There are constant reports about how attendance at Mass continues to fall, and how this is mainly due to the disinterest of men. In one of the churches I attend, Sunday Mass attendance has fallen from over 6,000/Sunday in the 1980’s to about 4,000 today. The purpose of this article is address some of the things that may be causing this decline.
Sermons
Let’s face it. A lot of sermons given today are boring. Instead of rousing parishioners to their feet, some sermons occasionally put people into a somnambulist trance. The most popular feature of Protestant services, the Sunday sermon, is somehow the least stimulating in the Catholic Mass. This is the one time of the week that priests have their flock present to talk to them about Christ, and it should be the time that the laity is moved in their hearts and minds to give their lives more fully to Christ. Sadly, this is hardly ever the case. Homilies should be inspiring, and should not sound like a monotone college professor lecturing his class on the intricacies of statistics, calculus, or metallurgy.
Priests should give us the unvarnished holy truth, both the good and the bad, and in a stimulating way that it is interesting and moving. Most football coaches seem more inspiring in their talks about winning football games than the average priest sounds about our salvation. Maybe the Catholic Bishops could hire Urban Meyer from Ohio State or Nick Saban from Alabama to come to their seminaries and coach young priests on the art of inspiring their flock. It really is okay for priests in the pulpit to show some masculine emotion and to even get a little emotional while giving sermons. They know exactly what the problems are with their parishioners because they hear their sins in the confessional. After all, even Jesus got angry and cleared the temple. Jesus even once called Herod “a fox,” and the Pharisees a “brood of vipers!” Men respond well to this kind of sermonizing. Being insipid inspires no one; rather, it is only the bland leading the bland. And even if a few people get upset and leave because of an angry sermon, that’s okay, because being an inspiring homilist will definitely bring in more and more new parishioners eventually.
Reading some of the homilies of St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, would be helpful for young priests, as well as watching the style (not the content) of Protestant sermons on TV.
Be Masculine
Men respond well to other masculine men. Being masculine means sometimes showing real emotions during sermons, in the confessional, and during parish get-togethers. The masculinity of priests should always be front and center. Additionally, a lot of men do not like to hold hands with other men while reciting the Our Father, and this practice (which is not part of the official rubrics of the Mass) should be eliminated in the Mass, not encouraged.
Mysterium Fidei (The Mystery of Faith)
The holiness and the sanctity of the Mass should be the norm, not the exception. In short, the mystery of the faith should be front and center. The wine and bread are changed into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, and this miracle should be emphasized in the thoughts, words and actions of all present, but especially with the priest. If the priest doesn’t act like transubstantiation is a big deal, then the laity won’t either. Recent surveys show that a large number of Catholics don’t even believe that Jesus IS the Eucharist. Also, please bring back the incense and kneeling to receive Jesus on the tongue. While receiving Jesus in the hand when standing has been approved by the US Bishops, it is more reverent to receive Jesus on the tongue while kneeling.
Architecture
Going into a church where you can’t find the tabernacle is a huge turnoff. A while back, the tabernacle in some churches was moved (some might say hidden) to a backroom chapel. Jesus Christ should be front and center in the main sanctuary of all Catholic Churches. The tabernacle was in a prominent place in Jewish worship; why it isn’t in the successor to that worship is a mystery.
Jesus’ physical presence in church affects all who are present, whether they know it or not. So does his absence. The same disappearing act happened to a lot of large crucifixes in Church, as well. Mass cannot be said without a crucifix present near the altar, but a small crucifix carried in by the altar servers just doesn’t have the same impact with men that a large, realistic crucifix. Meditating on the Passion during Mass becomes a lot easier when people can actually see Jesus suffering for us on His cross from the pews, rather than having to squint at a small crucifix on a pole that was carried in at the start of Mass. By not having the tabernacle and the huge crucifix in the main sanctuary, chit-chatting before Mass may be encouraged over silent prayer, which used to be the norm.
Tell Us Who Jesus Is
One of the main problems with getting men into church is that they don’t really know who Jesus IS (not was). If the priests don’t tell us who Jesus is, then the mainstream media, academia, atheists, etc., will only be too happy to tell us that he was just a nice prophet, a fairy tale, a wise preacher, etc. Since Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to heaven, we need to know exactly who He is. For the record, He is our creator, our lover, our loving Father, our brother, our constant companion, our best friend, our help in time of trouble, our sinless redeemer, our suffering servant, our Eucharist, our final judge, and the God-Man who was tortured and who died in our place because He loves us. He even conquered the Roman Empire and set up His Church there in its place, for us. He is the second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of Man, who wants us to be one with Him in heaven, forever. He intercedes for us with God the Father to forgive our sins by continually offering His body and blood in heaven (He is a high priest forever, and high priests always offer sacrifice for sin). All of these different aspects of Christ should be emphatically taught to us by our priests, from the pulpit, over time. If not, then the cares of the world, like making money, enjoying life, sports, etc., will occupy the mind of males instead of our eternal destiny. And all of this short term thinking about what this world has to offer, instead of meditating on who Christ really is, is exactly what the devil wants us to think.
