What attracts youths to the Tridentine?

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The second picture posted above is absolutely breath-taking. I am 27, and was raised on the “happy-clappy” music and “Jesus loves you, now color a picture” catechesis, and I have to say it left me spiritually starving! It’s like giving your children nothing but calorie-free fake food to eat. I can’t stand when priests change the words during the Mass. It speaks of a lack of reverence- for me, that is what it is. No one reverences anything these days, and I would like to at least be able to go to church and experience something reverent.
 
holy_roamer said:
Personally, I think that you are making a big-big mistake by characterizing the youth into impersonal groups like you just did. Kids can sense that sort of thing from their parents or clergy. The one thing that stands out about my boy’s youth group friends is their indwelling of the Holy Spirit and their personal union with the crucified and risen Christ. The only characterization is that they are Born Again Protestants.
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I’m not sure what you mean “impersonal groups”. I was simply stating the reasons different youth have given me, or that I have heard, for their interest.

If you mean that I was doubting their devotion or sincerity, that was certainly not my intention, as I though my closing sentence stated. I can’t imagine them NOT being very devoted if they are looking strongly at either form of Mass.

I’m sure for many of them the motivation cuts across many of the reasons, and others I didn’t mention. And in some cases that they probably can’t really identify exactly what draws them (Why do some of us like brocolli and others hate it?).

Whichever form they ultimately prefer I thrilled that they care enough to look. I do have to admit to fearing though that some of them are being led down a road leading to division and unsound beliefs.

Peace,
 
The second picture I posted is one that is near and dear to my heart. It is St. Alphonsus in Baltimore where I was able to assist at the Tridentine Mass until my move to Texas. The interesting thing is that the St. Alphonsus, for all the magnificence of its sanctuary, is not very large. It is basically a “neighborhood” parish church, built when even smaller churches shone with the glory of God and His saints.

I would urge all those who live in the Baltimore area and are attracted to the Tridentine Mass to visit this gem: “Baltimore’s Powerhouse of Prayer”, “A living testimony to faith, to sanctity, to prayer, to beauty - in the center of Baltimore…where saints have prayed and where sinners meet the Living Christ!”

[end of advertisement :D]
 
FLCathMom said:
The second picture posted above is absolutely breath-taking. I am 27, and was raised on the “happy-clappy” music and “Jesus loves you, now color a picture” catechesis, and I have to say it left me spiritually starving! It’s like giving your children nothing but calorie-free fake food to eat. I can’t stand when priests change the words during the Mass. It speaks of a lack of reverence- for me, that is what it is. No one reverences anything these days, and I would like to at least be able to go to church and experience something reverent.
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At age 27 you most likely missed the head lines, while being a teenager, about what bad priest have been doing. As an older parent I think that a little fellowship with the Born Again and Charismatic youth groups would toughen up the Catholic kids. It would make them more resistant to a bad priest if they ever do run into one. What do you think? Also, a little fellowship would introduce Protestants kids to the Traditional Latin Mass. And, that’s a good thing.
 
I’m very much of the opinion that the Catholic church is on the verge of a sort of “Oxford Movement” that will have long lasting effects. I think the attraction of young people to traditional forms - particularly young clergy - will have a significant impact on Catholic worship accross the board in a couple generations. It’s definately more than a fad.
 
Some seem to be listening to some of the charismatic younger priests who are preaching that “Vatican II is the worst thing that ever happened to the Church” and are being sucked into thinking they are the “remnant Church” that is going to save the world. Many of these are being convinced that all of the ills of the world are the result of Vatican II and that going back will restore us to the “Leave it to Beaver” world of the 50’s. I find this particular group, and their motivations, to be very disturbing as there is a sense of superiority and inability to recognize the universal Church at work that portends future schism. This, except for the occasional homeschooler, is also the only group I have ever heard use the word or concept of “orthodoxy”, as it is the buzzword that the priests use to convey the the “remnant Church” idea.
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I would like to know where all of these “charismatic” young priests are that really believe that Vatican II (itself, and not the ‘Spirit of Vatican II’ nonsense) is the root of all modern evil and want to go back to the 1950’s. This is hogwash-any traditionalists worth their salt know very well that the Council itself is not the real problem and we also know very well that the 1950’s were not a “golden age” that we want to go back to. Do you think this junk just appeared out of no where circa 1965? The 1950’s, as one of the FSSP priests I know said, were a very liturgically decadent time in the Church’s history. Hardly a time to want to emulate. :rolleyes:

