If You Had To Choose

[Lil Red]

depends. most likely, out of necessity, we would still go to the morning Mass.

[Vincent Vega]

I would exercise my once-per-lifetime allotted rite-switch and go to whatever other particular church's parish was within 100 miles.

[eagle_eye222001]

I would go to the Mass that was intended by the Church, and not a "performance Fun" Mass has distorted a sacred liturgy into a campfire kum-by-ah.

[quote]“Wherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment. Such attraction fades quickly - it cannot compete in the market of leisure pursuits, incorporating as it increasingly does various forms of religious titillation.”[/quote]

-The Spirit of the Liturgy by Pope Benedict


Drums......not conducive to a prayerful sacred Mass......guitar....might be if correctly applied......but any "campy" sound, and you are losing focus on the intent of the Mass and turning it into a performance emotional camp fire......which guitars do almost all the time.


In the future, I expect to see a reform on the music, as many people have fallen into the trap of thinking they can throw any instrument into the Mass and it somehow all works.



The bottom line is that the Mass is supposed to be this special sacred mysterious liturgy. A campy, clapping, kum-by-ah movement is a grave insult to God and what the Mass is supposed to be. Therefore, I'll do my best to avoid the valid-but-improper "FUN" Masses.

[mcts]

Vigil.

[Ice_nine]

whenever I go to a Mass en espanol, they always clap. I don't know how I feel about it. On one hand I don't like it, on the other, I'm too disoriented by all the Spanish words.

I mean this is America. People need to learn to speak American!



(but probs the vigil if I had transportation an all)

[Maximilianus]

I prefer to go on Sunday, but in this case I would go on the vigil.

Edited July 15, 2012 by Maximilianus

[Cherie]

This is our real life situation. We live on a military base, and attend Mass at the chapel on post. I much prefer Sunday Mass, but my husband and I cannot stand the music...LOUD and completely irreverent. Not even remotely well done, even for a "guitar Mass." Truly, it just made us angry; not a disposition you want for Holy Mass!!

However...we want our children growing up knowing that SUNDAY is the Holy Day, and so attend Mass on Sunday. But we also don't want them thinking that sort of liturgical music is normal or ok (nor do we want them attending the "children's liturgy" where they take the kids away during the Liturgy of the Word, another part of the Sunday Masses here).

There is a beautiful old church downtown. But there isn't a parking lot and it's hard to park on a busy street far from the church with little ones in tow. Also, there isn't a narthex to take my babies when they need calming. They have a "cry room" (I don't like cry rooms anyway, generally speaking) but it's not even near the main church...it's in a separate building altogether, where they hooked up a speaker system so you can HEAR the Mass but can't see it at all. Also...the chapel on base is a stone's throw from our house. Literally...a two minute WALK, you can see it clearly from our porch. (SOO wish they offered daily Mass!)

Anyway...that kind of puts us between a rock and a hard place. Right now we attend the Vigil...but will probably switch to the church downtown when our oldest is old enough to understand more about Holy Mass. Seems a shame, since the chapel is so close and the parish community really reaches out to us, but it is what it is!

[Lil Red]

Cherie - just from my perspective.... pretty much my whole life going to Mass with my parents, we almost exclusively went to the Saturday Vigil Mass. but never for a second did i think that Sunday wasn't the Holy Day, because of how my parents treated Sundays. Special breakfasts and dinners, and truly resting on Sundays....that showed me that Sunday was different.

Edited July 15, 2012 by Lil Red

[Cherie]

Very good point, Red. Thanks!

[HopefulBride]

The vigil. Though I will go to a charismatic mass if I have no other choice, given the choice I will always pick the first option.

[mysisterisalittlesister]

Vigil. Guitars are ok, depending on the type of music it is, but clapping and [i]drums[/i]? I'd rather save those for Jesus camp.

[BigJon16]

This thread frustrates me in all sorts of ways...

I would equally like both. I think (and I have witnessed this) that a band can play at Mass and still stay reverent and stay within the mystery of the liturgy. It happens all the time at various youth conferences.

I would also love the Vigil Mass.


I feel that my personal preferences on how I like to worship (whether it be in a more conservative or contemporary way) does not change what the church teaches on how the Mass is to be celebrated. That is an obvious fact that we can all agree on.

But what [i]does[/i] the Church actually say? Does It say "though shalt not have a band at Mass?" Does it say, "though shalt not be joyful at Mass"? If so, then fine. No joy, no drums, and no "New Evangelization".

Your absolutely right that there should not be applause at Mass, but there are different ways of clapping other than applause.. When a Mass ends at a Youth Conference the place is usually alive with a joyful energy. We clap along with the music because we are happy, and we are [i]celebrating[/i][i]. [/i]Isn't that what Mass is? A celebration?

Don't get me wrong though, I would never tolerate a "kum-ba-ya" attitude in Mass. But there is a difference between a Contemporary Mass, and "Jesus Camp".


Im probably about to get chewed out for this, but hey, you asked. End rant.

[Cherie]

[quote name='BigJon16' timestamp='1342379292' post='2455855']
Don't get me wrong though, I would never tolerate a "kum-ba-ya" attitude in Mass. But there is a difference between a Contemporary Mass, and "Jesus Camp"
[/quote]

It's a "Jesus Camp" one, believe me. I personally don't like "contemporary Masses" but this one definitely takes it too far. And it's not applause clapping, it's clapping to the music!

[Cherie]

I guess my point was:

Which do you consider more important... TYPE of liturgy ("contemporary" vs more "traditional") or DAY of liturgy (Sat Vigil vs. Sun morning)

[havok579257]

[quote name='Ice_nine' timestamp='1342332931' post='2455771']
whenever I go to a Mass en espanol, they always clap. I don't know how I feel about it. On one hand I don't like it, on the other, I'm too disoriented by all the Spanish words.

I mean this is America. People need to learn to speak American!



(but probs the vigil if I had transportation an all)
[/quote]

well then don't go to the latin mass because they sure don't speak american for most of the mass.