Emphasize Mary
Men love their mothers. Mary was given to us by Christ from his cross when He said to us all, “Behold your Mother.” This had to be pretty important for him to do, because he did it while he was in so much pain and was about to die. Mary is not the God of the Temple, like so many Protestants think that Catholics believe. Rather, she is the Temple of God, because she had the Word of God made flesh inside of her for nine months, just like the Jewish Temple had the Word of God in the Ark of the Covenant. The Bible says that a bad tree cannot bear good fruit, at the same time it says that Jesus is the fruit of her womb. So if Jesus is pure and holy, then Mary has to be pure and holy also (although not divine). Thanks to science, we now know that mothers carry around cells of their children in their bodies, and this makes Mary very powerful, as she has Jesus’ living tissue inside of her. In her Magnificat, she says that her soul magnifies the Lord (magnification makes things clearer and larger, and that is a wonderful thing to do to Jesus).
After Pope St. John Paul II lost his earthly mother, he adopted Mary as his new mother. We all know how, as a result of this devotion, he helped to bring down the evil empire of Communism in 1989 (Communism was predicted by Mary at Fatima in 1917). This model of adopting Mary as our spiritual Mother can move men to do great things, including giving up pornography, drugs, carousing, and the love of money. Like all mothers, Mary cleans up her children and feeds them. When we take the Mother of God on as our own mother, it leads us to clean up our souls more often in the sacrament of Confession, as well as getting fed more often with the Bread of Life called the Eucharist. When priests emphasize devotion to Mary from the pulpit, the laity in the pews always increases, a lot. Why? Because Mary leads men and women to her Son faster and better than anyone or anything else. We know this from the lesson learned by St. Dominic.
And by the way, real men do pray the rosary daily, and this should be emphasized all of the time in sermons. Currently, it is hardly ever mentioned. St. Padre Pio called the rosary his weapon (against Satan). Why priests continually ignore this spiritual warfare tactic to protect and increase their flock (and their spiritual fervor as well) is indeed a mystery.
Singing
The choir should sing songs that men can sing along with them, and in a key that men can sing in. Vatican II emphasized the participation of the laity in the Mass. Sadly, some choirs discourage this participation by singing unknown songs in a key several octaves higher than an ordinary man can sing.
The Eucharist
If the priests and bishops would constantly emphasize the reality of Jesus being the Eucharist, it would be hard to believe that any man, or woman, would ever leave the Catholic Church. What could be better than being invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb?
Fellowship
Fellowship in church is a great thing. In a lot of parishes, however, no one greets strangers and asks about them, or their families, and their willingness to join the parish. A simple coffee and doughnut social after each Mass would really go a long way to fixing this. One shouldn’t have to join a parish organization in order to meet other parishioners.
Ask!
Some men are just waiting to be asked to fix things in the church, or to help out with CYO, or to lead a Bible Study. If a priest asks a male parishioner for his help with something manly, it seems impossible that he would refuse. Making a man feel needed and wanted, whether in church, at home, or at work, works everytime in increasing his participation. On the other hand, ignoring him and making him feel unnecessary always brings about his lack of interest. This tactic worked with the manly twelve apostles, and will still work today with men of the world.
82 thoughts on “A Masculine View from the Pew”
The answer is simple. The Tridentine Mass.
Please, read the short diary/book on this topic “AA 1025”, it explains so much!
Vatican 2 ProtestAntized the liturgy Read “The Rhine Flows into the Tiber” the N isn’t liturgy of the Orthodox Church is ver masculine and half the attendance is male. Look to the gorgeous ancient liturgies to climb out of the modernist mess
This article is spot on. As a woman, I can tell you everything you brought up applies to me and all the Catholic women I know.
I am truly blessed my parish is led by priests who deliver outstanding sermons every day. I do not know how they do it, but it is obvious to me that they are influenced by the Holy Spirit. Our fine Bishop was very good to send us such holy priests.
I fully agree with you on the music front. Unfortunately, the music program at my awesome parish is in the grips of our long-time organist. He is a good man who sings and plays beautifully. When he sticks to music more than 50 years old and the better contemporary hymns and Mass settings, all is well.
However, we are very often subjected to 70ish music that is very difficult to sing, and which contains very questionable lyrics. It is not all bad, but a lot of it is. He is also in the habit of using the contemporary choir once monthly at our most-attended Mass. When this happens, the music is often far too loud to follow (they play from the floor of the church instead of the balcony). They are also known to use banjoes, tambourines, etc. It is particularly jarring in our beautiful, circa 1905, cathedral-like church. Ick.
Thanx for letting me vent, and pax et bonum!
