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Chris-WA
Guest
Can someone give me a brief history as to how and when Lifeteen masses came about? Who started it, why was it created, is it practiced throughout the world-wide Church, etc.?
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agapewolf
Guest
The best place to get that information is from the source. Go to www.lifeteen.com
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LittleBits
Guest
I live in Balt Cnty, MD, and I went 2 LifeTeen at my Church (Holy Family) whislt in HS
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mfj
Guest
I don’t have any info but I’ve been and I think it was good. The chuch “incarnate Word” has been filling the place on Sunday evenings for years. It’s refreshing to see the youth reverencing the Lord. Since they are a little more emotional, this mass gives them a place for that style of worship. It also draws many adults.
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benedictgal
Guest
LifeTeen, like the other ecclesial movements within the Church is geared towards a certain group, mainly the youth. While it has borne much fruit as a movement, the manner in which it treats the Mass is rather disconcerting. There were abuses within the Mass, a situation that required Rome’s intervention. Such abuses included teens gathering around the altar and the use of a dismissal that violated the GIRM, among others.
The music is also questionable as it relies heavily on the Protestant-type Praise and Worship genre. That is another cause for concern. The music needs to fit what is happening at the Mass.
While the intentions of LifeTeen are good, there are things that, as I have seen, they don’t see to take into account when planning the Mass. Do the Core Team members not realize that the minute the bell rings and Mass starts, you are entering God’s time and not your own? Do they not realize that at every Mass, the veil between heaven and earth and time and space is lifted? Do they not realize that the warm bodies in the pews are not the only participants in the Mass, that it unites Heaven, Earth and Purgatory (Church Triumphant, Church Militant and Church Suffering)? Do they not realize that at every Mass, we are just as present at the Upper Room, at Calvary and at the empty tomb as were the Blessed Mother, St. Mary Magadele and the Apostles? The music needs to take all of that into account.
Furthermore, we are doing something outside of ourselves, participating in something out of the ordinary. That is why the prayers and propers of the Mass have been revised to reflect this reality. That is why the quality of the language has been elevated because we are engaging in something radically different than everyday speak or every day activity. The music, in turn, needs to reflect that.
Emotionalism should not be the chief factor. Emotions are like the clouds: they are fleeting and pass away. When the emotionalism fades out, there needs to be substance. Some Protestant evangelical communities place a heavy emphasis on feelings and their music reflects that. However, the Church offers something deeper, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Yes, there are things about the Mass that may move some to tears. But, there are times when this does not happen. Yet, the immense treasury of graces remain, whether we “feel” something or not.
The music is also questionable as it relies heavily on the Protestant-type Praise and Worship genre. That is another cause for concern. The music needs to fit what is happening at the Mass.
While the intentions of LifeTeen are good, there are things that, as I have seen, they don’t see to take into account when planning the Mass. Do the Core Team members not realize that the minute the bell rings and Mass starts, you are entering God’s time and not your own? Do they not realize that at every Mass, the veil between heaven and earth and time and space is lifted? Do they not realize that the warm bodies in the pews are not the only participants in the Mass, that it unites Heaven, Earth and Purgatory (Church Triumphant, Church Militant and Church Suffering)? Do they not realize that at every Mass, we are just as present at the Upper Room, at Calvary and at the empty tomb as were the Blessed Mother, St. Mary Magadele and the Apostles? The music needs to take all of that into account.
Furthermore, we are doing something outside of ourselves, participating in something out of the ordinary. That is why the prayers and propers of the Mass have been revised to reflect this reality. That is why the quality of the language has been elevated because we are engaging in something radically different than everyday speak or every day activity. The music, in turn, needs to reflect that.
Emotionalism should not be the chief factor. Emotions are like the clouds: they are fleeting and pass away. When the emotionalism fades out, there needs to be substance. Some Protestant evangelical communities place a heavy emphasis on feelings and their music reflects that. However, the Church offers something deeper, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Yes, there are things about the Mass that may move some to tears. But, there are times when this does not happen. Yet, the immense treasury of graces remain, whether we “feel” something or not.
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CDNowak
Guest
While I would usually agree that the best place to get information is from the source, it is very hard to find specific information (including founding info, for some mysterious reason)*. Wiki does have the bare facts:
LifeTeen was started in 1985 in Mesa, AZ by then pastor Fr Dale Fushek.
The reason for its founding is apparent from its style (or is it its style?), essentially to make the faith ‘relevant’: to many teens who haven’t been to Church since their First Communions, this has helped them come back to the Church.
According to the LifeTeen website, the LT program itself is “used by over 1100 Catholic parishes around the world.” I would assume that the large majority of those are in the US and Canada.
LifeTeen was started in 1985 in Mesa, AZ by then pastor Fr Dale Fushek.
The reason for its founding is apparent from its style (or is it its style?), essentially to make the faith ‘relevant’: to many teens who haven’t been to Church since their First Communions, this has helped them come back to the Church.
