The Traditional Latin Mass isn’t just extraordinary in its form, it is simply more beautiful as there are beautiful vestments, Gregorian chants, solemn hymns, deep reverence and the ambience that uplifts our spirits as we worship God. Beauty is an attribute of God. If beauty decreases, it becomes more difficult to see God. This Old Mass provides a deeper sense of a truer Catholic identity linking us to all her Saints. The Latin Mass, the only Mass that all the Saints of old attended.
The Beauty of Traditional Catholicism
"All the good works in the world are not equal to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass because they are the works of men; but the Mass is the work of God. Martyrdom is nothing in comparison for it is but the sacrifice of man to God; but the Mass is the sacrifice of God for man."
In a recent Pew Research data shows that only around a quarter of Catholics between the ages of 18 and 29 attend church once a week or more, compared to 98% of Latin Mass goers in the same demographic, according to research published by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.
The same research also shows that young people’s move toward tradition is largely self-motivated rather than the outcome of outside influence: “We can see that personal preferences (reverence, curiosity, solemnity, and music) account for 58% of the total, while peer influences (friends, spouses) account for 18% of the total. Thus, to the tune of 76%, the impetus to attend the Latin Mass among 18- to 39-year-olds seems to be largely coming internally from within their own generation, rather than being inherited from previous generations.” With Pope Francis’s recent motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, many people have pointed out that the restrictions he introduced for the TLM would hamper the spirituality of a growing number of young adults who have been drawn to it. The reforms of Vatican II did not age well as it is reflected in the continued decline of Mass attendance over the past 60 years. Though the numbers were dropping before 1962, the modernization emphasized requirement of Vatican II didn’t stop the bleed. If the Church is ageless and eternal, then the trends of the 1970s were doomed to become outdated. The Latin Mass can never be dated because it has remained the same through so many centuries. It can’t belong to just one time. For many who have experienced the Latin Mass, love it for its reverence, ceremony, tradition and beauty. So the first reason the Latin Mass draws so many Gen-Zers and young Millennials is that it is beautiful in a way I’d say 80% of Novus Ordo Masses are not. Humans are naturally drawn toward beauty because it is a physical reflection of God’s perfection. In the midst of a Latin Mass, it’s easy to conceive that it is something that has been going on for thousands of years. “Youth want to know that you, the bishops, believe and embrace the things you teach—that you are authentic. Embracing authentic Catholicism means not trying harder to sell the Faith through new liturgical gimmicks or pastoral compromises. It means presenting the Faith in full and ordering our public lives as faithful, loving, sacrificing Catholics around those internal beliefs. Don’t tell the youth about the Faith, show them. And there is no more beautiful, uplifting, and authentically true way to do so than by a devout presentation of the ancient Latin Mass.” Jake Neu - patent attorney, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
The second reason has more to do with the perennial pendulum swing of the generations: participating in something so old and traditional is a repudiation of societal norms. Every generation has its rebellion against the status quo, and for the youthful Latin Mass goers the reaction is both inter- and intra-generational.
The third reason the TLM is so popular among young adults is that it’s a shortcut to a faith community. You can either spend weeks hunting for a suitably reverent Novus Ordo, or you can head over to the closest Latin Mass where you’re guaranteed a pious service and a like-minded community. It should be noted that “like-minded” doesn’t mean homogeneous. The age ranges, ethnic backgrounds and economic statuses of the attendees tend to cover a wide range. But most importantly is the sense of being treated like a member of the family, which I personally experienced having been lucky to travel to different traditional Latin Mass centres in Europe. "In the Mass the blood of Christ flows anew for sinners."
Here are some youth testimonies on why they attend the TLM:
Emma White is part of a growing number of young people in the Church who are embracing traditional practices. Despite the popular idea that young people have no attention span, there seems to be a deep desire to encounter God in tradition and silence. More millennials are returning to older prayers and devotions. White was inspired by some of her classmates who chose to wear a veil in the presence of the Eucharist and she decided that it would increase her devotion to Christ. “I am a daughter of the King, and I should adorn myself with a veil to live that out more fully,” she said. White’s veil is a Spanish mantilla, a delicate work of lace that covers most of the hair. Unmarried women traditionally wear a white one, so her veil is ivory. It’s a less bright shade that is beautiful without being too eye-catching. Sr. April Cabaccang, 29, is a Salesian Sister whose order offers her a choice of whether to wear a habit. Although some sisters don’t wear the habit, Sr. April said she chooses to wear hers because it helps her to be a witness for her faith. When people stop her on the bus or in a store to ask about it, she has the perfect opportunity to talk to them about Christ. “It is important for young people to embrace tradition,” she said. “They need to know that there is one Truth, One Good worth sticking to.” Sr. April believes tradition can be a way for people to anchor themselves. Like White, she says the habit reminds her who she is as well as whose she is. It puts her in a space of reverence. Young women are not the only ones wearing something traditional to increase their faith. Shavi Perera, 19, wears a rosary around his wrist as a conscious sign of his faith and a reminder for him to pray. Perera knows the value of traditional prayers. He is currently doing a 90-day novena to Our Lady Undoer of Knots. “We don’t often take advantage of these old fashioned things that show the richness of the Church,” he said. “When people take advantage of those things, it’s so inspiring.” The Latin Mass is often considered old fashioned. But Eric Wong, 24, loves it. His home parish, Holy Family Parish in Toronto, celebrates a weekly Solemn High Mass sung in Latin. He said it is drawing more young people because it raises intrigue. Since first-time attendees don’t necessarily understand this form of Mass, he says, they become curious, leading them to learn about their faith. “I think most young adults, as we grow older, don’t go to church because our parents tell us to; we go because we realize it’s important. We can realize that through tradition,” he said. “It just blows your mind how much more deeply we can love God.”
Latin Mass is very different from the New Mass and not just because of the language. Gregorian chants are sung, there is more genuflection and people must kneel to receive the Eucharist. The choir is always at the back of the church in order to keep the focus on God. The whole Mass is so reverent.
Like the rule about veils, Vatican II changed the Latin Mass. In 1964, it was remade into the way most Catholics celebrate Mass now — in their own language and with more music and reading aloud. In contrast, the Latin Mass is filled with a great deal of silence which Wong said helps him to focus on God’s presence.
“Probably about a month after we started attending the Latin mass, I asked my kids, who were at the time 10 years old and younger, if they’d like to go back to our old parish where the ordinary form is offered or keep going to the Latin mass…… To my surprise, they unanimously and enthusiastically voted to keep going to the Latin mass. If I recall, they cheered as they exclaimed their preference with triumphant fists in air.” Brian Holdsworth, Catholic blogger
So what accounts for the attraction of youth to the Extraordinary Form? “I would say its beauty, its solemnity, the sense of transcendence, of mystery. . . . The liturgy in the old rite really conveys the essential nature and meaning of the Mass, which is the re-enactment of the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross at Calvary.” Abp. Alexander K. Sample |
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AuthorAn artist, entrepreneur, a loving family man, 30 years a Catholic traditionalist upholding traditions for the love of God. Shop for Catholic giftsArchives
January 2024
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