My SD is against the Latin Mass

  • Thread starter Thread starter Christine85
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Christine85

Guest
I’m concerned,

Here’s the story,

I went to the EF last year for Easter for the first time. I liked it but felt uncomfortable at this strange new confronting feeling of God. I also thought the people were cold in comparison to the OF. I complained to my SD about these things. It didn’t help that the woman who introduced me to it was highly scrupulous going weeks without Communion and daily Confession (bless her). I thought to myself is this how that type of Mass make people I don’t want to be that way.
Anywho, so that day after I said some negative things to my SD about the Latin Mass to my utter horror his homily that night was based around the negative aspects of the Latin Mass, he was saying it’s all rituals why do they feel the need to do that, they don’t like change he kept emphasizing that they don’t like change. I was so upset and could not sleep that whole night.
Anyway, so I felt the pang to want to go to the Latin Mass come back, I rang my SD and said do you mind if I go? He said that’s fine so you can get it out of your system. Then he proceeded to say why do these people feel the need to listen in another language that’s not normal, then he ended with “you’ll see”.

I went to the EF Easter Sat and Sun. The amazing thing is I have not felt such happiness as this since the last time I went. I must admit for a couple of months a black fog started to come over me I don’t know if it was a dark night or what but I couldn’t really feel God.
I went to the EF on the weekend and that black fog is gone now Praise God!! 😃

Also I didn’t mention that for a while at the OF I was kneeling and receiving Communion on the tongue. My SD pulled me up on it saying it is causing disunity and it’s like I’m trying to get attention and that people who usually do that are mentally ill. He also kept saying that in the early church they received Communion in the hand , so to please him I received Communion in the hand. Also I suppose I saw people writing on CAF how receiving Communion in the hand emphasizes how Christ died for you.
So I thought ok well that is true so I’ll listen to my SD and do it. I must say I think I eventually lost magnificent awe and respect for the Blessed Sacrament and I was not receiving consolation like I had previously been receiving 😦
Good Friday I had enough and received on the tongue and it felt like some darkness I had been feeling had lifted so Easter Sat I decided on going to the EF. Which I have no regrets about whatsoever.

Thank you for reading please help me with some advice if you can
Thank you. God bless you :gopray:
 
Im sorry I can’t offer you advice. I have a non-post related question thou, what do you mean by SD. Im not too good at the short hand of fourms. I’ve heard DH=dear husband as well as DW or DF or DS and DD for wife/fiance/son/daughter

what do you mean by SD
 
From the context, I take SD to mean “spiritual director.”
 
I assume you mean spiritual director.
He has no clue what he is talking about.
Perhaps you should get another one.
 
Too bad. I attend Latin Mass regularly. Greater understanding of Latin comes with regular attendance and I find the Latin prayers quite beautiful. On the other hand, my wife gets nothing out of Latin services so we belong to different parishes. We enjoy a great marriage and have no problem with our current parish arrangement.
 
Christine85 said:
Then he proceeded to say why do these people feel the need to listen in another language that’s not normal, then he ended with “you’ll see”.

My SD pulled me up on it saying it is causing disunity and it’s like I’m trying to get attention and that people who usually do that are mentally ill.

:
Click to expand...
Dear Christine,

You could ask your SD what are the Church teachings on normal, disunity and being mentally ill if you kneel and receive communion on the tongue or like the latin mass.

I’d seek advice in the confessional and find another spiritual director.
 
Christine85 said:
I’m concerned,

Here’s the story,

I went to the EF last year for Easter for the first time. I liked it but felt uncomfortable at this strange new confronting feeling of God. I also thought the people were cold in comparison to the OF. I complained to my SD about these things. It didn’t help that the woman who introduced me to it was highly scrupulous going weeks without Communion and daily Confession (bless her). I thought to myself is this how that type of Mass make people I don’t want to be that way.
Anywho, so that day after I said some negative things to my SD about the Latin Mass to my utter horror his homily that night was based around the negative aspects of the Latin Mass, he was saying it’s all rituals why do they feel the need to do that, they don’t like change he kept emphasizing that they don’t like change. I was so upset and could not sleep that whole night.
Anyway, so I felt the pang to want to go to the Latin Mass come back, I rang my SD and said do you mind if I go? He said that’s fine so you can get it out of your system. Then he proceeded to say why do these people feel the need to listen in another language that’s not normal, then he ended with “you’ll see”.

