Question about "Contemporary Mass"

[ZJackson]

I’m starting RCIA at the parish I’ve been attending, and something has been bothering me recently. This parish offers a traditional mass in the mornings and a “contemporary” mass during the evening. I work until night on sundays, so the only one I can attend is the contemporary mass. Is this something I should be worried about, or am I just being silly?

 

[Ed_Silvia]

I’m starting RCIA at the parish I’ve been attending, and something has been bothering me recently. This parish offers a traditional mass in the mornings and a “contemporary” mass during the evening. I work until night on sundays, so the only one I can attend is the contemporary mass. Is this something I should be worried about, or am I just being silly?

Just my feeling, be thankful. I’m sure your instructors will tell you don’t worry and be guided by divine providence.

 

[corsair]

Both Forms of the Mass are valid and licit. Both fulfill your Sunday obligation. Its OK to have a preference for one Form or the other. I know I do but I can attend either.

 

[YoungTradCath]

I don’t think it’s silly, but if it is the difference between gritting your teeth and being with your God versus skipping your obligation–which, let’s face it, in this situation would be entirely voluntary–then you just grit your teeth and be with your God.

 

[pianistclare]

I don’t think it’s silly, but if it is the difference between gritting your teeth and being with your God versus skipping your obligation–which, let’s face it, in this situation would be entirely voluntary–then you just grit your teeth and be with your God.

Why would a person “grit their teeth”?

Likely the term “contemporary” refers to the Music played.
The Mass is far more than the Music.

Nice to have time options.

 

[ServusHumilis]

Why would a person “grit their teeth”?

Depends what is meant by “Contemporary Mass.” I’ve been to a Mass where the was no kneeling, everyone was invited to stand around the altar for the consecration, the Blessed Sacrament was placed on a ceramic paten, and to top it off the priest allowed everyone to self communicate. I felt it was full of abuses and I felt very out of place, and after having grit my teeth for the whole Mass I nearly complained about it. It would really bother me to have to go to this Mass every Sunday, so I don’t think the OP is being silly if it’s anything like this. Oh, and it was full of terrible contemporary music.

I wonder if there are any other late Masses in the OP’s area. I know in the city there is quite a few Sunday Masses between 5 and 8 PM though out in the country where I am there is relatively few options that late.

 

[thebookofesther]

Why would a person “grit their teeth”?

Likely the term “contemporary” refers to the Music played.
The Mass is far more than the Music.

Nice to have time options.

Oh, “Clare”

 

[Miserissima]

Why would a person “grit their teeth”?

Likely the term “contemporary” refers to the Music played.
The Mass is far more than the Music.

Nice to have time options.

I’m on board with Clare.

OP, can you tell us why you’d be “worried” about a “contemporary” Mass?

 

[Sunbreak]

There’s no reason to be worried about a contemporary Mass unless there are abuses in it. A Novus Ordo Mass can be celebrated reverently.

 

[phil19034]

Depends what is meant by “Contemporary Mass.” I’ve been to a Mass where the was no kneeling, everyone was invited to stand around the altar for the consecration, the Blessed Sacrament was placed on a ceramic paten, and to top it off the priest allowed everyone to self communicate. I felt it was full of abuses and I felt very out of place, and after having grit my teeth for the whole Mass I nearly complained about it. It would really bother me to have to go to this Mass every Sunday, so I don’t think the OP is being silly if it’s anything like this. Oh, and it was full of terrible contemporary music.

I wonder if there are any other late Masses in the OP’s area. I know in the city there is quite a few Sunday Masses between 5 and 8 PM though out in the country where I am there is relatively few options that late.

This does sound like abuses. Are you sure this was a Catholic Church in communion with Rome? And not an Old Catholic Church or even worse and “American Catholic Church” or “Liberal Catholic Church”?

There are a number of these rogue “catholic churches” around which are not in communion with Rome. Sometimes, they don’t advertise that fact.

If it was in communion with Rome, I would suggest finding out why they were doing what they were doing. If it’s not a valid reason, I would send a nice letter to the Bishop.

But with that said, there MIGHT be a reason for no kneeling. Perhaps they are in the process of getting new pews and do not currently have kneelers? The priest might have dispensation if the Church is lacking kneelers. Otherwise, the priest doesn’t typically have the power to authorize people not to kneel. Only the Bishop can and he usually would do so on an individual bases.

