Gather Us In...and Out the Back Door!

Cleveland,

I don't know if I should continue this conversation, since it seems to have devolved into something personal rather than a substantive contribution to the matter at hand. If there was a way to take this offline, I certainly would. But lacking that option, I do feel a need to defend myself against your accusation that I am continually insulting you rather than simply expressing my opinions.

The part of your post that I interpreted as inviting me to shut up was not the portion you chose to include in your post. Rather, it was this statement:

"We practicing Catholics really have had more than enough of
non-Catholics and false Catholics sticking their noses in our Mass for the past forty years."

With all due respect, when I read these words, I honestly felt that I was being told to butt out and mind my own business. I don't see my response as being an insult directed towards you as much as it was a reaction to what I interpreted as your a desire for me to stop "sticking [my] nose" where it did not belong. I simply asserted my right to continue to participate in this discussion, and invited you to ignore me.

I assure you that the last thing I want to do is to insult you, other Roman Catholics, or the Roman Catholic Church as a whole, and I am sorry if my apology seemed "half-hearted." It was genuinely sincere.

This is my first time writing to a blog and I am leagally blind. so my apologies for the no-doubt many typros.

I cannot figure out what is going on in the Catholic Church at present. My friends over eighty are tuned in to EWTN daily and watch the masses in Latin when they cannot go to church. I see on the internet, including here, a wish to return to the church before 1960. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict seem to be on the same bent.

I was raised a Methodist and converted to Catholocism in the early seventies. I have since been educated in a fine Catholic college by School Sisters of Notre Dame to becaom a leader in my community and in my church. Over the past thirty-five years, I have grown and deepeded my relationship with my Lord to the point that I find I need the weekly, if not more often, worship experience with fellow believers who are also on the tough path of discipleship--radical discipleship. I also need to gather with other like-minded Christians in order to share my enthusiasm and let the joy and grace spill out of me to them. This mutual sharing of God's grace, love, and steadfastness can be done through prayer, through sharing a hug, a thought, our words, and often through song.

I lovce ALL kind of sacred music. Luckily, I attend a parish church which has grown and grown over the twenty years I have belonged. Guess what? It has grown partially through the music and through the homilies and prayers. Much of the music we usee was written by "Haugen & Haas", as well as Cary Landry, The St. Lewis Jesuits, AND music from the classic masters of yesteryear. In fact, we have several masses each weekend, with different music at most of them.

Our musicians, both classical and "folk" are excellent at their craft with piano and organ as well. I cannot say that I always sing the hymns of the 17th, 18th and 19th century with a much gusto as I do the modern. I definately do not hear or sing the old ones with the same emotion that I hear the mdoern. I can just sit at my computer and listen to "Haufen and Haas" and suddenly find myself in tears at one or another of them. Tears of joy and thanklsfulness sometimes, but mostly just tears of awe at how much God loves me--ME a simple sinner just trying to live better each day.

Maybe it is because I am poor. I am poor not by choice originally, buit due to disability. I do not yet have quite enough to pay all my necessary medical and housing needs, but hope that changes with my medicare. We'll see. However, I really like being "Poor." I don't like to beg, even of the agemcies that are supposed to help. However, I love not having any excess. If I have a little left occasionaly, I LOVE being able to send a card to someone who is going through a rough period. --Or have coffee with someone who is alone and lonely. I never seem to do much for me, but I love being able to help someone else. Mostly I do that with my time, my talents, and my love. Being free of material things makes that much easier to do.

And iot gives me time to oray, meditate, and listen to music. By myself, I will sometimes listen to chant, classical pieces written for the Church, and to modern, contemporary Catholic music. But in church, I want to hear and understand what is being said by the priest, what we say in unmiason, the scripture readings. AND the music.

Thius modern music speaks to me where I live. I ask my older friends what they did during the old Lating mass and they tell me they prayed the rosary!! That is a solitary function. Mass is a shared experience. WE are the Body of Christ, not just the priests, We were each called to discipleship, each one of us. We are also ministers through our Baptism. It should be a community event--we are to be "gatherd in." Christ gathers us in! nd--it is serious business. Mass is not entertainment. It is a chance to evaluate ourselves, To hear God's Word again and again, to witness the extrodinary event of Christ coming to feed us with his sacrificed body and blood which, because of hHis resurrection, we are now a part of--forever and ever!

Lets us try to appreciate each others different tastes and not criticise on another like this. I became a Catholic because I just could not live without Eucharist! But many of you seem to think I am not a real Catholic because I like the new music and I don't like mass in Latin.

Love in Christ,

Jan

There's nothing wrong with the post-council Catholic hymndody (note: I mentioned POST council, as in the years 1968-74 or so. After that it's a different story...).

It's just we have to hear this soft-soapy stuff EVERY Sunday. Few people actually enjoy this anyomre. It has served its full measure and it's time for the hootenany hyms to return to 1969. We can use good modern him, plus remember the good sacred ones from the past.

It's just things like Gather Us In have been shoved in our ears for 40 years. And some wonder why so many Catholics don't attend Mass.