad musicians out there is not cool and I think it’s a mockery of what Sacred Music should be. If they truly have no musical talent, then let them find another way to assist at Mass. No one is stopping them from being a server, a reader, a sacristan… areas where their gifts will be very useful! I know that I am not cut out to do many of those things. I was given musical talent and I have sought to do my best with what I’ve been given.

A lot of people make a hobby out of music and that’s cool. But please, leave liturgical music to those of us who have sacrificed everything to be trained as liturgical musicians. 50 years ago there wasn’t this conflict, because Catholic musicians were RESPECTED for what they could do, not ridiculed and harassed like many of us are today. It brings me to tears to see beautiful organs and collections of beautiful music being thrown out into the gutters. And you can bet that until Rome herself tells me to cease and desist, I’m gonna do EVERYTHING I can to work for the restoration of Sacred Music.
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There are some excellent ideas flowing around here. Keep one thing in mind, however: The Life Teen mass is a mass geared towards teenagers. If you, an adult, don’t like it, that’s okay. You’re not a teenager. However, don’t indoctrinate your kids to believe that Life Teen is an evil thing that will lead them away from Christ. Perhaps your kids will need it someday. I know I did. And if your youth minister and priest try to get a Life Teen mass started, don’t oppose it. It’s for the teenagers and thier benefit, not yours, per se.
 
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Exalt:
There are some excellent ideas flowing around here. Keep one thing in mind, however: The Life Teen mass is a mass geared towards teenagers. If you, an adult, don’t like it, that’s okay. You’re not a teenager. However, don’t indoctrinate your kids to believe that Life Teen is an evil thing that will lead them away from Christ. Perhaps your kids will need it someday. I know I did. And if your youth minister and priest try to get a Life Teen mass started, don’t oppose it. It’s for the teenagers and thier benefit, not yours, per se.
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Life Teen is problematic, it is geared towards Teenagers. Do you see why it is a problem?
 
The way I see it is Mass should be uniform no matter what church you go to, and it shouldn’t be “geared” toward any particular segments of society. But then again, I’d have no problems if they brought the Latin Mass back to the forefront, and I regularly attend a diocesan authorized and blessed Tridentine service church (well, as much as I can).

But I do need to regularly go to out-of-town Masses, and when I go into a church and see a garden planted where the tabernacle would be in my church, and I glance down and actually bend over to see if the “missing kneelers” are somewhere plastered under the pew in front of me (never imagining there’d be a church with no kneelers), or I walk in a church with young people dressed like they’re at a rock concert (whoa, they sort of were), then I have to wonder?

It just seems there should be one standard Mass, with deviation so far as what hymns will be provided. But I’m probably naive. My priest runs a young adults ministry and it seems to me to be popular and yet conservative at the same time.

ELane
 
I really want Life Teen supporters to answer my question why having a Mass geared towards teens is problematic.
 
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