Life Teen

[Roamin Catholic]

[quote name='dominicansoul' timestamp='1307135546' post='2249610']
where can I find the Mass for Detroit Red Wing fans?
[/quote]


Somewhere in Detroit maybe? I dunno...Maybe we should do a google search on it? I'm sure we can find one somewhere. I mean, there must be a mass for every subgroup of the population right? It sounds like the proper thing.

Edited June 3, 2011 by Roamin_Catholic

[LinaSt.Cecilia2772]

[quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1307134690' post='2249597']
maybe i missed it, but where did DS say that youth should not be included in the Mass?
[/quote]


i misjudged what she said. im sorry. it was when she said teens handing out communion to feel "included." i misjudged it

[dominicansoul]

[quote name='MithLuin' timestamp='1307134932' post='2249599']
Of course. What do you think the 7:30 AM mass is for?



As you may know, dioceses often have special masses for (say) policemen - blue mass - or doctors and nurses - white mass, etc. Having a mass and inviting a particular group is fine...as long as the mass itself is open to anyone. I can go to a Polish mass or a Spanish mass, and no one cares that I only speak English.




I feel the need to point out that many traditional hymns were written by Protestants. John Wesley (founder of the Methodists) composed a ton, as did Martin Luther. Have you ever sung 'A Might Fortress is Our God' at mass? Did anyone find it...inappropriate? Silent Night was written for guitar, not organ. Is it not right to sing that at a Christmas mass? Anyway, if people don't like the musical style of Praise & Worship music, that's fine. To each his own. If the lyrics of a particular song are not in sync with Catholic teaching, that shouldn't be sung at mass, either. But some of the complaints being made against this can [i]easily[/i] be turned back on a lot of liturgical music in use.
[/quote]

I am always careful about those hymns as well. I thought I was an oddball for being bothered by their authors, but I make sure not to include any verses that are slightly "off" in theology. I was pleasantly surprised in the convent, my Doms felt the same way. WE rarely sung songs written by proddies, and when we did, we usually skipped some of the more proddie verses...

i was also pleasantly suprised to discover there are several music arrangements composed for the Mass by a variety of Catholic authors through the centuries...some I'd never heard before in my life...the sweetest music I've ever heard!

In general, when i talk about protestant praise and worship, I'm speaking of the stuff you hear on KLUV...

[Roamin Catholic]

[quote name='Roamin_Catholic' timestamp='1307135324' post='2249607']
These are once a week events
[/quote]

whoops, meant once a year.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='LinaSt.Cecilia2772' timestamp='1307135743' post='2249614']
i misjudged what she said. im sorry. it was when she said teens handing out communion to feel "included." i misjudged it
[/quote]
Don't worry about it. Sorry for being cranky

[add]

[quote name='kujo' timestamp='1307121386' post='2249494']
Sometimes I wish I could bring all you LIFE TEEN haters on Phatmass to my parish.

You all seem to have these really snooty, condescending attitude towards it, based probably on some combination of bad personal experiences and YouTube videos that show things that don't conform to your vision of holiness or whatever. It's actually pretty infuriating, and while I love me some DS (you know it, sis!), I feel the need to come to the defense of the program I know and love, to save it from the disparaging remarks that get thrown at it around here.
[/quote]

for me it was "bad personal experiences" lifeteen is a cult, an evil cult - a wolf in sheep's clothing -

[img]http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d160/wisper3/42713B2if_small.jpg[/img]

[Lil Red]

[quote name='add' timestamp='1307138713' post='2249623']
for me it was "bad personal experiences" lifeteen is a cult, an evil cult - a wolf in sheep's clothing -

[img]http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d160/wisper3/42713B2if_small.jpg[/img]
[/quote]
That's a serious accusation that you need to back up with proof.

[LinaSt.Cecilia2772]

[quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1307138541' post='2249622']
Don't worry about it. Sorry for being cranky
[/quote]


haha no worries. i was a little cranky myself

[kujo]

[quote name='Roamin_Catholic' timestamp='1307134143' post='2249590']
Why even the need for Teen Masses? The point of the mass is not to separate the congregation, but to bring everyone together.

Do the over 60 crowd also deserve a senior mass?
The football crowd a Mass where the priest spends his homily predicting football scores?



Bring everyone together into one giant celebration of the Eucharist.
[/quote]

[quote name='Roamin_Catholic' timestamp='1307135324' post='2249607']
These are once a week events outside of the language masses, Teen Masses are celebrated weekly in many places. But my point was that where do you stop the separation?

