When Did the Concept of Mass by Age Group Begin?

[hwriggles4]

Okay, I don’t get the whole hatred of the novus ordo or life teen mass, at least from my perspective. At the life teen mass I go to, the only complaint is the music, which is a little too contemporary, but beautiful none the less. It’s a place where kids have reverence and the priest has gone miles to correct this, even stopping the mass if the kids get too crazy during the sign of peace, etc. So I don’t think its the program itself, but the people running it.

Also, I’ve only ever gone to my parishes novus ordo mass. Being in a fairly conservative diocese in the midwest, I’ve never seen any abuses or problems, and I feel my mass is just as valid as the TLM. We don’t sing contemporary hymns or do anything crazy. I wish people would realize that you can have very reverent novus ordo masses.

This was a good post, and I do agree with another poster that here in my diocese I have seen quite a few more reverent Novus Ordo (NO) Masses than I did ten years ago. I attribute some of that to better education and formation, as well as the leadership of some good priests and our bishop. I also notice that people are still paying attention more since the revised translation took affect at Advent.

Here in my diocese, many of the newly ordained priests here are strong and well formed. (Not to be mean, but some of the more “liberal” priests have retired.) There are some good priests here who are late vocations, and I have great respect for the former Episcopalian priests here that I have met (we have at least 3).

Lines for confession on weeknights and Saturdays are longer, so if confession starts at 3:30 p.m., show up by 3:45 p.m. in order to get your confession heard before the Saturday evening Vigil Mass begins at 5:00 p.m.

Now, I’ll share about the Life Teen Mass. I was a member of a Life Teen Core Team for about a year 12 years ago. (I would of stayed with it, but I was working 60+ hours a week.) The Life Teen Mass at the parish I was involved with was done fairly well. The music was done by a young adult group with guitars, and the “clapping” was kept to a minimum. Teens got to be lectors and ushers too. Teens gathered around the altar, but we didn’t do the “hand motions” and “dancing” that I have witnessed at other Life Teen Masses. There was some “huggy-kissy” at the sign of Peace. The youth minister was a former seminarian (and a college friend), who made sure that the catechetical programs followed church teaching.

In a nutshell, I would venture to say that Life Teen programs vary. My brother’s parish in another city has a Life Teen Mass that I have attended. Both my brother (who has been affiliated in various choirs for years) and I avoid this Mass after attending it once or twice. It was so irreverent, with dancing, hand motions, and enough music that it was more like a Christian Rock concert, along with lots of “touchy-feely”, “huggy-kissy” at the sign of Peace. Don’t get me wrong, I like Christian Rock, but not when it is overdone. I explained to my brother that the Life Teen Core Team must be just doing their own thing, because Life Teen does have some guidelines. (My brother’s parish does have new leaders now, so this Mass may now have been toned down).

The parish I currently attend tried a “Teen Mass” for about a year, where teens dressed appropriately and were lectors and ushers. No dancing, no Christian Rock music, etc. It was a way for high schoolers to have some involvement in the Mass outside of being Altar Servers. The Boy Scouts at my parish meet on Sunday night, so many Boy Scouts come to the Sunday evening Mass in uniform with their families. Our Sunday night Mass is a regular Mass with a contemporary choir, and the choir is pretty good, and picks music that is suitable for Mass.

At one college I attended, I would sometimes attend the 10:00 p.m. Sunday night Mass that had it’s share of “huggy-kissy”, standing during the consecration, and once in a while liturgical dance. Glad those days are gone. Sadly, many Catholics who grew up in the 1980’s left the Church because they didn’t receive the “nuts and bolts”.

Now that I’m more aware of what the church teaches, I prefer to attend a more reverent Mass, and there are quite a few good Novus Ordo Masses within a 30 minute drive. I also know some single people that like to get up early on Sunday to attend say, a 7:30 a.m. or 8:00 a.m. Mass where they can worship without distractions. One parish I have attended in my area has an excellent 8:00 a.m. Mass, and I like the 9:00 a.m. Mass at my parish.