I went to the EF Easter Sat and Sun. The amazing thing is I have not felt such happiness as this since the last time I went. I must admit for a couple of months a black fog started to come over me I don’t know if it was a dark night or what but I couldn’t really feel God.
I went to the EF on the weekend and that black fog is gone now Praise God!! 😃

Also I didn’t mention that for a while at the OF I was kneeling and receiving Communion on the tongue. My SD pulled me up on it saying it is causing disunity and it’s like I’m trying to get attention and that people who usually do that are mentally ill. He also kept saying that in the early church they received Communion in the hand , so to please him I received Communion in the hand. Also I suppose I saw people writing on CAF how receiving Communion in the hand emphasizes how Christ died for you.
So I thought ok well that is true so I’ll listen to my SD and do it. I must say I think I eventually lost magnificent awe and respect for the Blessed Sacrament and I was not receiving consolation like I had previously been receiving 😦
Good Friday I had enough and received on the tongue and it felt like some darkness I had been feeling had lifted so Easter Sat I decided on going to the EF. Which I have no regrets about whatsoever.

Thank you for reading please help me with some advice if you can
Thank you. God bless you :gopray:
Click to expand...
It sounds to me like you are basing a lot of your faith and practices on your feelings. Several times in your post, you say that “you felt” or “feel.”

This isn’t good. Your feelings vary depending on your circumstances, including hormones, weather, diet, advice of people (including your SD), etc. They are NOT reliable, and are a shaky basis for a faith in Jesus and His Church.

What will happen if your feelings about the EF Mass change? They already have changed! You said that when you first went to the EF, the people were cold. But the next time you went, they weren’t cold. Really? Did the people really do an about-face in their behavior? Or did your FEELINGS about them change, perhaps because you felt guilty that your comments seemed to cause your SD to do a homily against the EF Mass?

You say that the EF Mass makes your fog and darkness go away. After 47 years of Evangelical Protestantism, I will testify to you that I always FELT good in the Evangelical churches that I attended, and I always FELT like I knew the real Jesus and was practicing “real” New Testament Christianity. I was happy all the time. I KNEW that I was in the “right church.”

Then I learned the FACTS, and realized that I had been basing my FAITH on my FEELINGS, which had played me false! Heed my words, Christine85! Your feelings are NOT a basis for your faith!

The fact that you have “darkness” and “black fog” makes me wonder if you are perhaps experiencing a depression (clinical), which means that you cannot rely on your FEELINGS about God. You must rely on the facts. The facts are that the EF and OF Masses are both good, and you are free to choose (especially when you are blessed to have an EF Mass near you!). It’s not the big deal you are making out of it.

I have to admit, I’m not really sure what your SD is like, because your feelings seem to color so much of what you perceive. I honestly can’t believe that a priest would spend a homily attacking the EF of the Mass. IMO, it’s very close to a a HIPAA violation that he took what you said and turned it into an attack on the EF.

And I can’t believe a priest would label people who receive Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue as “mentally ill.” That’s highly-offensive and inflammatory, and actionable, IMO! I can’t believe that a diocese would allow such a person to continue to serve as a priest because of the risk that he will say or do something so offensive that the diocese might be sued.

At any rate, this SD doesn’t sound like a good match for you (or anyone). I think you need to find a new SD who is familiar with working with those who are susceptible to depression and doubt, and who does NOT use inflammatory language and twist your words into a homily that attacks the Catholic Church.

Finally, I would encourage you to go to your doctor and be evaluated for depression. Everyone has hard times in their life that make things seem dark and foggy, and maybe that’s what’s going on with you. But check it out.
 
How long has this person been your spiritual director? I assume he is a priest at your current parish? Is he actually your SD in a formal arrangement or your pastor and regular confessor? There is a bit of a difference.

If you have a formal SD relationship, than you need to talk through this with him. Make sure you explain your consolations and the spiritual benefits. Listen to him carefully when he talks. He knows you better than we do and will know if you have a tendence to scrupulosity or attachment to spiritual experiences.

If he is not your SD, but “only” your pastor, I would still give him the benefit of the doubt and discuss this with him (in a scheduled appointment, not just after Mass).

Of course, you may always attend any Mass that is in communion with the Holy Father. If the EF you have been attending is an approved Mass, and not SSPX or another unreconcilled group), than feel free to attend Mass there regularly.

If you decide to break off your SD relationship, please watch for signs of scrupulosity or indifference and be sure to continue going to confession regularly. (Not that it sounds like this will be a problem for you.)

God bless you.
 
Ok.

“The Latin Mass is like beer. You have to drink it in a few times to like it.”

