My Humble Opinion on the Ordinary Form Mass

[Poetess_Kera]

Hi.

I’ve noticed a lot of hostility directed towards the Ordinary Form Mass, and as a soon-to-be convert to Catholicism, I would just like to put in my two cents on this matter.

I have seen many sad videos of liturgical dances and clown masses in this form. However, I’m very traditional-minded and so is the priest who performs the Masses at the Church I go to. There is, sadly, no TLM offered near my current location, to my knowledge; if there were, I would gladly go. However, I try to implement traditional things where I can; for example, I am going to ask for a veil for Christmas and start wearing that to Church. The Mass in the Ordinary Form at the Church I go to uses incense and traditional hymns. There are no altar girls, no clown suits, no dances. There is a lot of bowing; many people in the pews bow as the Eucharist is being consecrated. Everything is done in a reverent and loving manner. It makes me sad to see so much schism in the Church because people are not welcoming this change, guided by the Holy Spirit Who is with our Holy Father. For those of you who tend to be negative toward this revised Mass, I just ask you to please think about something: God wanted His Church to be one. When you revolt against a decision made by His representative on earth, you are preventing His will from being done “on earth as it is in heaven”. Yes, it’s much different than the TLM, but there are many positive results of this as well. It reflects on the mystery of the Lord’s Supper. Communion in the hand reflects Jesus breaking the bread and handing it to the apostles, rather than the notion of Jesus feeding each apostle individually. We also have a sense of communion with our neighbour, as there is more interaction between people. It was Blessed Pope John XXIII’s intention to bring some fresh air into the Church, and if we were to follow his example the way he intended, there would be no abuses, merely a Mass offered for people to understand in a more widely-known language and a Mass where people could still worship in a highly reverent fashion.

Thank you for listening to the musings of a teen who believes in respecting the decisions of the Pope as the Holy Spirit moves him.

 

[Gatekeeper]

Well you are right there are a lot of liturgical mistakes that happen through out the Mass. The focus of the Mass is the Eucharist so that is the Unity that God gives us. There are many rites of the Church with a different liturgy, like the Byzantine Rite. By the way if you can Celebrate the Divine Liturgy you should. It will only show you how vast the ways we can worship God are. All the different types of Liturgies are so beautiful. I hope you can make it to a Latin Mass. I just started going to Latin Mass. It is so amazing. I also realize how the Ordinary Mass is built off of the Latin Mass.

It sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders. I was a teenager that converted too, when I was 17. Now I’m 23 Just keep your zeal and keep learning about the faith you are about to become a part of. It only gets better. Believe me.

Here is an awesome article by Raymond Arroyo. He is on EWTN. You should watch:thumbsup: That article really touches a lot of subjects. You’ll see.

raymondarroyo.com/latinmass.html

 

[truevaticanii]

Hi.

I’ve noticed a lot of hostility directed towards the Ordinary Form Mass, and as a soon-to-be convert to Catholicism, I would just like to put in my two cents on this matter.

I have seen many sad videos of liturgical dances and clown masses in this form. However, I’m very traditional-minded and so is the priest who performs the Masses at the Church I go to. There is, sadly, no TLM offered near my current location, to my knowledge; if there were, I would gladly go. However, I try to implement traditional things where I can; for example, I am going to ask for a veil for Christmas and start wearing that to Church. The Mass in the Ordinary Form at the Church I go to uses incense and traditional hymns. There are no altar girls, no clown suits, no dances. There is a lot of bowing; many people in the pews bow as the Eucharist is being consecrated. Everything is done in a reverent and loving manner. It makes me sad to see so much schism in the Church because people are not welcoming this change, guided by the Holy Spirit Who is with our Holy Father. For those of you who tend to be negative toward this revised Mass, I just ask you to please think about something: God wanted His Church to be one. When you revolt against a decision made by His representative on earth, you are preventing His will from being done “on earth as it is in heaven”. Yes, it’s much different than the TLM, but there are many positive results of this as well. It reflects on the mystery of the Lord’s Supper. Communion in the hand reflects Jesus breaking the bread and handing it to the apostles, rather than the notion of Jesus feeding each apostle individually. We also have a sense of communion with our neighbour, as there is more interaction between people. It was Blessed Pope John XXIII’s intention to bring some fresh air into the Church, and if we were to follow his example the way he intended, there would be no abuses, merely a Mass offered for people to understand in a more widely-known language and a Mass where people could still worship in a highly reverent fashion.

