Young People: What does TLM do for you?

[jfallaw]

While I can no longer claim to be young (32), it was the traditional Mass my grandfather took me to when I was a child and visited him during summer vacation, that drew me to the Church (my dad was Baptist, mom lapsed Catholic). It was so beautiful! I try to be as traditional as I can now that I am back and attending RCIA, but it’s difficult. There are no traditional Masses anywhere near here that I know of, and the NO reminds me too much of protestant services. Screaming children, the glaring ring of a guitar played by an overzealous teen (they got rid of the drums, thank GOD!), prayers that just sound weird for some reason (liberal? almost a protestant feel), plus I recently learned from this forum that it was appropriate for people who cannot receive communion (like myself) to leave after the homily, but not only do my RCIA instructors suggest I stay, I also feel weird leaving, since there isn’t any kind of break in the service and when I get up to leave everyone looks at me funny.

But I really do love the TLM, and hope to attend one someday (if not serve one! I recently contacted the FSSP about discerning a vocation). I feel the traditional Mass brings people much closer to Christ than the happy-clappy, Jesus-loves-me-so-I-don’t-need-to-be-solemn-or-prayerful NO.

 

[una_fides]

I definately agree with what everyone else has said.

I converted to the Catholic Church (originally through the OF) a little over 7 years ago. My research on what Catholics believed and did at Mass was simply completely different from what I witnessed at my local parish. I had researched the Church long before venturing to actually go to Mass, and when I finally went, I was so confused-- I thought I was still at my old faith community.

I was completely baffled to find out that many of the parishioners did not even believe in the Real Presence (and I don’t doubt why-- there was no reverence at the Mass, no sermons about Our Lord’s Presence, no mention of Him during RCIA), when the Real Presence was my entire reason for converting and even for living!

I eventually found my way to the TLM when I was and realized that this was the Catholicism I had been reading about and longing for. I am so thankful for the few dedicated priests who serve us.

I’m currently 21 and was 15 when I first attended the TLM and 16 when I decided to attend for good.

Maria,

I had the same experience. I did extensive research into Catholic theology while attending a well known fundamentalist-baptist university (which incidentally was extremely anti-Catholic) and through praying a lot and being open to God, I realized that nothing else made sense but to be Catholic. So I decided to become Catholic without ever speaking to anyone about it. When I got to a church, I realized that everything there was so much different. The Real Presence drew me too to such a great extent, but I witnessed a real deviation from the faith that I had thought the Church universally taught in every parish! The priests taught heresies from the pulpit and in RCIA class and performed what I soon realized were all sorts of abuses and alterations.

When I first went to a TLM, it literally brought tears to my eyes. I realized what I had been missing and deprived of. The reverence, the awe, the chant! I was staring into heaven. Because of my intense belief in the Church and the Real Presence when I first entered the liberal Catholic Church, I had an overwhelming sense of Christ and that I had finally found Him. Had I had my first experience in a Catholic Church that was adorned as old churches are with the TLM, I have often told people that the experience would have been so overwhelming that I likely would have immediately decided to have become a priest or religious and forsake my entire life, career, and everything for that church. With the state of the Church as it is, in a state of moral and doctrinal crisis, it makes sense to me why there are so few vocations.

 

[Rex_Tremendae]

Maria,

I had the same experience. I did extensive research into Catholic theology while attending a well known fundamentalist-baptist university (which incidentally was extremely anti-Catholic) and through praying a lot and being open to God, I realized that nothing else made sense but to be Catholic. So I decided to become Catholic without ever speaking to anyone about it. When I got to a church, I realized that everything there was so much different. The Real Presence drew me too to such a great extent, but I witnessed a real deviation from the faith that I had thought the Church universally taught in every parish! The priests taught heresies from the pulpit and in RCIA class and performed what I soon realized were all sorts of abuses and alterations.

When I first went to a TLM, it literally brought tears to my eyes. I realized what I had been missing and deprived of. The reverence, the awe, the chant! I was staring into heaven. Because of my intense belief in the Church and the Real Presence when I first entered the liberal Catholic Church, I had an overwhelming sense of Christ and that I had finally found Him. Had I had my first experience in a Catholic Church that was adorned as old churches are with the TLM, I have often told people that the experience would have been so overwhelming that I likely would have immediately decided to have become a priest or religious and forsake my entire life, career, and everything for that church. With the state of the Church as it is, in a state of moral and doctrinal crisis, it** makes sense to me why there are so few vocations**.

Seminaries where they train priests to pray the Tridentine Mass are overflowing. Please pray for me, as I am planning on entering a SSPX seminary in a few years.

 

[una_fides]

Seminaries where they train priests to pray the Tridentine Mass are overflowing. Please pray for me, as I am planning on entering a SSPX seminary in a few years.

Will do. Have you looked into FSSP? A friend of mine might be entering seminary there soon. I like that they do the TLM and are traditional to the core but also are more in union with Rome, no excommunications, etc. They are an offshoot from SSPX.

God bless you on your journey.

 

[Rex_Tremendae]

Will do. Have you looked into FSSP? A friend of mine might be entering seminary there soon. I like that they do the TLM and are traditional to the core but also are more in union with Rome, no excommunications, etc. They are an offshoot from SSPX.

God bless you on your journey.

As of now, I am leaning…heavily towards the SSPX, but it is still fair game for the FSSP. I actually attend Mass at a FSSP parish more often then at the SSPX chapel.

 

[WaldMissionar]

Seminaries where they train priests to pray the Tridentine Mass are overflowing. Please pray for me, as I am planning on entering a SSPX seminary in a few years.

I do pray for you, Rex, and that’s why I want to tell you about something that may help you along your way. There is a great traditional society for priest formation called Institute for Christ the King the Sovereign Priest. These priests offer only TLM and they are 100% faithful to the Church. The priest at the church I go to is from the Institute. He wanted to become a priest long ago, but was turned off by Vatican II. It wasn’t until he found out about the Institute that he entered seminary. As far as I know unfortunately SSPX has not yet entered full communion with the Church (catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=28389)).

We need many priests! Thank you for answering God’s call!

 

[WaldMissionar]

I definately agree with what everyone else has said.

I converted to the Catholic Church (originally through the OF) a little over 7 years ago. My research on what Catholics believed and did at Mass was simply completely different from what I witnessed at my local parish. I had researched the Church long before venturing to actually go to Mass, and when I finally went, I was so confused-- I thought I was still at my old faith community.

I was completely baffled to find out that many of the parishioners did not even believe in the Real Presence (and I don’t doubt why-- there was no reverence at the Mass, no sermons about Our Lord’s Presence, no mention of Him during RCIA), when the Real Presence was my entire reason for converting and even for living!

I eventually found my way to the TLM when I was and realized that this was the Catholicism I had been reading about and longing for. I am so thankful for the few dedicated priests who serve us.

I’m currently 21 and was 15 when I first attended the TLM and 16 when I decided to attend for good.

Thanks for sharing your story. I commend you for having been so young and wise when you felt the Lord calling you through the Latin Mass. I remember the first time attending mass. I was 17 and thirsty for Life. It was ordinary form but the priest used incense and offered the Sacrament so reverently. I have never seen OF mass like that since–except in Germany. But TLM is like this all the time! Yesterday I went to OF for the first time in a while. It was so fast! And before the last song is sung everyone is up and gossiping on their way out.