According to the LifeTeen website, the LT program itself is “used by over 1100 Catholic parishes around the world.” I would assume that the large majority of those are in the US and Canada.
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benedictgal
Guest
Furthermore, seeking any more detailed information from the LifeTeen website requires you to be a subscriber. I would not spend $300 just to look at the other aspects of LT, like their Liturgy planning guide (although I have a friend who has access to it). What I do know is that they make use of (almost exclusively) Spirit and Song, the songbook from OCP. I do have a copy of that book (for a research project I am doing).While I would usually agree that the best place to get information is from the source, it is very hard to find specific information (including founding info, for some mysterious reason)*. Wiki does have the bare facts:
LifeTeen was started in 1985 in Mesa, AZ by then pastor Fr Dale Fushek.
The reason for its founding is apparent from its style (or is it its style?), essentially to make the faith ‘relevant’: to many teens who haven’t been to Church since their First Communions, this has helped them come back to the Church.
According to the LifeTeen website, the LT program itself is “used by over 1100 Catholic parishes around the world.” I would assume that the large majority of those are in the US and Canada.
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agapewolf
Guest
This is incorrect, it is not “almost exclusively”. Yes, they use many OCP suggestions, but almost evenly are suggestions from GIA, WLP, and CCLI
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ljubim
Guest
God bless you! I completely agree. So many of my fellow teens confuse the Lord with their endorphins from jumping around and loud music. It’s so disturbing.
It is profoundly insulting to me that people try to dumb down the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for people of my age. I’ve actually run out of a youth Mass crying because of the awful things going on there. Despite growing up in this environment, God has led me to the Tridentine Mass, where my soul finds peace because people really care about the Blessed Sacrament (after my last “youth mass” the bowls, chalices, and towels - I forget the word - were left on the makeshift altar during a long and loud video presentation… complete with fragments and soaked up bits of the Precious Blood. Not to mention that people failed to kneel during the consecration, and the opening and closing songs were complete with people jumping around, clapping and cheering, nearly knocking me over because I didn’t. Did I mention that this Mass was said by the bishop?)
Once they outgrow the youth masses, or move, the Lifeteen kids will not be able to integrate themselves into true Catholicism, and many leave the Church in confusion.
**Three little tidbits about our good Lifeteen founder:
- He’s a[n alleged] sexual molester. [edited]
- He’s excommunicated.
- He began a new Protestant denomination.**
And please, I am not some old lady shaking in her boots at the mention of change, I’m 18 and refuse to be fooled any longer. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass deserves our profound respect and reverence. IT IS NOT entertainment, or dance practice, or anything that can be changed. We aren’t Protestants, we have the Body and Blood of Our Dear Lord Jesus Christ on the altar, we can never forget this!!
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Chris-WA
Guest
I’ve been to two Lifeteen masses at my parish and both times the youth were invited by the priest to gather right in front of the altar for the consecration. What is that all about, and is it even permissable?
Agreed. How anyone can justify rock-and-roll style music at mass is beyond all possible comprehension. The two are totally and completely incompatible. It’s like going on a roller coaster ride. One minute the band is rockin’ with electric guitars and lound drums and the next the priest is quietly saying “Let us pray.” It’s so rediculous that it’s laughable and embarrassing. I don’t know how the priest can stand it with a straight face.
This is spot on. I get what they’re trying to do. Somebody realized that teens were leaving the Church in droves and figured that we needed to change the mass to make it more relevant to the youth. What they didn’t understand, however, is that teens are not leaving the Church because of the music. They’re leaving the Church because their own families have failed to pass on the faith. We are in the midst of the most poorly catechized generation in modern Church history. People simply don’t know the faith anymore, and you can’t love what you don’t know. The answer begins with good catechesis, and we have failed miserably to the point where the current generation of parents are so ignorant of the faith that they are incapable of teaching their own kids. The more we water down the liturgy the less Catholic we will be.
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Chris-WA
Guest
I’ve been to two Lifeteen masses at my parish and both times the youth were invited by the priest to gather right in front of the altar for the consecration. What is that all about, and is it even permissible?
Agreed. How anyone can justify rock-and-roll style music at mass is beyond all possible comprehension. The two are totally and completely incompatible. It’s like going on a roller coaster ride. One minute the band is rockin’ with electric guitars and loud drums and the next the priest is quietly saying “Let us pray.” It’s so rediculous that it’s laughable and embarrassing. I don’t know how the priest can stand it with a straight face.
This is spot on. I get what they’re trying to do. Somebody realized that teens were leaving the Church in droves and figured that we needed to change the mass to make it more relevant to the youth. What they didn’t understand, however, is that teens are not leaving the Church because of the music. They’re leaving the Church because their own families have failed to pass on the faith. We are in the midst of the most poorly catechized generation in modern Church history. People simply don’t know the faith anymore, and you can’t love what you don’t know. The answer begins with good catechesis, and we have failed miserably to the point where the current generation of parents are so ignorant of the faith that they are incapable of teaching their own kids. The more we water down the liturgy the less Catholic we become.
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