Many men, including myself, are turned off my the ‘feminization’ of the Catholic liturgy. Look at the typical Mass in any Catholic parish. The sanctuary is inundated with girl “altar boys,” endless women “communion ministers”( Honestly, it seems if everyone and their grandmother is giving out communion these days!) female readers, “greeters” and “leaders” of song!
The only male up there is the priest, and judging by his politically correct , sharing, caring and gutless homilies, I wonder sometimes! You ask why there is a vocation crisis? What normal male would want to be involved in public worship which seems to be women’s work!
Gio, sounds like you need a good Latin Mass where the women seem to know their place.
Number 1:get rid of the feminine images of Jesus
You may want to research the origin of that particular image before dismissing that one as “feminine.”
A Church run by men with a male-only priesthood isn’t MASCULINE enough ? HAHAHAHAHAHA… Maybe we should just dispense with the requirement that women attend Mass on Sunday, I’m sure we could use a break. Oh, wait, Jesus started the Church and He’s a Man, and He instituted the rule that women have to be there. Oh well.
I am sincerely asking that all of us here pray to God for all of us here. Moses begged God not to send him to speak to the Jews and to Pharaoh. God said Not To Worry, Moses, just go speak. Moses went, Moses spoke, the Red Sea parted and the captives were set free. Each person who has the gift to speak here has it from God. Please pray that we all here so use the gift that has been gifted to us so that it helps bring each of us to heaven with Him and all of us to heaven with Him. There is only one truth and only one Truth-we can help each other figure it out. Here is a good thought from the old Mass, before the gospel: Lord cleanse my heart and my lips as thou didst cleanse the lips of the prophet Isaiah with burning coal that I may worthily and fittingly proclaim the gospel. Am off soon to stand and say at Mass “I confess to you God and to you my brothers and sisters that I have greatly sinned.” Guy McClung, San Antonio
Mrs. DFW Catholic is confused. She has fallen for the Frontman Fallacy. Just because ecclesiastical offices are held by men doesn’t mean that those men aren’t putting females first and running the Church in the class interests of females. The whole ruckus over holy communion for the divorced started with an urge to do something nice for fallen females–even at the price of grave error.
One Bishop’s thought was to install Acolytes. We assist Deacons and Altar Servers as they assist the Priest. While the order is ancient, it is also discussed in the Vatican II documents. It’s new in the Santa Rosa (CA) diocese. http://srdiocese.org/content/acolyte-installation
Pardon the construction in the cathedral — but the construction is kind of masculine, too.
Every woman at the Altar as a Reader, Altar Girl or Eucharistic Minister pushes 30 men to kneel at the altar of Sports Center at St. Mattress and 10 to a proddie entertain me prayer hall…
‘Liturgical Dancer’ then multiply the above mentioned numbers by two…
If you want to feel masculine at mass, then your only option is to assist at the Tridentine Mass somewhere. The Novus Ordo service is geared entirely toward the female psyche, which is to say, they constantly praise and reassure themselves of how much God loves THEM, instead of the other way around.
I agree. I’m no ‘Rad-Trad”, but I nearly exclusively only attend a Tridentine Mass. Being Catholic requires sacrifice, and the Novus Ordo just doesn’t ask for any sacrifices. I attend an FSSP parish, and we have no shorage of men there. We also have challenging sermons, confessions before every Mass, happy nuns, a happy but no-nonsense priest, adult education classes, among other things.
Great comments all.I feel a revolution against this nonsense .Most Catholics do not have access to Tridentine Mass,Hence,some type of pressure to force the old Vatican II bulls to change in small but significant correction.I would like to see parishes offer occasionally The Mass without Eucharistic ministers,instead traditional on the tongue! Some would say it would take to long.I disagree(.The silly activities with lay receiving communion on alter easlly takes 5-7 minutes.) There are more Permanent Deacons than priest in many Dioceses .Again an idea to start correcting this disaster.
I refuse to touch Him with my hands. My hands aren’t anointed. It’s communion on the tongue only for me. And I submit the priest can distribute communion much faster at a communion rail on the tongue than in a communion line.
Most extraordinary minister of the Eucharist don’t even know how to place the Eucharist on the tongue. Sadly, if the Church feels that we need so many ministers for Holy Communion then they should at least teach them to respectfully place Christ on the tongue, and not shove Him in the mouth or throw Him in there. Yes, these abuses do occur. The bottom line is we need to get back to understanding the real presence of Christ in Holy Communion. I also hate when all the ministers of Holy Communion walk up before the Lamb of God and put on hand cleanser and stand during the Lamb of God. Again, if Christ is truly present then all except the Priest holding Christ should be kneeling in worship. Sorry, just a man’s perspective on things!
If Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are employed every Sunday for mass, then they aren’t extraordinary.
It’s past time to admit that the experiment of EMHCs is a failure and abandon the practice.
