Anna Arco at her new blog Anna Arco's Diary looks on the bright side:
Something positive has emerged from the newest revolting antics of the Youth Services office. On the web, in emails, on Facebook, young Catholics have been discussing the Mass. Suddenly, the Justice and Peace posse are talking to the Theology of the Body gang, the mantilla-ed Trads are talking to the be-sandaled Charismos. It seems, everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet and the words do not begin with "Brilliant God..."You have probably read elsewhere about asking forgiveness for over-filling our kettles, the sheep and goats mime and the idea of giving out FairTrade chocolates after communion, wrapped with instructions to use low-energy light bulbs. Here is a link if you want to see a pdf of the whole liturgy pack.
Anna has hit the nail on the head with this comment:
Anyone over 16 who decides to continue fulfilling the Sunday obligation after leaving home has made a conscious decision to do so. There are no social pressures getting bottoms on pews anymore; the situation is quite the opposite. A Mass like the one proposed for National Youth Sunday merely patronises and trivialises that decision.The "Youth Mass" ethos harks back to a time when young people felt under some pressure to go to Mass and it was thought helpful to try and entertain them. As well as being contrary to the nature of the liturgy, this was a failure on its own terms: even the most wacky "liturgy" will never be able to compete successfully with the secular entertainment available to the young and will simply appear ludicrous. (Hint: they are laughing at you, not with you.)
I haven't been idle, however, I have been over to Angelus Press to get some copies of "The Mass for Boys and Girls" and the comic-strip book "Know your Mass". They should be here in time for Youth Sunday.
13 comments:
A meaningful homily can engage all ages. When me and my partner discuss the days Mass on a Sunday usually over lunch it is often pleasantly surprising how much my partner’s eldest at only 9 has to add to the conversation. Any attempt to simplify (dumb down) the message by her father is greeted with “don’t be so silly daddy” which just seems to be the perfect sentiment for this pack.
thank you for posting the entire liturgy pack. all fourteen pages have been printed (on unrecycled paper), perforated, and wrapped around a cardboard tube now hanging in my wc.
Fr. Tim,
The current ICEL texts have gone up in my esteem after reading the alternative translation of Psalm 23 on pages 5 and 6 of the pack!
"God my shepherd! I don't need a thing."
"You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies."
I pity the "youth pastoral" groupies who produce this inane rubbish. They clearly inhabit a barren de-spiritualized no-man's land between Catholicism and secular humanism. They need our prayers.
Fantastic, Father; absolutely spot on.
I wrote a letter recently on the subject, "Young people do not require or want accretions to the Mass. Instead, they want a sacred space representing the fullness of the faith of our fathers. Using the Holy Mass as an entertaining forum for environmental debate and education sends a mixed message to the young".
Maybe the Bishops should listen to young people, instead of allowing pseudo-spin doctors to make up paraliturgies!?
Dear Father -
This couldn't be better if it had been done as the ultimate parody! It is sad to see such drivel passed out, and it will be more sad to see it used. Perhaps that would be the thing that should be published.
Let's all replace the candles on the altar with low-wattage energy-saving bulbs? Why make bees do all the work?
Their little chocolates after communion are a wonderful idea. An after-dinner mint is just the thing.
"For wasting paper, Lord have mercy" seems to fit well with the idea of posting these materials all over the church.
And how fortunate for us all that the readings for that Sunday "...fit well with [their] theme of Reclaim the Future! Back in the olden days the priest tailored his message to fit the readings. Oh how the times have changed.
But most of all, it seems so fitting that the readings should be about sheep. Sheep are, after all, pretty much non-thinking beings who follow the handiest crooks. This campaign shows both sides of that equation.
Our kids hate anything 'trendy' & love the Oratory Masses...
When I first read some of this stuff, I thought "over filling one's kettle" was perhaps a modern version of "burning the candle at both ends". I have been told, no, they mean it quite literally. Mad lot.
Incidentally, if wasting paper is a modern "sin", then Eccleston Square (and they are not alone) have much to confess.
Fr. Tim,
I fully agree with the comment that we couldn't have come up with a better parody of this sort of thing if we had tried.
Doesn't this "Mass" show up "LiveSimply" for what it really is?
i.e. "BeIndistinguishableFromSecularHumanism"
"You can help the Christian witness of the members of your faith community to BeIndistinguishableFromSecularHumanism by joining us as we gather for one of our dumbed-down, blasphemous and patronizing yoof paraliturgies..."
Hear, hear, Dr Wright, me too! Over filling one's kettle sounded rather fun!
Just viewed the 'whole liturgy pack'. Yikes! What utter drivel, surely this stuff is designed to dumb down brains and snuffle out every last vestige of the sacred and spiritual from the Holy Mass. I would go as far as to say it is diabolically driven specifically to drive kids away from the Mass. The penitential rite for example mentions nothing of 'personal sin', as these days of course we are all collectively 'sinning' against planet Earth. No, this rubbish must NOT replace the sacred and the holy and MUST NEVER be passed off by any PP as an excuse for a Mass. We have enough politically correct garbage 24/7 blaring at us from every angle on carbon footprints, low energy lightbulbs, car engines that run on daffodils, solar powered torches, etc... without railroading the Catholic Faith into this mad hatters tea party of a circus! Good on the kids who see this for what it is and stand fast against it! How about a Youth Liturgy pack that is simply called 'Catholic Formation and Spiritual Direction for our Times'?
I feel rather quite ill. I'm sre that our youth aren't bombarded about this message from other sources, and it's so much more meaningful coming form the "church". I hope that God is counting the number of kettle's which I have filled to the max in reparation for the death of his Son.
Personally, I am looking forward to the day when the Mass is a Power Point presentation, when I can text my Confession and have gluten free host and soy-based wine. Ah.....modernity.
I feel dumber after reading that packet.
I agree, there are a lot of kids my age who really aren't into youth masses, or think them to be patronizing. Even some who are actively opposed to their existence, like myself.
It quite odd, at my parish there's a slightly dumbed-down youth mass on first Fridays, after which, we get tether and discuss Thomas Aquinas' five proof of the existence of God.(in depth.)
Disconnect much?
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