Thank you for listening to the musings of a teen who believes in respecting the decisions of the Pope as the Holy Spirit moves him.

I’m just hostile (though I TRY not to be) toward those who keep feeding us these lies about Vatican II. They tell us that the “spirit of Vatican II” called for this and that… that the “spirit of Vatican II” calls for liturgical dance, contemporary music, altar girls, reception of Holy Communion on the hands, reception of Holy Communion while standing, without altar/communion rails, with guitars screaming out over top of the “fun” songs, etc. They keep coming out with rubrics for the Novus Ordo all around the world, but these rubrics are far from what is described in the Second Vatican Council’s document: SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html

The Mass of Bl. John XXIII was the Mass that came out of his pontificate the 1962 Roman Missal.

The answer to the following question may shock some people:

Which Mass is closer to the Mass described in SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM?

Novus Ordo as used in the US or the Tridentine Mass of 1962?
ANSWER: probably the TLM of 1962, but the Mass described in that document is truly somewhere between the two but closer to the TLM.

 

[cmom4]

congratulations on coming in to the church and for loving her as much as you do! That is wonderful—especially for a young person. You will be a good example to others I am sure.

I have been where you are and I just want to caution you not to be too critical either way. I do not think you are being critical…but what I mean is that I too had been shown videos of so called clown masses etc. These are wayyy out of the ordinary and should not be a reason alone for anyone to go to the TLM. I am not saying don’t go to a Latin Mass—by all means go to the Novus Ordo or Latin but not because of past abuses. I too have been thought of wearing a chapel veil to my N.O. Mass—but I don’t want to stand out amongst everyone else. And really, I don’t think that would make me more prayerful or reverent anyhow. I see people bow and receive on the tongue…I see others not bow and receive in the hand. Which is more reverent? Actually, we can’t say. I can not see their heart. The person who appears to me (my sinful eyes) to be daydreaming on their way up to Communion could have the most repentant heart of anyone at Mass that day. Our outward signs may indicate some level of reverence, but we truly cannot judge that just by watching others.

However, I really do wish there would be more uniformity to showing this respect. I would absolutely fall over with joy if there were an altar rail to kneel at and receive Jesus from. But again, not because this is necessarily more reverent than another way to receive Him—but because for me personally it would humble me more. It is a beautiful thing that there are a variety of ways to show our love and reverence for Jesus. And as long as we do it out of love for Him and not as a way to make a statement against something else I see no problem.
God Bless you.

 

[bkovacs]

I have been to many Eastern Catholic/Orthodox liturgies, as well as a few TLM’s (Extra-Ordinary Form Masses). What my eyes have seen is this. There are many similarities between the Divine Liturgy and the TLM, from the way the Mass is presented to the liturgical calendar used. Many of the feast days are similar and are on similar dates between both the older Roman calendar and the Eastern calendar. There are definately differences. But I found more similarities, between these two forms, versus the Ordinary Form and the Eastern Rites. Just today I visited an SSPX church in Philadelphia. When I walked in the church, I smelled fresh incense that was similar to what I smell when walking into an Orthodox Church. I believed they just celebrated Benediction. The priest was instructing four altar boys who were actually wearing traditional black and white vestments, on their parts of the Mass. And the altar boys were very enthusiastic in learning. I actually felt that I was in a Roman Catholic Church. Just my personal observations. Take them for what they are worth.