Once again, the mass is not to separate people.


Also, I sure hope that music comment wasn't directed at me, I made no mention of the music of mass.
[/quote]

I think you are misunderstanding the point of the Teen Mass. It isn't as though they ID at the entrance of the church, admitting and excluding people based on their age. Rather, it's a mass designated by the parish, that is kinda like the official mass for the young people to come to. It's like saying "Hey, if you're gonna go to mass, come to the 6:30 p.m. one with all your friends!" Nothing new or different needs to happen--though most Teen Masses tend to include more contemporary music choices, and typically precede some sort of youth group gathering of some sort. The point isn't to [i]segregate[/i], but rather to [i]congregate[/i].

My parish took it a step further, combing the 5 p.m. mass, which was usually frequented by families younger families, and the 6:30 p.m. LIFE TEEN mass into what they called the LIFE TEEN Family Mass. It took place at 5:30 and engaged the whole family, offering a night of Christ-centered activity; after mass, the high schoolers would go to the LIFE Night, the middle schoolers would go to the EDGE Night, and the Parents for Life ministry would hold their meeting. Everyone was home by 8 or 8:30.

Now, you tell me: how is that not in line with your desire to "bring everyone together into one giant celebration of the Eucharist?"

[quote name='dominicansoul' timestamp='1307134309' post='2249592']
[b]you don't need to perform any ministry during the Holy Mass to be "included" [/b]

...just being present to Jesus at His Holy Sacrifice makes you a very important part of the Holy Catholic Church... what did Our Lady do as Jesus died on the cross? She stood at the foot of the Cross worshipping Him, and receiving from Him what only He could give...
[/quote]

Of course you don't [i]need[/i] to. But I don't see why a teenager can't participate as an EM, should their parish deem the usage of one necessary. Of course, their out to be standards of dress and demeanor--Lil Red's anecdote about boobs and bubblegum is a really good example of truly unacceptable behavior for [i]anyone[/i] in mass, not just a Eucharistic Minister. Engaging the teens, making them responsible for some of the roles within the mass, creates a sense of ownership and pride in their faith and in the highpoint of their week, as a Catholic, that they might not feel otherwise. It might not be for everyone, but, in the absence of the issues laid out by Lil Red, I don't see the problem.

[quote name='add' timestamp='1307138713' post='2249623']
for me it was "bad personal experiences" lifeteen is a cult, an evil cult - a wolf in sheep's clothing -

[img]http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d160/wisper3/42713B2if_small.jpg[/img]
[/quote]

Mmmmmk.....

[Roamin Catholic]

[quote name='kujo' timestamp='1307142273' post='2249647']
I think you are misunderstanding the point of the Teen Mass. It isn't as though they ID at the entrance of the church, admitting and excluding people based on their age. Rather, it's a mass designated by the parish, that is kinda like the official mass for the young people to come to. It's like saying "Hey, if you're gonna go to mass, come to the 6:30 p.m. one with all your friends!" Nothing new or different needs to happen--though most Teen Masses tend to include more contemporary music choices, and typically precede some sort of youth group gathering of some sort. The point isn't to [i]segregate[/i], but rather to [i]congregate[/i].

My parish took it a step further, combing the 5 p.m. mass, which was usually frequented by families younger families, and the 6:30 p.m. LIFE TEEN mass into what they called the LIFE TEEN Family Mass. It took place at 5:30 and engaged the whole family, offering a night of Christ-centered activity; after mass, the high schoolers would go to the LIFE Night, the middle schoolers would go to the EDGE Night, and the Parents for Life ministry would hold their meeting. Everyone was home by 8 or 8:30.

Now, you tell me: how is that not in line with your desire to "bring everyone together into one giant celebration of the Eucharist?"
[/quote]

What about people without families?

But anyways, do I get to have an "official Mass" with all my buddies?

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1307123270' post='2249506']
Have you read through the Life Teen program materials?
[/quote]


[quote name='kujo' timestamp='1307125454' post='2249521']
Something is telling me the answer is no.
[/quote]
Nope, and I see no reason to. I regard it in more or less the same way I regard the so-called Charismatic Renewal, by which I mean I don't know a ton about it, but I know enough to realize that I would not like it. Beyond that I realize that it has many supporters, many in the episcopate included, so I will simply let it be up until the point that it affects my life in any way which, God willing, will be never. Like I said, I know it's not for me, so that's all I really need to know at the moment.

[kujo]

[quote name='Roamin_Catholic' timestamp='1307142883' post='2249650']
What about people without families?

