Liturgy turned into religious entertainment

[Damien88]

Im 24 this year and when I was still 16, our cathedral started having a monthly youth mass with all the drums. back then I was not so serious in my faith and the music did attract me to go to mass every month. I would start yawning the whole time when reading started till the homily ended. and furthermore I never knew that Christ was present in the eucharist. For me it was just another symbolic meal of the last supper. Thank God now im back to the church and has started getting serious with my faith

however not the same can be said about my friends who used to enjoy praise and worship songs, including those who previously were really active in the “band” for the youth mass. most of them have strayed away from the church

 

[applesofgold]

Im 24 this year and when I was still 16, our cathedral started having a monthly youth mass with all the drums. back then I was not so serious in my faith and the music did attract me to go to mass every month. I would start yawning the whole time when reading started till the homily ended. and furthermore I never knew that Christ was present in the eucharist. For me it was just another symbolic meal of the last supper. Thank God now im back to the church and has started getting serious with my faith

however not the same can be said about my friends who used to enjoy praise and worship songs, including those who previously were really active in the “band” for the youth mass. most of them have strayed away from the church

Damien, you just put it in a nutshell.

The question is; Does the “Happy Clappy” mass (imperfect though it may be) create a connection to the church or plant a seed that may bear fruit a long time later?

or is the “Happy Clappy” mass something more dangerous that trivializes religion and drives people away forever?

or is it a neutral, harmless and insignificant part of a much bigger picture?

 

[Hokomai]

I have no views on what Catholics should do at Mass. But I am intrigued to see people condemn as ‘entertainment’ various practices when they have obvious parallels in the forms of worship they themselves promote. Music is a matter of taste. There cannot possibly be anything more holy about an organ than a violin. Dancing is, anthropologically speaking, a form of ritualized posture. The Mass, OF and EF, is made up of this. Clapping is simply a cultural expression saying ‘I am impressed’. If traditional Catholic vestments and Church furnishings are not intended to impress, what are the meant to do? These criticisms of different trends in the Mass seem to me to be remarkably similar to the things Presbyterians say about Catholics. the discussion also confirms for me that much debate which appears to be about belief is really about aesthetic preferences, and the outward forms people use for group identification and rivalry. again, I am perplexed that people believe that an omnipotent God cares about this sort of thing.

 

[WingsOfEagles]

I have no views on what Catholics should do at Mass. But I am intrigued to see people condemn as ‘entertainment’ various practices when they have obvious parallels in the forms of worship they themselves promote. Music is a matter of taste. There cannot possibly be anything more holy about an organ than a violin. Dancing is, anthropologically speaking, a form of ritualized posture. The Mass, OF and EF, is made up of this. Clapping is simply a cultural expression saying ‘I am impressed’. If traditional Catholic vestments and Church furnishings are not intended to impress, what are the meant to do? These criticisms of different trends in the Mass seem to me to be remarkably similar to the things Presbyterians say about Catholics. the discussion also confirms for me that much debate which appears to be about belief is really about aesthetic preferences, and the outward forms people use for group identification and rivalry. again, I am perplexed that people believe that an omnipotent God cares about this sort of thing.

It is a matter of “what is reverent?” and “what is respectful”. A war hero comes back from Iraq…do you play Weird Al’s “Bomb Iraq” or “I’m proud to be an American” to honor him?

 

[AdDeum]

Did anyone bother to ask the teens? The answer might surprise some …

I spoke to the musical director of a Novus Ordo Parish/School (through 8th grade)… I was speaking to him about Gregorian Chant. He told me that the kids love singing that… it’s the parents that don’t like to sing it, and the parents tell him that “the kids won’t like it”.

Not that I’m saying it should be chant and nothing but chant… but, it kinda goes along with this quote