The TLM and emotions

[St_Aloysius]

I think the TLM encourages reverence and awe. That’s a pro.

However, a lot of that is due to those who attend, the church structure, etc. Most average parishes couldn’t do the things the TLM does in grand cathedrals.

I left a Baptist church that was pretty good at emotional resonance (which isn’t ITSELF bad) and came into a parish that didn’t gasp use media but rather hymnals, and other such shocking things. Part of the reason I enjoy Mass so much is because it’s raw. It’s just me and Christ–seldom any flashy music or shows. I like good music and think reverence should be and is encouraged by it, but I also think it’s important that we as Catholics be able to find ourselves in a (spiritual) place where we can worship under any circumstance.

 

[sphilomena]

We talk about the sacred lifting our hearts and minds to Heaven. That is what happens viewing a gorgeous cathedral, sacred art, or participating at a beautiful and holy Mass. This all involves emotions and feelings, which God gave us for a reason. How can there be a problem with that, or maybe it is a matter of semantics.

Discernment (of good and evil) involves “feeling” it. Have you ever walked into a store where there was really evil stuff? Have you ever teared up listening to a beautiful symphony that “touched your soul”? God uses what we are as humans; “grace builds on nature”. We don’t need to apologize for the way God constructed us.

 

[Sarpedon]

We talk about the sacred lifting our hearts and minds to Heaven. That is what happens viewing a gorgeous cathedral, sacred art, or participating at a beautiful and holy Mass. This all involves emotions and feelings, which God gave us for a reason. How can there be a problem with that, or maybe it is a matter of semantics.

If happy-clappy stuff does the same thing, is there anything wrong with having it in the mass (assuming it’s celebrated correctly)?

 

[Sarpedon]

Discernment (of good and evil) involves “feeling” it. Have you ever walked into a store where there was really evil stuff? Have you ever teared up listening to a beautiful symphony that “touched your soul”? God uses what we are as humans; “grace builds on nature”. We don’t need to apologize for the way God constructed us.

True, but there is a great danger of our emotions blinding us if they are not properly formed and interpreted. A scrupulous person feels evil when there is none, and others feel no evil when it is great. That’s part of the reason we can’t always trust our conscience and have to look to the Church for guidance.

 

[Seamus_L]

I don’t even know where to begin. Maybe if you visit a church like St John Cantius in Chicago for the Tridentine Mass someday, see the total reverance, smell the incense, see the long lines in front of the confessionals, the little children and old people genuflecting, the women with lace mantillas, see the faces of the young brothers who tell you with a big smile “I want to be a priest”, it all makes sense that this is how Catholic worship is supposed to be conducted.

 

[Sarpedon]

I don’t even know where to begin. Maybe if you visit a church like St John Cantius in Chicago for the Tridentine Mass someday, see the total reverance, smell the incense, see the long lines in front of the confessionals, the little children and old people genuflecting, the women with lace mantillas, see the faces of the young brothers who tell you with a big smile “I want to be a priest”, it all makes sense that this is how Catholic worship is supposed to be conducted.

Couldn’t you make a similar argument for charismatic pop music Masses and worship? It can get quite emotional and inspiring there as well.

When I was at Mount 2007 (a youth retreat) they had a lot of modern music and worship. During adoration (which mainly had guitar music, if I remember correctly) teens kept shouting out in front of all the people there (I think about 1500) things like “I’m sorry Jesus!” while crying. Couldn’t I say that this is the way worship really should be conducted?