Why So Traditional? A Teenager Explains Why He Prefers The TLM
by Jack Kuplack
Of all the things about me, there is only one that makes me in some way a kind of minority. I attend the Traditional Latin Mass. There aren’t a whole ton of us, and over the last ten years or so I have encountered many people who simply couldn’t understand why I’d attend such an old type of Mass. It is vastly different from what the majority of Catholics attend, making it much harder to attend regularly, especially depending on where you live. Here are the reasons why I like it so much:
1. The Music
I always loved the TLM music. Unfortunately, the choir at my church is rather inexperienced and limited so we don’t get to hear many Latin hymns, but they always only use an organ. It provides a kind of old, solemn sense of sincerity that I really like. Music is music, and it is of course more about the message than the instruments used, but I feel like the separation between common instruments used everyday (I personally am a guitarist) and the only one used in church, provides a distinct line between listening to music of the world and listening to God’s music.
2. The Closeness to God
I have been to a few different kinds of Masses, but at the TLM I feel much closer to God than anywhere else. Because there is less interaction between the people and the priest, it is much easier for me to focus my thoughts and energy on being there for God and not just myself. As an experienced Altar Server, I do have many back and forth prayers with the priest, but the TLM is designed to be as little about the general experience of the people as possible. For example, when our priest turns to face the congregation to say “Dominus Vobiscum,†(“The lord be with youâ€) he actually turns back around before the people can respond. They of course then do respond with “Et cum spiritu tuo,†(“And with your spiritâ€), but the priest turning early makes it more of a prayer in honor of God than a conversation with the celebrant.
3. The Seriousness
I am a pretty serious person. My friends know that I am very capable of being incredibly goofy, but there are certain things that I enjoy being solemn. One of them is Mass. People say that the TLM is less joyful than the Ordinary Form of the Mass, and to be perfectly honest, it sometimes is. Speaking in a language you don’t know, and singing songs that you sometimes have to research to understand can be difficult to necessarily â€enjoy,†but I like knowing that what I’m doing is a challenge. I like knowing that coming to Mass is a sacrifice that takes time out of my day which can often be mildly boring. But, as I said, for me the sometimes boring seriousness makes it much easier to converse with God and to accomplish extra things for my soul.
4. The Standard
Something neat about the TLM is that no matter where you go in the world you will get the exact same thing. My father, for example, was once visiting Slovakia. He found a Latin Mass to attend, and even though he didn’t understand ANY of the sermon whatsoever, he always knew exactly what was happening and what the priest was saying for the rest of the Mass because it was in the same language as our church here at home. I take comfort in knowing exactly what to expect, and to not feel out of place even if I’m going to mass on the other side of the planet.
This is my case for the Traditional Latin Mass. I hope it was informative, and if you are a Catholic without much experience with it, I encourage you to go! You might learn that you like it.
2 comments
Well said, Jack. Before Christmas, I sent a request to my parish to consider offering a Traditional Latin Mass. Although we both expressed the same point-of-view, reading your post is like opening the windows and letting in the fresh air. I have yet to receive a reply to my email, but I’m afraid that I may be perceived as a middle-aged mom in desperate need of a soapbox.
I, too, was in the minority on this subject when I was a teenager. Not much has changed today in my social circle. If I mention the subject of the TLM to most of my peers I am received with one of two responses: vehement opposition, or the sound of crickets in the background. Statements like “the Latin language is deadâ€, “Latin is irrelevant to societyâ€, and “Latin would alienate parishioners†are all opposing arguments that I have received, at times, in a very hostile manner. The debate always becomes about the language and not the meaning of the TLM as a whole. Those beliefs are what my parent’s generation and my generation have been taught. Rather, spoon-fed. I am now convinced that “defending†the TLM is a lost cause, at least in my surroundings. However, my focus should be to just participate in the TLM, even if only on occasion.
I feel that keeping the TLM alive will mostly be achieved by our youth. Your post, and experiences that I have had with my children, have strengthened my point-of-view. Almost a year ago, I was sitting in church with my son. Before the Mass began he asked me about the inscriptions above the altar and what they meant. I was a little disappointed that he asked such a question because he had just been given an educational tour of the church with his classmates. I explained that they were written in Latin and told him the translation: “I am the way and the truth and the lifeâ€. He looked at me as if I was the smartest person that ever lived. While it was tempting to go along with his idea, I told him that Latin was the language of our faith, and that all Catholics spoke the language. It was a vehicle to make worship and praise at mass, as you mentioned, “universal†which is the very definition of “Catholicâ€. The first words out of his mouth were “Why don’t we speak Latin anymore?†Mass was about to start so our conversation continued at a later time, and I was given the opportunity to think of a way to provide a suitable answer to his question. At the time of my explanation, one question my son asked was why I knew Latin and some people didn’t. This is also the child that asked me if paper had been invented when I was in school, so I was careful to explain that my mother and father’s generation knew Latin by going to church and practicing their faith. I had the rare opportunity for my generation to learn Church Latin in school, even though it wasn’t spoken at Mass any longer.
The next time I witnessed my children encounter Latin in our church was at choir practice. Their choir director has gradually started to introduce some Latin hymns to the children. The age range for the choir is three to ten years of age, with one of my three children being the youngest member. Not one child complained about learning the Latin hymns. Instead, they sang with enthusiasm, and were fully capable of accepting an explanation of what they were singing and how to pronounce the words. My three-year-old wouldn’t be one of the children I would choose to quiz on the meaning of every Latin word she sang. By the same token, she can’t read a word of the English hymns and chooses to dance in place while she sings. The Latin phrases weren’t “dead†or “irrelevant†to the children. They were new and a different way to sing praise to God. This was a testament to the open minds and open hearts of youth. They “get it†without having to understand every detail.
Jack, I had the same feeling after reading your post as I did while witnessing my children: a feeling of hope. When I debate with my peers I am left with feelings of frustration. I think I’d rather have hope. The parishes in our area should read your post to let in some fresh air. Thank you for opening the windows for me.
Wishing you many blessings in your future, Alaina Deitzel
Thank you, Jack. My teen sons would agree!
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