Look to what then Cardinal Ratzinger said-we could do with a smaller more focused Church. The idea of a “remnant” may not be quite the right term to use, but honest change and appropriate reform comes from the focused, zealous, orthodox “minorities” within a decadent and bloated visible “People of God”. The wheat and cockle grows together.

Furthermore, we’ve been dealing with a vast “schism” of sorts for the past 40 yrs-except that the people who’ve rebelled against Holy Mother Church stubbornly refuse to read the writing on the wall that one cannot deny tenets of the Catholic Faith and remain in the Church. So, how is being part of the “remnant” that has seen past the apathy and the heterodoxy a bad thing? Being zealous and knowledgable does put one in the “elite” but does not thus make one an elitist. In fact, this is not some sort of secret Gnostic knowledge that the traditionalist wants to keep to himself. No, in fact, he wants nothing more than to loose his “elite” status to growing numbers of more and more people who have also seen the light.
 
holy_roamer said:
At age 27 you most likely missed the head lines, while being a teenager, about what bad priest have been doing. As an older parent I think that a little fellowship with the Born Again and Charismatic youth groups would toughen up the Catholic kids. It would make them more resistant to a bad priest if they ever do run into one. What do you think? Also, a little fellowship would introduce Protestants kids to the Traditional Latin Mass. And, that’s a good thing.
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No, I was aware of the headlines- it was common to hear people make jokes about bad priests (and it still is.) I’m not against fellowship with other Christians. I think, done properly, it can be a wonderful tool in sharpening our young people’s skills in apologetics.
 
Frankly, I’ve walked into at least two Masses in the last couple of years where it took about 10 minutes to realize that I hadn’t accidentally walked into a protestant church. I’m not saying that this always happens as there are some very reverent NO Masses, even in my somewhat liberal diocese (although thankfully there seems to be a push now towards orthodoxy). However, there is never any mistake about where you are when you walk into a TLM.

People say that the younger generations aren’t interested in the TLM. I say that those people haven’t been watching the younger generations. I’m just under 25 years old, and am far from the youngest when I attend a TLM (not counting young children).
 
ComradeAndrei said:
I would like to know where all of these “charismatic” young priests are that really believe that Vatican II (itself, and not the ‘Spirit of Vatican II’ nonsense) is the root of all modern evil and want to go back to the 1950’s. This is hogwash-
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You can call it hogwash all you want, but they are out there and having a great influence on many of the youth. They very carefully straddle the fringe edge and couch their statements carefully, but the statement I quoted is their mantra and I’ve heard it parroted back by many of those youth.
So, how is being part of the “remnant” that has seen past the apathy and the heterodoxy a bad thing?
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When used the way it’s used in this case it is as heterodox as any other form of heterodoxy.

This is actually off-topic though, so I’ll leave it at that, having expressed the views I have heard.
 
<<When you go to a TLM you know you’ll hear something 100% Catholic - you don’t have to worry about hearing or seeing something that is ‘questionable’.>>

Unless you attend a SSPX, SSPV, CMRI, or other sedevacantist group.

Having said that, while the novelty and differentness of the extraordinary form (please use the papally directed terminology), I think the key was mentioned by the very word BEAUTY. Why are people attracted to the Byzantine, Maronite, Assyro-Chaldean, or other Eastern Liturgies? Once they past the charm of the novel, they stay for the beauty, or because these rites feed something in their souls beyond the mere cognitive level.
 