I am an EMHC and reader who receives the Body of Christ in my hand while standing, but I think that kneeling at a Communion rail to receive the Body of Christ on the tongue from a priest or deacon is the ideal. It is more reverent, in my opinion. (I also think that it is preferable that women have their heads covered at Mass, but since the other female EMHCs and readers do not veil or wear hats, I only wear my mantilla during Mass when I am not assigned to serve at it.) EMHCs are prevalent in my parish at least in part because on Sunday there is a Mass every 90 minutes from 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM (with other Sunday Masses at 5:30 PM Saturday, 6:15 AM Sunday and 5:30 PM Sunday). If Communion took place without EMHCs, the homily would be even shorter than it currently is and/or Masses would run late, which would cause many parishioners to complain. This is a pity, but it seems that many people would be upset if Sunday Mass lasted more than 60 minutes or weekday Masses longer than 30 minutes.
However, I believe that the laity should have the opportunity to receive the Precious Blood as well as the Body of Christ (I like to receive the Precious Blood because at my parish the hosts are rather thick and I have a dry mouth — the Precious Blood helps me to swallow the host). Perhaps deacons, and if necessary, laypeople can distribute the Precious Blood to the people kneeling at the Communion rail who have just received the Body of Christ while the priest who is presiding at the Mass continues to distribute the Body of Christ.
Respectfully, I think the “revolution” is in fact a “restoration” and you should start demanding that your Bishop and parish properly institute Summorum Pontificum by making the Mass of the Ages reasonably available to all Catholics. They don’t want to do that because they know the two forms of worship reflect different understandings of the Christian Faith and that people over time will choose the original Latin Rite. Their life’s work has been “revolution” against Catholicism. Our life’s work must be “restoration” of Catholicism which is, in fact, true Christianity.
Patrick-You have noticed something VERY pertinent: there is a special caste, a special unofficial unordained “order” in the feminine VAT II church, and it is that small group of people, in many cases mostly or all female, that not only stands behind the ordained priest at the altar before Holy Communion, but stands with him, as we all kneel, and he says the Lord I Am Not Worthy. It is at this time for the priest alone to stand; but feminized/lib church has these no-hands-been-laid-on laity standing as if they have been ordained. Receiving something before someone else is a sign and symbol of a dignity and office that others do not have. And this is the case with those “ministers” behind the priest who then receive Holy Communion first. The worst I ever saw was at a Jesuit staffed parish in Harris County TX at which all the “EMs” – and it was “eucharistic ministers” – each held up a host or a chalice of consecrated blood with the priest when he began the “Lord I am not worthy.” Just more efforts to make folks think anyone can be a priest, no testicles needed; and an effort for females to assume and do priestly roles and sacramental tasks. Guy McClung, San Antonio TX
The article is spot on.I feel to help the novus ordo is stop the use of Eucharistic ministers.This is primary reason most Catholics don’t sense the Real Presence ,i.e. the use of laity distributing comunion.I believe it is one source of low priestly vocations.A young man attending Mass observes the laity distributing communion,thinks ,I can be married and participate in the Mass.The uniqueness of priesthood is lost.Perception is reality.Most men I believe would understand the need to revert back to ordained only distributing communion.I have spoke of this to women who distribute communion…they howled in indignation! First only men were Eucharistic ministers then women and the worst..youth were invited.The laity ,men primarily ,need to fight our spineless bishopcrats to reverse this madness. And communion in hand,another error!
My response, as a religious Sister for 32 years, (with a very orthodox community) is that everything you indicate would draw men back to the Church and to authentic participation, appeals equally to women who are serious about their faith and worship. This could be my list.
God bless you for expressing so well not just a male frustration but a general one across the board.
You’re welcome sister. I truly hate any and all gender confusion in these weird times that we live in.
Christus, as this is about manly response. What would you do, put up with, to protect your own child – children from sexual predation – violence ?
I think you will find similar procedures in ‘secular’ institutes. I worked professionally in a hospital and went back asking about voluntary assistance. It certainly does put you off – all the bureaucracy. But vulnerable children and adults need protecting and in most societies since time began that was a man’s role. To protect.
But again I would ask you or anyone what you would do to protect your own children.
Meet with real victims/survivors of these predators and those who protected them.
It’s better than what used to be or nothing at all.
Don’t wait to be asked. Go ask if you can fix something.
You all sound like little boys needing led than men wanting to lead.
Prayer is foundation of everything.
