Good explanation. Thanks for taking the time. (I didn’t realize you were that much older ... ;-)
My parents were (Protestant) children in the 1930’s and 40’s, and both knew plenty of Catholics. Dad was even engaged to one, around 1955! Neither of them remembers any of their peers’ being able to explain why they did or believed any of the things non-Catholics noticed as being different. That seems to me to reflect a significant failure in what is now presented as a Golden Age.
As a first-generation Catholic product of the John Paul II years, I’ve missed a lot of historical turmoil and baggage! I’m sure I’ve also missed plenty that was beneficial, but I don’t, subjectively, miss it because it was never a part of my or my family’s experience.
Yeah, I'm a dinosaur. I remember people being appalled that gasoline had hit 40 cents a gallon. What will we do? Where will we go?
(After all, tomorrow ... is another day. But I digress ...)
Neither of them remembers any of their peers’ being able to explain why they did or believed any of the things non-Catholics noticed as being different. That seems to me to reflect a significant failure in what is now presented as a Golden Age.
Yup ... catechetical clericalism. In fact, the correct answer to "why do you do or believe those things?" is always, "Because Father (or Sister) said to." Now Father may be a heart-of-gold wonderful paragon of priestly virtue and orthodoxy ... but what if he isn't?
And what if Father said to do X last week, but this week we're implementing the latest "liturgical reform" and Father says to do "not X"?
You can see how disorienting things became for many Catholics in that era. And much of the liturgical disorientation was so unnecessary -- the Mass envisioned by Vatican II was somewhere between that indult FSSP Tridentine Mass and what you see on EWTN. (Yes, I'm saying that EWTN may be *less* traditional than what VC 2 envisioned.)
Instead, things went very far out in left field very fast, and have (in fits and starts) been drifting back.
I’m sure I’ve also missed plenty that was beneficial, but I don’t, subjectively, miss it because it was never a part of my or my family’s experience.
Take in some more traditional liturgies when you have the chance. It's an acquired taste (especially the Latin Mass), but it "grows on you".
A big part of our family vacations (if we're passing through a bigger city) is scouting out neat churches ... Anglican Use, indult Tridentine, Byzantine Rite, Maronite Rite ... it's great to be Catholic. :-)
(If you ever make it back to San Antonio, Our Lady of the Atonement Anglican Use is one of those "Lord, it is good for us to be here ... let us erect three booths ..." experiences. You don't want to leave.)