God Bless

 

[phil19034]

I’m starting RCIA at the parish I’ve been attending, and something has been bothering me recently. This parish offers a traditional mass in the mornings and a “contemporary” mass during the evening. I work until night on sundays, so the only one I can attend is the contemporary mass. Is this something I should be worried about, or am I just being silly?

Typically, the phrase “contemporary Mass” refers to the music. However, if the “Traditional Mass” is actually the “Extraordinary Form of the Mass,” perhaps they are simply using the description “contemporary Mass” instead of saying “Ordinary Form of the Mass”??

If you are not sure, you can always ask the priest.

God Bless.

 

[pianistclare]

There’s no reason to be worried about a contemporary Mass unless there are abuses in it. A Novus Ordo Mass can be celebrated reverently.

Thank you. Honestly, doesn’t anyone get tired of the Mass bashing around here?
I sure do.
If you go to a Mass that’s awful, don’t go there again! Problem solved.

 

[ProVobis]

I’m starting RCIA at the parish I’ve been attending, and something has been bothering me recently. This parish offers a traditional mass in the mornings and a “contemporary” mass during the evening. I work until night on sundays, so the only one I can attend is the contemporary mass. Is this something I should be worried about, or am I just being silly?

I just hope your RCIA program instructs you on both.

 

[felsguy]

Is this something I should be worried about, IMHO No

or am I just being silly? IMHO Apparently yes

.

 

[ServusHumilis]

It’s not even clear what the OP means by “traditional.” I wonder if both Masses this particular parish offers are Novus Ordo.

This does sound like abuses. Are you sure this was a Catholic Church in communion with Rome? And not an Old Catholic Church or even worse and “American Catholic Church” or “Liberal Catholic Church”?

There are a number of these rogue “catholic churches” around which are not in communion with Rome. Sometimes, they don’t advertise that fact.

If it was in communion with Rome, I would suggest finding out why they were doing what they were doing. If it’s not a valid reason, I would send a nice letter to the Bishop.

But with that said, there MIGHT be a reason for no kneeling. Perhaps they are in the process of getting new pews and do not currently have kneelers? The priest might have dispensation if the Church is lacking kneelers. Otherwise, the priest doesn’t typically have the power to authorize people not to kneel. Only the Bishop can and he usually would do so on an individual bases.

God Bless

Oh yes, it’s definately a diocesan parish and I know they put this on once a month. I never said there were no kneelers; it’s just that no one kneeled where the Missal calls for it, not even for the consecration since we were all told to stand around the altar. I should have kneeled there but sadly I didn’t, though I and a few others did back in the pews after communion.

Thank you. Honestly, doesn’t anyone get tired of the Mass bashing around here?
I sure do.
If you go to a Mass that’s awful, don’t go there again! Problem solved.

There’s nothing wrong with the Novus Ordo Mass. I don’t see where anyone is bashing anything, unless you’re referring to that Novus Novus Ordo Mass? Perhaps you just attend a Church that does something similar? I doubt it but if so I pray you’ll find a parish that actually knows what the Sacrifice of the Mass is and prays it according to the Roman Missal.

 

[ServusHumilis]

It’s not even clear what the OP means by “traditional.” I wonder if both Masses this particular parish offers are Novus Ordo.

This does sound like abuses. Are you sure this was a Catholic Church in communion with Rome? And not an Old Catholic Church or even worse and “American Catholic Church” or “Liberal Catholic Church”?

There are a number of these rogue “catholic churches” around which are not in communion with Rome. Sometimes, they don’t advertise that fact.

If it was in communion with Rome, I would suggest finding out why they were doing what they were doing. If it’s not a valid reason, I would send a nice letter to the Bishop.

But with that said, there MIGHT be a reason for no kneeling. Perhaps they are in the process of getting new pews and do not currently have kneelers? The priest might have dispensation if the Church is lacking kneelers. Otherwise, the priest doesn’t typically have the power to authorize people not to kneel. Only the Bishop can and he usually would do so on an individual bases.