The sickening hypocrisy of the relatively new background checks, required education re abuse and safe environments etc, and the rules and regulations implemented in so many dioceses is that ……it is in so many cases the bishops themselves who were predators, pederasts, pedophiles, bishops themselves who covered up priestly abuse, bishops themselves who shuttled known abusive priests all over the country to hide their actions and to deflate lawsuits or try to avoid them altogether, priests themselves who were the abusers. And they then require the laity to take the courses and submit to the criminal background checks? It is as if the warden of the prison were to go into the town nearby and say: to prevent more crime by those sitting in the cells in my prison, to make sure I am law-abiding, I need to check out all the innocent citizens here, the ones whose tax money pays my salary and pays for prisoner upkeep, and teach the innocent citizens how to avoid everything my prisoners have done. And once I re-educate you all, then I will let you do volunteer work for the prison. The laity who have now, in essence, paid over $2,000,000,000 [that we know of] of their donated money for the actions of those imposing the new requirements, rules and regulations. Over $2,000,000,000 pays for a lot of new buildings, feeds a lot of hungry folks, and meets a lot of electric bills. Manly men will not follow such gutless hypocritical effeminate wonders. Guy McClung, San Antonio
OK Rambo. Let’s get something clear first of all.
I have never known a ‘real man’. Far as I am concerned they are figments of their own pathetic imaginations.
Now tell me, where were YOU when we were being groomed, having all sorts done to us and turfed out like trash when they were done ?
When they sent lawyers and the police after us, hounding us like sick animals and trying to drive to utter despair and suicide for daring to take them on.
Something your kind of ‘real man’ hasn’t got the balls he was born with to even attempt.
I could go on and on.
You disgust me. You really, really do.
You are one of those then ‘true faithful’ who have accused us of working for satan and trying to bring down the Catholic Church. Broken, damaged people – liars out for you 2 zillion pieces of USELESS FILTHY LUCRE.
Who’s the real Judas here, Rambo ?
I actually feel sick reading what you just said.
If you have any of the sense you might have been born with – you’d know it’s not ‘them’ that’s asking to PROTECT and do the MANLY thing – you blind piece of…..
YOU are proof these checks are CRITICAL. Way too little.
Cause without them this will happen to others while you sit on your horse, or is it an ASS and mouth BS.
You are not a man. Your’e not even a bad joke. You’re pathetic.
I am more than happy to provide name, address, phone number and the rest. And the same of those who did not survive cause you sat on your arse hole talking crap !!
SICK BASTARD !!! Scuse my French. You haven’t got a bloody clue.
Giving up all sense of proportion is the first step on the road to fanaticism, MoonRiver.
I agree with Guy McClung. The problems were caused by a few priests and exacerbated by turn-a-blind-eye seminary rectors and bishops. The pseudo-solution is to burden the laity and it stinks of the all men are predators dogma of feminism.
Actually it is closer to $4 billion; forget the new buildings, feed the poor, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, assist adoptive parents….All background checks are to protect children, got a problem with protecting children?
“…got a problem with protecting children?”–adam aquinas
You’ve got a problem with maintaining a sense of proportion. Quite a bit of security theater in the Church is done in the name of “protecting children” but what the so-called protective measures mostly do is cover for a lot of past laxity by bishops. On that I agree with Christus_Regeln.
A lot of men are just not stepping forward in order to be spat upon, figuratively speaking, and treated with dishonor by their bishop. The result of this horrible misjudgement by bishops via their USCCB bureacrats and legal advisors is that more and more boys will learn that religion is a girlie thing and later, as men, they’ll be gone. And they won’t have jumped, they’ll have been pushed.
We can never do enough to protect the children…never. Given the long record of failure since the early 60’s, given the fact that parent’s need to feel their kids are safe, given the cover ups and internal fears pf “scandal”…the present vetting process is still inadequate. If this keeps men away….it is better for “those men” to be kept away.
Good points! Well said.
Regarding your last paragraph “Ask!”, I stopped volunteering at our Church and parish grade school because the process used by our diocese for vetting volunteers has grown so outrageous that I will not submit to it. Other men in my parish feel similarly. And, the process used by the diocese is on its face so blatantly ineffective that its intent is not to protect children from predators. Instead, it is merely to act as cover for lawsuits. Silly.
Yes, the background checks for volunteers is pretty invasive. Sad times we live in.
This. Absolutely.
The feminine is important for women, but equally crucial is the masculine for our fathers, brothers, and sons to grow. When the only things that are “manly” are secular or sinful is it any wonder men cease caring about Mass and women going alone?
I believe that especially having many masculine aspects in sermons would do a world of good for starters. Men want to stand up against problems, not meekly hear mealy mouthed platitudes about general subjects.
Platitude attitude = not good…
I think part of the problem was removing the Mother. In Ireland the Tabernacle is still where it always was and should be. In most chapels anyway.
But Mary was relegated to rear of the Church in some places or with one of our PPs to the outside.
I told him that the family falls apart without the Mother. Which is often true.
The Rosary needs to be understood as power – a weapon to fend off the darkness.
At Fatima there is an angel about to strike the world with the sword of justice. Mary raises Her arm, radiating the splendour of the love and mercy of God manifest through Her Maternal. Immaculate Heart – and prevents the sword from falling. Battling powers and principalities. Why She asks we pray with Her.
