Requirement for Vestments in the Mass

[twf]

Father, I agree with all you say in your posts on all accounts and I get the vestment issue. However, the youth today in our Church can be influenced by outside distractions very easily. They were “sorely disappointed” and that said by Mike hurts me as a member of the Church as well, almost embarrassing. Eliminating mass as a “lesson” really does not, with due respect, sit well with me. I just wonder how many teens on this retreat looked at the church as being too stuffy, not forgiving, and just to strict about vestments of all things, that they will look elsewhere. I live in an area where the Pentecostal churches dominate with tens of thousands of followers and are attracting families and especially the youth in very large numbers. We need to do our best to keep our youth joyful in our Church. Things like this are not helping. I realize that I am the odd man out here, but, sorry, I do not applaud this priest’s decision.

On the flip side, many young people are craving tradition, stability…something of substance they can grasp on to. I certainly was as a teen. The use of vestments was the type of thing that ATTRACTED me as an 18 year old convert to Catholicism. My brother, who is 10 years younger than me (he is currently 20) has also expressed an interest in Catholicism, lamenting the “corny” attempts to turn worship into “rock services” for the supposed benefit of teens.

 

[FrDavid96]

Father, I agree with all you say in your posts on all accounts and I get the vestment issue. However, the youth today in our Church can be influenced by outside distractions very easily. They were “sorely disappointed” and that said by Mike hurts me as a member of the Church as well, almost embarrassing.

I’m sorry to say it, but that’s exactly what is wrong with our society today. When the team loses the championship game, they still deserve to get the championship trophy, lest they become “disappointed.” When the high school student fails to meet the graduation requirements, he still participates in the graduation ceremony, lest he become disappointed. Even more seriously, when people want a wedding ceremony for an invalid attempt at marriage, they are supposed to be given the ceremony, lest they become disappointed.

Enough already! We don’t always get what we want in life. It is time we stopped the pattern of teaching young people that just because they want something, that makes them entitled to have it.

Eliminating mass as a “lesson” really does not, with due respect, sit well with me.

I don’t see it that way.* I don’t think the priest eliminated the Mass as a lesson. He eliminated the Mass from the schedule because he was unable to provide a licit celebration of the Church’s Mass. The lesson occurred as a result of that.

I do not intend to imply that priests should cancel Masses in order to provide lessons to people. That’s not a valid reason. However, when a priest does cancel Mass for a valid reason, in some cases (such as this one, potentially since I was not there) a lesson might result.

I just wonder how many teens on this retreat looked at the church as being too stuffy, not forgiving, and just to strict about vestments of all things, that they will look elsewhere.

In the seminary, we used to call this the “Burger King mentality.” At the time, BK had a commercial with the slogan “have it your way.”

We’ve tried the Burger King mentality in the Church. It has proven to be a failure. An absolute, utter failure in every way.

I live in an area where the Pentecostal churches dominate with tens of thousands of followers and are attracting families and especially the youth in very large numbers. We need to do our best to keep our youth joyful in our Church. Things like this are not helping. I realize that I am the odd man out here, but, sorry, I do not applaud this priest’s decision.

Things like this are helping more than people are willing to admit. Young people today want honesty. They want a Church that teaches them the truth.

I realize that the issue of vestments does not rise to the level of doctrine, and I run the risk of exaggerating here. That’s not my intention.

If the youth learned something from this, then that’s a good thing. Next time, whoever is responsible (and maybe it was the priest himself, for all we know) will put a little more effort into making sure that everything required for a valid and licit celebration of the Mass gets packed.

Actions have consequences.

*Edit:

By that, I mean that I did not intend to appear as if I were suggesting that a Mass should be cancelled as a form of punishment, or as a form of teaching a lesson. If my earlier comments appear that I was suggesting such, I hope every reader understands that it was not intended.

 

[rondirect]

I’m sorry to say it, but that’s exactly what is wrong with our society today. When the team loses the championship game, they still deserve to get the championship trophy, lest they become “disappointed.” When the high school student fails to meet the graduation requirements, he still participates in the graduation ceremony, lest he become disappointed. Even more seriously, when people want a wedding ceremony for an invalid attempt at marriage, they are supposed to be given the ceremony, lest they become disappointed.

Enough already! We don’t always get what we want in life. It is time we stopped the pattern of teaching young people that just because they want something, that makes them entitled to have it.

I don’t see it that way.* I don’t think the priest eliminated the Mass as a lesson. He eliminated the Mass from the schedule because he was unable to provide a licit celebration of the Church’s Mass. The lesson occurred as a result of that.

I do not intend to imply that priests should cancel Masses in order to provide lessons to people. That’s not a valid reason. However, when a priest does cancel Mass for a valid reason, in some cases (such as this one, potentially since I was not there) a lesson might result.

In the seminary, we used to call this the “Burger King mentality.” At the time, BK had a commercial with the slogan “have it your way.”