God Bless

Oh yes, it’s definately a diocesan parish and I know they put this Novus Novus Ordo Mass on once a month. I never said there were no kneelers; it’s just that no one kneeled where the Missal calls for it, not even for the consecration since we were all told to stand around the altar. I should have kneeled there but sadly I didn’t, though I and a few others did back in the pews after communion.

 

[ZJackson]

I’ve been to both the “Traditional” and the “Contemporary” Masses at my parish, and it really seems as if the music is the big difference. Trad has organ, and this sunday at the contemporary, they had some guitar music (although acoustic and relatively reverent) and piano. I’m just worried about abuses, and I’m still not fully informed on the different celebrations of the Mass.

 

[Rich_C]

I’ve been to both the “Traditional” and the “Contemporary” Masses at my parish, and it really seems as if the music is the big difference. Trad has organ, and this sunday at the contemporary, they had some guitar music (although acoustic and relatively reverent) and piano. I’m just worried about abuses, and I’m still not fully informed on the different celebrations of the Mass.

St. Padre Pio liked to say “pray and do not worry.” I think he was in a long line of saints that said something to that effect.

My advice is to do the same. I’m not telling you that you’ll never find a Mass that isn’t celebrated properly, but you’re probably too new to it to know the difference now. So pray and don’t worry. If you keep praying and loving God and neighbor, learning the Catholic Faith and building your “Catholic sense,” you’ll be able to discern things later on.

 

[Cat]

I’ve been to both the “Traditional” and the “Contemporary” Masses at my parish, and it really seems as if the music is the big difference. Trad has organ, and this sunday at the contemporary, they had some guitar music (although acoustic and relatively reverent) and piano. I’m just worried about abuses, and I’m still not fully informed on the different celebrations of the Mass.

There are no “different celebrations” of the Mass. There are two forms of the Latin Rite–the Extraordinary Form (EF), which is always in Latin, and the Ordinary Form (OF), which may be in Latin or the vernacular language (in the U.S., this is usually English, but may be Spanish or some other language of the local people. We have Polish Masses in our city.)

Within the Ordinary Form, there are variations which are allowed by the Church. For example, the priests has several options that he can use for the Eucharistic Prayer. These will be listed in the Missal in your pew, so you can follow along.

Another example of variations that are allowed is the musical “setting” of the Mass. There are many of these, and it’s up to the priest. Many parishes have a Liturgy/Music Leader, either a paid staff position, or a volunteer position, and this person is usually given the responsibility to select a Mass setting. We use Mass of Wisdom in our parish, which leans towards contemporary style. But there are so many other settings–the main thing is that they all have the same WORDS in the responses.

Another example of variations that are allowed is the Mass music. There are several options for Mass music in the OF. The option that seems to be used most often in the U.S., at least in our diocese, is the “Four Hymn Sandwich” option, in which there is a Processional Hymn, a Preparation Hymn, a Communion Hymn, and a Closing Hymn.

But there are other options, including the option to use NO hymns or music at all! Many people enjoy a Mass with no music.

And the style of music of these hymns is also allowed to vary. Ancient traditional hymns, even Latin hymns, may be used, accompanied by the organ. Or a parish may use more contemporary praise hymns, e.g., How Great Thou Art!

OR…a parish may use contemporary hymns, including a roster of hymns that were written by a group of composers called the “St. Louis Jesuits” because they all came from St. Louis–these hymns are around 40 years old, and to me as an ex-Protestant, the musical style is “boomer”–kind of rock/folk.

But contemporary hymns may also be very recently-written by new artists like Matt Maher and Audrey Assad.

Also, the Church allows Mass hymns to be accompanied by pianos, guitars, and other instruments.

I agree with those who say that the “contemporary Mass” in your parish probably refers to the style of music used in the hymns.

So my question for you is this–do you like contemporary Christian music? Do you like piano, guitar, maybe even drums?

Or do you despise this style of music?

If you despise this style of music, you probably will not enjoy the Contemporary Mass. Then you will have to decide whether you will just stick it out for the sake of obedience, or if you will find another Mass in your area that is more in keeping with your personal preferences in music styles.

Hope this post is helpful to you!

 

[agnes_therese]

I’m just worried about abuses, and I’m still not fully informed on the different celebrations of the Mass.

You haven’t mentioned any abuses – what abuses take place there?