The problem with the idea of focusing mass around a specific bracket is that it sets the stage to start believing and thinking that mass is about you, and about us. (It’s not.)
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is already universal; you literally cannot get any more universal than what it already is. We don’t need to set up masses specifically for a certain group of people, in this case for the youth. Of course we should always encourage our young people to go to mass, I’m not saying we shouldn’t. The problem with teen masses is that they tend to lose the sense of the sacred for the sake of appealing to the youth. For one example, the music will change. What ends up being played is cheesy (and heretical) Protestant songs, because they’re nice and they feel good to listen to.
Nice, warm, and fuzzy for the teens. Not too intimidating and not too Catholic.
Riddle me this; if we are Catholics at a Catholic mass, preparing to receive Christ in His True Presence as He instructed us to do as Catholics, then why oh why are Protestant worships jams being played to honor and recognize the sacrament? Especially when their teachings deny and reject His Church and His True Presence?
It doesn’t and won’t make sense, because there is absolutely no reason for it, with or without youth.
Highly emotional music doesn’t set up the proper foundation for firm faith. I know this because I experienced it as a teen. When the emotions faded and I longed for something more tangible and concrete, I was plunged into an existential meltdown, which was followed by a major crisis of faith. The emotional foundation I had set up came crumbling down, and I was ready to not be Catholic anymore. My skewed way of thinking was this, “I don’t feel good anymore, and if faith is about feeling good and high on the Spirit, then why I should keep being Catholic? What’s the point?” I did come out of it, but it was first by saying goodbye to youth masses.
It usually doesn’t end there. More often than not teens will be encouraged to take up unnecessary roles in the mass. “Inclusion” and “community” are important, you know. This could be in the form of being Eucharistic ministers, or even taking part in skits during mass, I’ve seen it all. I personally think we’re having a vocation crisis to the diocesan priesthood because priests are not being allowed to do their jobs with all of these liturgical ministries and whatnot intercepting and trying to act like they’re the consecrated religious souls. My theory is that because boys and young men are not witnessing their parish priests be the priests these unnecessary ministries and committee’s are allowing them to be, the said boys and young men are not inspired to the priesthood. Why should they be when it’s usually a bunch of older women and their peers running the show? Sure it sounds harsh, but it makes sense. Leave it to the priests and (male) altar servers to prepare for mass, not anyone else who isn’t absolutely necessary. And be masculine while you’re at it, examples of masculinity inspires masculinity.
You could read this and think I’m a crazy traditionalist who hates teens. The former might be slightly true, but I don’t hate teens, or bringing them closer to Christ. I’ve been a youth leader for years; I jumped at being a youth leader the first chance I got. Save your ad hominems for later, friends.
The point is to encourage teens to attend mass, but let them inspired by the sacred, not the silly. I can guarantee you that a sacred mass will inspire teens to follow and live their lives for Christ in ways superior to any youth mass. There’s something just so inherently beautiful and inspirational about sacred masses, it touches your soul, not just the heart. If you haven’t figured it out, I’ve been referring to the Latin mass. Go ahead and try it if you haven’t yet, you’ve literally got nothing to lose.
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