We’ve tried the Burger King mentality in the Church. It has proven to be a failure. An absolute, utter failure in every way.

Things like this are helping more than people are willing to admit. Young people today want honesty. They want a Church that teaches them the truth.

I realize that the issue of vestments does not rise to the level of doctrine, and I run the risk of exaggerating here. That’s not my intention.

If the youth learned something from this, then that’s a good thing. Next time, whoever is responsible (and maybe it was the priest himself, for all we know) will put a little more effort into making sure that everything required for a valid and licit celebration of the Mass gets packed.

Actions have consequences.

*Edit:

By that, I mean that I did not intend to appear as if I were suggesting that a Mass should be cancelled as a form of punishment, or as a form of teaching a lesson. If my earlier comments appear that I was suggesting such, I hope every reader understands that it was not intended.

Father, thank you for taking the time to take each point I made and explain your position and that of the Church. I do agree with you on the points you make. Please understand where I come from: Working for the church, I hear it too often from families and the youth of those families that they are not being fed and for too many, I feel that they do not want honesty or truth from the church, just to feel good (another subject for discussion) and I am sorry to say that the Assembly of God or Christ Fellowship churches down the highway only 5 miles away is doing just that, right or wrong, with their relaxed worship and paid bands that the teens love. I realize that our Church is filled with ritual and rules, but a lot, sorry to say, want the feel good, not the Eucharist. It’s a shame, but it’s happening. I love the Church and I want the kids to stay and love it too and you and me alone are not going to solve the “disappointment” issue. And, thanks for clarifying your “lesson” statement.

Thanks again.

 

[1ke]

but a lot, sorry to say, want the feel good, not the Eucharist. It’s a shame, but it’s happening.

All the MORE reason to focus on the reverence and solemnity due the Eucharist. It emphasizes the sacredness of worship and the real presence in stark contrast to a rock concert/coffee bar/Wi-Fi hangout place.

 

[michaelhager]

Today priests have become much too lax. Things that might be permissible in a genuine emergency have become typical practice.

Sacred vestments are not optional at Mass. They are required. It’s that simple.

We should be admiring the priest for having the fortitude to insist that the Mass would not happen without the required vestments.

We have lost the value of “life lessons” in our modern society. Someone forgot the vestments. That resulted in consequences. That is a good learning experience for the young people, especially since our society all-too-often wants to tell young people that actions do not have consequences.

So “thanks” to the priest for doing what was right.

There really was much more to this story than what I have so far presented. Especially in regards to our priest and our teens. First, Fr. Robert Falabella is in his upper eighties and is a priest in resident at our parish. Probably one of the most beloved priests I have ever known and certainly the most Christ-like in his immediate love and forgiveness of everyone. He spent several hours sitting in his walker providing the sacrament of reconciliation to the teens before our omission of the vestments was discovered. He is also a true American Hero with a silver star and two bronze stars for actions in Vietnam while acting as an Army Chaplain for the 25th Infantry Division.

He was very apologetic and carefully explained the reasons why we could not celebrate mass. The teens were very understanding. But a second result was that there now was no consecrated host for the adoration planned for later in the evening. That greatly worried the teens since adoration is the culmination of our retreats and the most anticipated event of the weekend.

We spent the afternoon working on solutions to this problem. A longer story, which was later solved by our youth minster and deacon leaving the camp and literally foraging the neighboring towns for a Catholic Church and a sympathetic priest.

We were in true spiritual warfare. The enemy most certainly wanted to deprive us of the presence of our Lord. What surprised and humbled me was that the teens spontaneously gathered in groups, huddled together and prayed continuously for nearly an hour for the success of the evening.

Our youth minister returned with not only a consecrated host but with a monstrance to fit the display pyx which was of a different size than ours. Adoration was successful and the teens spent another thirty minutes or so on their knees in the presence of the Lord. They were greatly touched by the whole idea that we had defeated the enemy with prayer and had driven him from that place.

I can’t vouch for every teen there. I can’t predict which ones will stay true to their faith and which ones will stray after high school. We know we always loose a few. It’s just life in these tumultuous times. But I can say with certainty that every one of those teens came home from that retreat stronger and more dedicated in their faith, not less.

I am grateful to Father Robert for his steadfast adherence to the guidelines. I am grateful for his heartfelt talk with the teens and his explanation. A retreat, twenty minutes from the nearest town is not trapped in a gulag. It is not cast away on a desert island. It’s a retreat with hot meals and warm beds. Father Roberts decision was correct. The teens understand that.

We put up paper lunch bags on a clothesline for each person in attendance. They are there for anyone who wants to write a note for any reason to another person at the retreat. Everybody always gets two or three or four… When I took down the bags of those who had left early, I found Father Robert’s bag STUFFED with notes from the teens.

You have all helped in the best way you could. I accept all of your contributions. I have also received some further information form two of our teens who have been researching on their own. We are getting close to a good understanding. When we are satisfied I will post our answer here.

God bless you all