To pray the Rosary with the heart, in the Heart of Mary, is a manly thing too.
Padre Pio called it a weapon – the Rosary.
So for those of you who do go – get together and pray more too during week.
Mary can do the rest and will.
If you ask with faith.
The darkness cannot comprehend nor overcome the Light of Christ.
Don’t speak as if you don’t believe this.
AGREE – The rosary is the next best thing we can do besides receiving and adoring the Eucharist…
It Is Ray. She’s never let me down and when I fell and fell hard and often – it wasn’t a man picked me up.
I apologise for losing it earlier. The psycho babbles call it ‘triggering.
I am gonna bow out of all this manly talk and leave you to have an Oprah man hug in.
Some times – like today, I wonder why in God’s Holy name I have anything to do with this ‘Church’.
But that passes and you get back to the race and don’t whine and moan like ‘real men;.
You are all so full of crap – honest to God you really are.
I assume you’re aware that the photo of the empty sanctuary shown in connection with your December 3, 2015, article on the need to “masculinize” the Church is of the Aula Palatina, built by Constantine about AD 310, and is a Protestant Church.
Here are some things I have done: 1) emphasized to parishioners dressing for Church. 2) emphasized Sin and Repentance and Virtue. 3) Used some Latin hymns, 4) specifically asked for more male participation, ie Lectors, etc. 5) Altar servers may not sit in their chairs until Jesus is put away, keep energy high.
Good for you! Latin is always welcome, as are the other things. Getting men involved will bring in their families as well.
Just a few easy to do steps might make all the diffrence .
Have the Vilnius Image of Mercy , in every church , may be smaller images above every door , thus an example for the families to follow , to invoke The Power of The Precious Blood, to protect , heal ,
mold and renew, by persons getting dead and free with new life , in The Lord, dead to the spirits of fear , greed and lust and hatreds , also to help free those who are afflicted by same, by them being ‘brought ‘ to The Lord .
http://www.faustina-message.com/
This Image shows The Fatherly love , in The Lord , unlike any other and , in the Diary , our Lord explicitly asks that teh image be in churches ; that could also include our schools – every class room .
‘Show us The Father , that shall be sufficient for us ‘ – The Lord being seen in His oneness with The Father and thus feeding the Father hunger , which , when not dealt with ,
manifests in myriads of other sinful traits , both in and out of the Church .
Making confession available, for 30 mins before the Mass , at least two or three days a week,
including one Sunday Mass – it is a tragedy that the churches show by example ,
that this powerful healing sacrament does not matter .
A box next to the confessional, for penitents to put in a donation , to be used exclusively for the poor, preferably in mission lands such as S.America would also make lot of sense .
Not so god homilies would take longer to correct and for those priests who might find the task difficult , unsure why even reading a few excerpts from good books such as of the Holy Popes –
St.John Paul 11 , Pope Em Benedict etc might make the task easier and deeper .
The beautiful ,meaningful words in the new Missal also helps to make up for any lack in the homily ,
if the whole Mass is done with an attitude of reverence .
A once a week Adoration, with the Eucharist exposed on the main altar , priest , in attendance at least for a while – lot to be thankful for .
I like the idea of confession times before each Mass. I was recently told by a Deacon that if anything
controversial is said in a sermon, left or right, someone usually asks for a copy of the sermon so that
they can take it to the Archbishop and complain. This causes a lot of controversial subjects to
be avoided, I think.
Thanks for a good article, although I don’t see the situation improving anytime soon. A lot of men don’t like to sing or are self-conscious about singing, and in many churches singing has taken over the Mass. Traditional hymns have been replaced with treacly, ambiguous songs about love or songs that glorify the singer instead of glorifying God. Silent prayer (particularly during and after communion and even before Mass) has been virtually eliminated. Men tend to be more reserved in their spirituality and may prefer some moments of silence. Other issues I’ve witnessed – being compelled to shake hands with our neighbors before Mass, holding hands during the Our Father, and warm fuzzy homilies where priests tell cute jokes and never mention the consequences of sin.
I agree that there needs to be more quiet time during Mass, especially after Communion. So, you don’t like “Morning Has broken?”
Oh, my favorite song. Ugggggggg Great article Ray, hit the nail on the head.
Strange times. Morning Has Broken was officially added to the post-Vatican II revision of the Divine Office, which is now called the Liturgy of the Hours.
No. Dump Vatican II. It is Masonic, anti-Catholic and designed to destroy the Faith. That is masculine. That recognition, and subsequent refusal and demand is the only masculine course. Before masculinity can be expressed in bold action it has to be rooted in truth. The resolute defiance of an obvious fraud and evil in the Church is masculine. To catalogue and denounce the heresies of the post-conciliar Popes and Prelates is masculine. Demanding a return to orthodoxy is masculine. Just saying no to the “Mass of Paul VI” and demanding a full return to the Mass of the Ages is masculine. (The ad orientem posture of the priest is masculine.) No compromises, no exceptions. We want our Church back. Now. Or else. That’s masculine. Everything else is pathetic.