But anyways, do I get to have an "official Mass" with all my buddies?
[/quote]

I really don't see you're problem with it, dude. You're just nitpicking at this point.

To humor you, there plenty of childless-families, including a whole sub-ministry of grandparents who used to do all the cooking for the various groups on retreats, and many singles--mostly college students who went to one of the several colleges in the area, but still retained their membership with our parish. From that group, several men and women went on to different religious vocations, and others have opted to be a consecrated single person.

We used to be proud of literally having something for everyone--children, preteens, teens, college, parents, grandparents...everyone working together, as a big family, towards building up the faith. The college-aged helped put together the LIFE Nights; the high schoolers helped put together the EDGE Nights; the Parents helped put together everything. It was pretty much a living, breathing community of faith. It was a beautiful thing, and for you to take this sarcastic, accusatory tone towards it really seems more like ignorance and jealousy than anything else.

[dUSt]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1307143175' post='2249652']
Nope, and I see no reason to. ... Like I said, I know it's not for me, so that's all I really need to know at the moment.
[/quote]
You are just like my sister-in-law.

When she makes spaghetti, she breaks all of the noodles before putting them in the pot so they all fit. I asked her once to just let the noodles sit in the pot without breaking them, because in less than a minute they will absorb moisture and fit into the pot. I begged her. She refused. Not only did she refuse, she told me that she will never make spaghetti without first breaking the noodles because that's how she was taught and she will never do it differently.

Likewise, she does not attend church or belong to a denomination. She just believes in Jesus. She refuses to learn about Catholicism, even though her husband (my brother) is Catholic. Her justification? Pretty much, exactly your response. She just knows it's not for her.

Stubbornmuch?

[TradMom]

+Praised be Jesus Christ!

Here are some videos that illustrate what I have personally witnessed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv_y47x9kSk&playnext=1&list=PL35541DA41DF72C9C

And in our Diocese, I PERSONALLY witnessed "a group" of teens giving the homily at a Mass that Cardinal Roger Mahony presided over at our annual Religious Education Congress Youth Day. The students - all high school aged - were from a Life Teen parish and "gave" the homily, as he stood over to the side. Additionally, it was announced BEFORE the Mass started, that anybody who knelt FOR Communion would be denied the Sacrament. There was a large group of kids who were obviously traditional - the girls were all veiled and the boys all had ties and jackets on. They were in the front of the huge room and I never had the chance to go see where they were from or who they were.

We also had a Mass that year with an Archbishop from the South, who began the Mass by blasting "Who Let The Dogs Out" - he came from the back of the auditorium and danced through the throngs of screaming kids, whipping his cappa magna like it was a showpiece. I just tried to find out who that was, and I have no idea. Who Let The Dogs Out came out in 1998, so I would think it was either that year or the year after. I wish I knew the answers, but for very obvious reasons, it was the last time I went to an RE Congress, and our children have never been allowed to attend Youth Day. World Youth Day is an entirely different matter. Here is a link to the 1999 RE Congress Youth Day: http://www.recongress.org/1999/youth.htm

Again, I realize and appreciate that MANY of you if not the majority here have had a very positive and reverent Church experience thanks to Life Teen. I believe and know the Holy Spirit works in many ways, mysterious and lovely, and I see that He has most certainly worked through Life Teen to bring many, many into the Church. For that, I am grateful and thank God. I have also seen some really "on the line" religious communities bring forth very, very, very holy religious. So I do trust in Divine Providence and the workings of the Holy Spirit but I also work very hard on having an informed conscience and listening to my own personal instincts. I'm glad this debate has been possible and people have been able to express a variety of opinions without rancor.

Pax,
TradMom

Pax,

TradMom

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1307143968' post='2249656']
You are just like my sister-in-law.

When she makes spaghetti, she breaks all of the noodles before putting them in the pot so they all fit. I asked her once to just let the noodles sit in the pot without breaking them, because in less than a minute they will absorb moisture and fit into the pot. I begged her. She refused. Not only did she refuse, she told me that she will never make spaghetti without first breaking the noodles because that's how she was taught and she will never do it differently.

Likewise, she does not attend church or belong to a denomination. She just believes in Jesus. She refuses to learn about Catholicism, even though her husband (my brother) is Catholic. Her justification? Pretty much, exactly your response. She just knows it's not for her.

Stubbornmuch?
[/quote]
You don't know me at all, do you? Like, not even the tiniest bit. I've been on both ends. I already know where I stand and why. It's pretty insulting of you to assume that I'm ignorant of what else is out there, and that I've made no effort to educate myself.