This quote right here, reminds us that the Traditional Latin Mass takes a bit of getting used to, but once one is used to it, it is truly beautiful.
Here is where that quote came from: wdtprs.com/blog/2013/01/the-latin-mass-is-like-beer-you-have-to-drink-it-in-a-few-times-to-like-it-why-taylor-marshall-attends-the-tlm/

Now, in regards to Communion in the Hand; STOP! The Apostles where Priests. They could receive Communion in the Hand. We however, are neither Priest nor Bishop and should only touch the Blessed Sacrament when it is in danger of further profanation. And his statement about Kneeling for communion is ridiculous! If this is correct, then Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis are both “mentally ill” and “attention seekers”. The GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) for the New Mass tells us the Kneeling and on the Tongue is the most reverent and respected way of receiving Holy Communion. Please Kneel no matter if the Mass if EF or OF!!

In magnam fidem,
Deus, Salus Nostra :gopray2:
 
JustaServant said:
I assume you mean spiritual director.
He has no clue what he is talking about.
Perhaps you should get another one.
Click to expand...
This. The EF is, from my understanding, something quite beautiful. I’ve not been to an EF Mass yet but am looking around for one in our area. If you desire to receive on the tongue then you should absolutely do that. I saw a man at the Easter Vigil who not only received OTT but knelt. That he would be trying to draw attention to himself never once entered my mind. What I saw was piety and someone who was eager to receive the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord. I was humbled.

God bless you.
 
DeusSalusNostra said:
Ok.

“The Latin Mass is like beer. You have to drink it in a few times to like it.”

This quote right here, reminds us that the Traditional Latin Mass takes a bit of getting used to, but once one is used to it, it is truly beautiful.
Here is where that quote came from: wdtprs.com/blog/2013/01/the-latin-mass-is-like-beer-you-have-to-drink-it-in-a-few-times-to-like-it-why-taylor-marshall-attends-the-tlm/

Now, in regards to Communion in the Hand; STOP! The Apostles where Priests. They could receive Communion in the Hand. We however, are neither Priest nor Bishop and should only touch the Blessed Sacrament when it is in danger of further profanation. And his statement about Kneeling for communion is ridiculous! If this is correct, then Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis are both “mentally ill” and “attention seekers”. The GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) for the New Mass tells us the Kneeling and on the Tongue is the most reverent and respected way of receiving Holy Communion. Please Kneel no matter if the Mass if EF or OF!!
Click to expand...
In the US it is allowed to receive in the hand and it is the norm to receive standing. We cannot tell anyone HOW to receive if they are using allowable options.

There is a difference between an ordinary person in an ordinary parish in the US kneeling for communion when that is not the norm, and people receiving at a papal Mass kneeling when that IS the norm and a proper kneeler is available.

Of course, the OP can and should be able to receive kneeling and on the tongue if that is his/her preference. However, there are a few simple things you can do to make that easier for the person, the priest, and the rest of the congregation - for example receiving at the end of the procession to ensure that no one accidentally trips.

Since the OP has an SD relationship with this priest he/she should discuss this and then make a decision.
 
DeusSalusNostra said:
Ok.

“The Latin Mass is like beer. You have to drink it in a few times to like it.”

This quote right here, reminds us that the Traditional Latin Mass takes a bit of getting used to, but once one is used to it, it is truly beautiful.
Here is where that quote came from: wdtprs.com/blog/2013/01/the-latin-mass-is-like-beer-you-have-to-drink-it-in-a-few-times-to-like-it-why-taylor-marshall-attends-the-tlm/

Now, in regards to Communion in the Hand; STOP! The Apostles where Priests. They could receive Communion in the Hand. We however, are neither Priest nor Bishop and should only touch the Blessed Sacrament when it is in danger of further profanation. And his statement about Kneeling for communion is ridiculous! If this is correct, then Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis are both “mentally ill” and “attention seekers”. The GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) for the New Mass tells us the Kneeling and on the Tongue is the most reverent and respected way of receiving Holy Communion. Please Kneel no matter if the Mass if EF or OF!!