By the way, Ray Sullivan, I appreciate your writing and your Faith and Catholic Stand I appreciate you too. Merry Christmas. But I think it’s time to push much harder for a restoration of Holy Mother Church.
Thanks Johnny. I share your zeal, but Vatican II will not be dumped, ever. Best to fix the implementation of it, which I think is much better than it was 20 years ago. Not so many
clown/balloon masses anymore. But when men leave, it takes a while to get them back.
Hey, I didn’t say anything badly about clowns! Just kidding. Respectfully, I wouldn’t be too sure about “Vatican II never being dumped, ever.” God may send a major chastisement as described in so many approved Marian Apparitions and other approved prophecy. Moreover, I believe the “Traditional Catholic” population is going to explode in the next 10 years (if we have 10 years left) and the more people get a taste of Catholicism 101 as it was for 1900-plus years, they will begin “saying no” to spiritually effeminate priests, liturgies, theology and “pastoral practice,” whatever that is.
So, Johnny, you were born in 1970. I am so so sorry for you, you think that most all the abuse really started because of Vatican II. You think that if we would just go back to the Latin Mass days things would improve. The days of women using paper napkins for their head coverings and on Sunday wearing their BIG hats. Priest rushing through Mass, mumbling Latin, because they knew most of the Catholics had no clue what was going on. I saw terrible abuse in the Latin Mass. Just as much as in the Novus Ordo! Stop saying “Traditional” Catholic and say “OBEDIENT” Catholic.
If you think I think the trouble in the Church started with VII you’ve got me confused with someone else. My sense of history and knowledge of the events that led up to it are quite a bit deeper, thank you very much. If reform was needed, fine. VII and it’s implementation were not reform. It is a new religion.
Johnny, I wouldn’t let you post here. Your views are heretical and I’m not tolerant of the sinful things you say or your neo-protestant errors. Your protestant views are insidious!
This was an article on making the Mass of Paul VI more masculine. My opinion is that is not possible. The New Mass and the New Religion is like a cat with duck feet. Any man worth his salt would point this out, and call out the Masonic, homosexualist, Satanic infiltration of the Church. Everything else is half measures. Masculinity must first be rooted in reality.
I guess there are no men who moderate here either?
Or maybe, just maybe, my suggestion that things have gone a little awry post 1964 is not some insane trolling heresy, but in fact a reasonable view, presented without personal insult to you. Perhaps you are the hysterical one who can not handle the fact that sometimes the Church needs to make a sharp course correction. Perhaps Catholic Stand is strong enough of a publication to allow the opinion that the Mass of Paul VI is *not* masculine and cannot be *masculine* and should be phased out in favor of the original Latin Rite — which is entirely permissible and valid. Perhaps you don’t get to cry out for “moderators” every five seconds when you come across a different point of view.
Your just a heretic with an opinion!
For someone here to read an article on masculinity, you sure do squeal like a little girl.
Who are you to judge? Being very masculine or being very feminine has absolutely nothing to do with being a good Catholic, good Christian or good anything. Traits of personality are just that traits. Biblical references to effeminate are references to transvestites of those days. People are people, either good or bad. People cast judgement about one’s masculinity or femininity say more about themselves than the other.
Are you a sedevacantist? Your bloviating screed sounds like the words of Brothers Dimond of the Most Holy Family Monastery in NY….a faithful Catholic would not call a Council and Popes heretics. There is NO relationship between orthodoxy and masculinity unless one self-identifies as a misogynist.
No, I am not a sedevacantist. And yes, there is a connection between the form of Mass and masculinity. It is not my opinion. Consider the following quote from a recent article on Rorate Caeli, and pay particular attention to the quote therein from the Cardinal who saw a version of the “New Mass” in 1967:
“The sacral formality and lack of spontaneity of the Extraordinary Form, its orientation to the transcendent, and its expression of profound truths without demanding an openly expressed verbal or emotional response from the congregation, are features which do not make demands upon men with which they are uncomfortable. At the same time, they provide something particularly attractive to men: the expression of ideas through action, the drama of the ceremonies. The content of the ritual, and of many of the liturgical texts, further stresses the transcendent, the sacrificial nature of the Mass, and the necessity of reverence before Christ made present upon the Altar. Finally, it provides men with the kind of challenge with which they are comfortable, indeed can find attractive: the call to a conversion of life, in the context of a clear expression of the reality of sin and the need for grace.
It is useful to note a related remark by John Cardinal Heenan about an early version of the reformed Mass demonstrated in 1967.
