This morning I talked to my godmother Charlene. She is the one who introduced me to Divine Mercy. The year I was Confirmed, Divine Mercy Sunday fell on her birthday, our church hosted the Divine Mercy celebration, and it was a wonderful day. Charlene and I had hoped to get together for tea this afternoon, but I was up late, and she had to take her mom to the dentist, so we talked on the phone a bit. I shared with her what has been going on in my spirituality. She doesn’t understand, either. Charlene’s first reaction was ‘don’t get fixed on what is done the wrong way in the Mass.’ I explained that it isn’t so much what is happening in the new Mass, but what is happening in the Tridentine Mass, that has me in this struggle right now. Even Charlene still thinks it is about the Latin! I told her how disappointed I am in the American Bishops for not being firm in enforcing the rubrics of the current Mass, and I shared some statistics with her about the growing priest shortage. When I was done, she said “ah, the good old days.” Then I replied–“but Charlene, that’s the point-it ISN’T the ‘good old days’. The Church hasn’t changed. Her teachings on faith and morality are even more necessary today.’

I have no idea where that came from. But after I said that, Charlene said “well, pray, pray, pray”. Then I said that the Latin Rite adherents pray for the Pope and the Church every day. That they are the candles flickering the light of Christ throught the nation. She was pretty unsettled when we hung up. I was quite surprised, because she is the one who laments the most about the current state of the Church.

Why is it that the cradle Catholics, who actually attended the Latin Mass, are the ones who seem to be the most resistant to its re-establishment?