Fumbling for Authenticity and Seeking Mislaid Sacredness

During my work-related travels over the past several years, I’ve had the pleasure of attending Mass at many different parishes.  One thing I’ve noticed is that each parish has its own distinctions when it comes how Mass is celebrated.

One parish I have frequented is located on a very large university campus.  This parish, made up of both transient students and area residents, is among the most welcoming I have ever experienced.

But even within the Mass at this parish there are different practices among the attendees.  The differences are most evident during Communion.

In general, older resident parishioners stand while receiving Communion, while the young students kneel.  The students receive the Eucharist on the tongue, and the resident parishioners receive the Eucharist in the hand.

This distinction is most evident among the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs).  Even within a family of three who are all EMHCs, the son knelt while both parents stood.

The bimodal distribution in practice is patent.  To accommodate these differences, the pastor has added kneelers at the front of the church for distribution of the Eucharist.

As I have traveled, I have witnessed similar differences between generations.  However, the size of this university parish made the contrast overwhelmingly apparent.

What spawned these two subcultures within the same parish?  This is my hypothesis based on my own observations.

Superficial Practice

In the 1950’s, Catholics in North America predominantly attended the Tridentine Mass.  Without deliberate study of the Mass and/or Latin, the Tridentine Mass can be difficult to follow.

I have talked to many who grew up with the Tridentine mass.  Rarely could someone articulate what was being done during the different parts of the Mass, let alone why.  I confess my parents fall into this group.

For someone seeking authenticity in spirituality, going to Mass and only going through the motions can make the practice nothing more than a ritual without much meaning.  The logical conclusion is to embrace a Mass that one understands so one can be authentic.

Fumbling for Authenticity

Promulgation of the Novus Ordo Mass by Pope Paul VI in 1969 appeared to address this issue.  Returning the Mass to the local common language clearly made the Mass easier to follow, especially for the young.

The youth of the 70’s and later embraced the Novus Ordo Mass.  I have heard many, self-described, aging ‘hippies’ express how wonderful and exciting the changes were even as they tried to figure them out.

However, the Novus Ordo Mass also rejected many traditional practices.  Communion rails were removed.  Priests faced the congregation and often the raised pulpits were also removed.

In the 1970’s, the practice of taking the Eucharist on the tongue also shifted to taking it in the hand.  And music with a clear Catholic fingerprint morphed to mimic that of pop culture in some parishes.

I have heard some of the same people who embraced the Novus Ordo lament that too much of the world was let in while trying to reach out to the world.

Continued Superficial Practice

But even after shifting to the Novus Ordo, superficial practices by attendees continued.  Instead of people not knowing what is going on at Mass in Latin, now they do not know what is going on in their native tongue.  An all too obvious example is the high percentage of Catholics not understanding what takes place during the Consecration.

I have surveyed people from time to time about the Novus Ordo Mass and gotten the same response my parents gave me about the Tridentine Mass.  Some have even described the Novus Ordo Mass as akin to a Valvoline Oil Change.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the Novus Ordo takes deliberate study to understand, just like the Latin Mass.

Today’s younger generations see the Novus Ordo as licit and authentic.  But they also believe there should be more respect for the Eucharist.

For someone who sees the sacredness of the Eucharistic, the logical conclusion is to inject reverence back into the mass.  But aware of the rich history of Catholic Church, they also are not trying to reinvent the wheel.

Seeking Mislaid Traditions

Many of the younger generations appear to be embracing past abandoned traditions.  The most visible is kneeling while taking the Eucharist.  Many young girls also wear a mantilla or a chapel veil.

Embracing past traditions includes embracing all the sacraments deliberately.  I have noticed the lines for confession are getting longer and younger.  I have observed choirs with 20-somethings singing alongside post-retirement age choir members.  One Mass I attended in Michigan had 13 altar servers, all male, and each with a different job.

While traveling I have also attended a Tridentine mass. My experience at this Mass was that those in attendance were very much engaged.

I confess that I do find the Tridentine Mass hard to follow.  Nevertheless, I have found those attending, from the elderly to teenagers, were very knowledgeable.  They were also ready and willing to explain the practice to a novice like me.  This is a very different tone from those I talked with when the Tridentine Mass was the only option.

Hope for the Future

My observations are not at all scientific.  However, my point for offering them is because of the hope and optimism I believe they bring.

When listening to mainstream media, one will hear that Catholicism is failing.  Pew research reports that in the United States, more people identify as “no religion” than as Catholics.

However, these reports are in percentages.  If you look at the increase in population and calculate the actual amount of people, the number of Catholics in the U.S. has grown from 45,000,000 in the 1960’s to over 70,000,000 today.  That level of growth is no reason to be pessimistic.

Based on my observations, many in the younger generations of Catholics are deliberately and devoutly seeking to build up their Faith.  They may appear different in practice than their seniors, but they are very authentic.  The big difference is they simply have an added craving for reverence.