But I did know in my gut that something was wrong with these "lax" liturgies -- if only because of the lack of solemnity and awe which the Mass deserves.
That says it all. Put any mass you go to, to:
Thanks for linking to that thread, since interestingly enough, that is where I first mentioned the subject of this thread.
You know what else, murph. My 20-year-old nephew, who is entering the seminary, was telling me the other day that he attended a Tridentine Mass for the first time and found himself quite literally in tears. He was so overwhelmed with the beauty and solemnity of it. I myself have never actually attended a traditional Latin Mass, but I want to. I was born well after Vatican II. All I have ever known (other than the Maronite Rite Masses that I have attended due to my Lebanese heritage) is the Novus Ordo mass. So the other day, I went in search of an old Latin missal to read the liturgy as it once was. I found myself first awed by the beauty of the Latin, then sadden because all I could think to say is, "why did they take this away from us?"
As an undergrad, one of my old Jesuit professors (God rest his soul) loved to share the story of what led him to the priesthood. He wasn't even raised Catholic. But as a boy (8 or 9) during the Great Depression, he would go to the local Catholic Church on Sunday just to listen to the beautiful Latin music being sung. He would literally attend all the Masses on Sunday -- just transfixed by the beauty of it. Finally one day the parish priest walked over to him and asked why he never came to church with his parents. He then explained that his family wasn't Catholic. Long story short, within a year his whole family became Catholic.
Again, the story illustrates the significance of the Mass.
It's bookmarked, now, thanks MurphE!