In magnam fidem,
Deus, Salus Nostra :gopray2:
Click to expand...
and with that, this thread has been hijacked 🍿
 
My SD pulled me up on it saying it is causing disunity and it’s like I’m trying to get attention and that people who usually do that are mentally ill. He also kept saying that in the early church they received Communion in the hand , so to please him I received Communion in the hand. Also I suppose I saw people writing on CAF how receiving Communion in the hand emphasizes how Christ died for you.
Click to expand...
Mentally ill?! That is an absolutely ridiculous statement, and it is quite insulting to you and anyone else who receives communion on the tongue. We just started recieving on the tongue at the beginning of lent and absolutely love it. Our parish is pretty hodgepodge when it comes to people’s “communion style.” Some receive in the hand, some on the tongue. Some bow, some genuflect, and a few kneel. No one bats an eye. My husband and I have found, personally, that receiving on the tongue has increased our reverence substantially, and we are considering genuflecting as well (we’d kneel, but we have a BIG parish and communion takes forever, so we want to keep things moving 😃 ). Also, who exactly is paying attention to the communion line? Isn’t everyone in pre- or post-communion prayer? Communion isn’t a stage performance! (Note: We sometimes look, but only to see who is receiving on the tongue ;))

Just do whatever makes you feel like you are showing the most respect. If your spiritual director has a problem with this, get a new one! His “direction” seems more like forcing his opinions on you, which is not good leadership.
DeusSalusNostra said:
“The Latin Mass is like beer. You have to drink it in a few times to like it.”
Click to expand...
This is priceless. My husband and I have been wanting to attend a Latin Mass at a nearby parish, and we have been a little nervous about it. I’m sure he will get a huge kick out of this quote (we fancy ourselves beer connoisseurs).
 
Mrs_Sally said:
Of course, the OP can and should be able to receive kneeling and on the tongue if that is his/her preference. However, there are a few simple things you can do to make that easier for the person, the priest, and the rest of the congregation - for example receiving at the end of the procession to ensure that no one accidentally trips.
Click to expand...
At my parish I’ve never seen anyone tripped by anyone receiving communion while kneeling. Also, don’t you think that trying to get to the back of the communion line is more trouble than just getting in line with your pew? I can’t imagine trying to find the back of the line when I am sitting towards the front of the church. That would cause a lot of confusion for the ushers and it would disrupt those in prayer in your pew when you returned from communion.

Furthermore, by the time the communion line is finished, most people are done praying and such and often are looking to see when the line is finished. Kneeling at the end would make it seem that you are trying to draw attention to yourself.
 
Amazing. Just amazing. If a priest had said that the Novus Ordo was just emotionalism that tries to demystify the faith and that people who recieve standing in the hand are mentally ill, he would have been sacked. Yet this priest does that the other way around and it’s just fine. :mad:
 
Christine85,

You don’t have to choose some sort of allegiance between the OF or EF form of Mass. One is not a further form of spiritual development over the other. If you prefer one over the other then that’s fine, but there ought to be no internal conflict or angst about which form to attend; you could attend either or, depending on how you feel at any particular time. You do not have to choose one and stick to it as your chosen form.

As to the priest seeming to use some comments you made to him as a means of prompting him to make some points in his homily. Is that really that dreadful? Priests are human and operate amongst the congregation. People say things to priests about all sorts of matters and naturally the priest reflects on these and they form part of his own experience. So long as he doesn’t mention you by name or cause you to be identified then, unless your comments were made to him under the seal of confession, he is free to use them. And how do you know that there were not other parishioners who have made similar comments to him? Perhaps he received several similar comments and though, “This is clearly an issue of concern to my parishioners, so maybe I ought to address this in my homily”? On more than one occasion I’ve heard a priest mention points in a homily that relate directly to some issues of concern I’ve raised with him. When I hear this I feel glad and think, “The priest has taken the time and effort to reflect on my concerns, and the fact that he’s raising them in his homily suggests that I am not alone in the concerns I’ve raised.”

As to his line on the mentally ill and receiving Communion on the tongue. Are you sure this wasn’t just a throwaway line made in jest? Poor taste perhaps, but hardly an issue to get overly upset about. Priests are ordinary men, perhaps he felt a bit bombarded by your concerns and their intensity? Perhaps he just made that remark as a joke in an attempt to lighten things up a bit and negate the intensity of the conversation? Poor taste perhaps, but is it really something you want to make an issue about? I’ve known priests to swear in the sacristy after Mass, within earshot of others. It’s not appropriate, but it does happen, they’re only human beings. I think many of us ought to lighten up a bit about errors made by our priests. They are only mortal men, sinners, just like the rest of us.

Perhaps you ought to relax a bit and avoid too much ‘spiritual intensity’. God comes to us just as much when we are relaxed and simply enjoying what we have around us.
 
Indyann said:
In my opinion, this is a perfect example of a “bait thread” and should be closed anyway.
Click to expand...
You’re right, no one should be allowed to discuss anything that is indirectly related to something controversial. :rolleyes:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top