Just my two cents…The extraordinary form is what most saints experience the Mass. It gives it an “awe” that most Mass these days do not have. Don’t get me wrong, I like the ordinary form but only when it is done with the reverence that it deserves. 👍
 
Indyann said:
This will probably ire many “Traditionalists”,
but personally, I think, for many, it is the novelty of it. And also the desire to be somewhat different than the mainstream.

Trying to “find their niche”. Just my :twocents:
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I really didn’t intend to post on this again,but I just can’t resist. If you have studied Eriksen’s developmental studies, you will see how this demonstrates his theories.

Just like, the “flappers”, “hippies” and every other transition of the past.

Now, I am not saying this is a bad movement. Hopefully, it will be very positive.

I am just saying it is one explanation why young people are attracted to TLM.
 
ncjohn,

I think it’s time for us older folks to step back and let the kids have the Traditional Latin Mass. According to the Bible, as Charismatics they will:

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:” (Acts 2:17)

.:cool:
 
mschrank said:
Because it actually seems SACRED, it’s not just more of the day to day.
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YES! AMEN!!!

And youth today do not think the ‘less’ is ‘more.’ They seek in their lives the beauty and assurance of God’s love for them. So with their own eyes they partake of the angles assending with the Three Fold Allelluia to the ‘Altar - which is Christ’.

And to whoever it was that said they only go to Mass once or twice a year, guess what, you are not only cheating yourself, and your family, you are also cheating the Body of Christ.
God bless you brother!
 
Indyann said:
I really didn’t intend to post on this again,but I just can’t resist. If you have studied Eriksen’s developmental studies, you will see how this demonstrates his theories.

Just like, the “flappers”, “hippies” and every other transition of the past.

Now, I am not saying this is a bad movement. Hopefully, it will be very positive.

I am just saying it is one explanation why young people are attracted to TLM.
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Fashions come and go. Most are pretty harmless, but a few have very far-reaching consequences.

I think the Tridentine Mass fashion will be one of those with consequences.
 
Malcolm_McLean said:
Fashions come and go. Most are pretty harmless, but a few have very far-reaching consequences.

I think the Tridentine Mass fashion will be one of those with consequences.
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I don’t think one could hardly call the traditional Mass a “fashion”…
 
Expleo_Ereptor said:
Just my two cents…The extraordinary form is what most saints experience the Mass.
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That, in particular, caused me great anger when I began to realize what kind of watered-down Catholicism I’ve been fed all my life. We’re called to be like the saints, they’re our older brothers and sisters in Christ. However, how can I be like the saints if I just can’t seem to get enough Catholic in me? The Mass of the Angels is the answer to my anger and frustration with my spirituality, and I’d wager a bet to say that its the answer to a great deal of spiritual frustration among the Catholic youth.

As a bit of an aside, my university has about 15,000 students. Approximately 5000 are Catholic. The Neuman Center is not THAT packed at any mass. Why? Happy-clappy music? Feeling like you’re at a Cream concert? Inability to tell Mass from Protestant worship except for the Consecration? Probably all of the above.

Frustration, is, I think, the real reason that Catholic youths feel drawn to the 100% authentic Tridentine experience.
 
I am a young person.

Why I prefer the TLM:
  • For me, it is more contemplative
  • I sense the sacred
  • I know that most likely everything I hear will be orthodox and truly Catholic.
  • All of the saints whom I admire attended the TLM
  • There is less distraction (one usually doesn’t find much immodesty or disrespectful behavior)
Now, although I prefer the TLM I am usually unable to attend it. 😦 I attend with my family a parish that has the whole lifeteen music thing going on. Jesus is there. As long as He is there I am happy. I would prefer the TLM, but I go where my family goes. Just watching the TLM makes my little heart melt with delight. It is so beautiful!:o I would go everyday if it were offered to me.

I am not rebelling against anyone or following a “fad” (how attending a Mass that has been offered for centuries is recognized as a fad I’ll never know). I just recognize beauty. 🙂
 
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