‘At home, it is not only women and children but also fathers of families and young men who come regularly to Mass. If we were to offer them the kind of ceremony we saw yesterday in the Sistine Chapel [a demonstration of the Normative Mass] we would soon be left with a congregation mostly of women and children.'”
This is, of course, essentially what has happened. The good Cardinal was prescient in this regard. So my solution is to re-implement the Mass of the Ages and call the New Mass a horrible mistake, an experiment gone awry, if that offends you less than calling it what it is: a Satanic attack on Holy Mother Church fomented by agenturs of Satan like Annibale Bugnini.
We who opine here are not those in power – I purposefully do not call them shepherds and I have no problem calling many of them cowardly hirelings who have abandoned their sheep. But note: hundreds of thousands of men have left, men who would give money weekly, yet those in power have not only done nothing to get them back, they are the ones who ran them off. This was/is intentional – they do not want this type of men in the church. The kind of men who fought and beat the Nazis; men like the signers of the Declaration of Independence; men like St Ignatius of Antioch; men like St Polycarp. Men like the Battered Bastards Of Bastogne. Men like my father who was above the beach on D Day and men like my uncle who was on the beach. Men like heroes. Men like warrriors. Men who wear the full armor of God. Why? Put it this way: Those who think they now exercise some earthly control now over the church would not want St Peter, St Paul, and the Sons Of Thunder,-and they would not want the Jesus who brought a sword either, or Jesus who courageously took up his cross and ascended, of his own free will, Calvary. Why? because courageopus men and warriors know how to deal with cowards, traitors, and devils. Guy McClung, San Antonio, Texas
I listen to Bishop Robert Barron’s weekly homily for the upcoming Sunday on his wordonfire.org site. – VERY manly, VERY uplifiting! I would suggest everyone taking a listen….
With the notable exception of Fr. Barron’s encouraging the ‘hope’ that Hell is empty. It is precisely this type of mincing that leads many men to stay away from Church or even bothering because, well, God is good and I won’t go to Hell. (…they operate by way of the hoped for exception.)
Christ is God. He means/meant what He said. Stating that it would have been better for Judas had he never been born and speaking about Hell often was done for good reason. Hell exists. Souls go there. Pretending that God, that is Jesus Christ, was only pulling our legs or trying to scare us into being good by mentioning the consequence of Hell is to strip justice and truth from the picture.
I pray that Bishop Barron will use his popularity to speak the whole truth, not indulge in hoped for exceptions when the Church itself is struggling beneath the onslaught of massive disbelief.
Ray-I am sure you know the “feminization” of the church did not just happen. It is either of the Holy Spirit or it is of the devil. I will draw my conclusion from 1 Cor 6:9,10-” Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” google “feminization of the church” and then google “church fathers” and “effeminate.” Without an orthodox Vatican III, the purposeful turning off of manly men from church will continue unabated. The Church Impotent is the title of a book – it is also the goal of the effeminate who now control the church on several continents. I learned long ago, even with the myriad public statement of heresies and liturgy abuses, you cannot rid a parish of a bad priest-it became clear a la “I am God and your are not” that he was the pastor and I was not. Not to worry-we can wait this one out because He is always with us-and He is the one with the real power in the church. The men will return. Guy MCclung, San Antonio
Yes, I have heard rumors that some seminaries don’t want men’s men to be priests. If that’s true,
then the Archbishops need to take action.
Neither do they want priests to be men.
Ray, all that you’ve said herein is painfully true. Unfortunately most priests I do know, not all, but most, shake hands like a wet noodle. How on earth can this be fixed? Other than encouraging our sons, setting an example, I honestly do not know.
A firm handshake is part of my ministry and if I get a limp handshake they know next time they better firm it up. I always tell young men, firm it up and look me in the eye when you shake hands… They always seem to appreciate it.
Deacon Toby
Ray, your article left me feeling depressed, only because you nailed so many truths. I live in a parish where fortunately we have good preachers and my past parish, Old St. Mary’s in Chicago was Paulist, priests who invariably gave good sermons.
There are a few additional habits that we can develop to help us: Prepare for the Mass by reading and reflecting upon the daily readings; make reading the bible – the whole bible part of life; attend bible study.
Becoming in tune with God in the Old Testament and Jesus in the new creates within us an understanding that makes it much easier to follow sermons – even bad ones.
Sit close to the front of church, near the altar and the Priest; be amongst the first to receive communion – to have the longest reflective time with Jesus.
When I cannot sing in key – I listen to the words. Many of our Hymns have beautiful wording, with deep scriptural meanings. This enhances my experience, especially after communion, when it is not unusual for me to become emotionally connected and thoroughly at Peace.
Consider for a moment priests without presbyteries – their having to move about parishes as guests in our homes? This bring into perspective the problems that we all have in being so connected to this secular world.
Thanks Randal. You made some good points as well. If men (and women) really knew that the Mass
is heaven touching down to earth, then I think the pews would be full…