What Kind of Catholic Worship Appeals to Men?

What Kind of Catholic Worship Appeals to Men?

“In Catholic worship a man is more likely to experience the emotions of loyalty and nobility that come with commitment to a set and objective form of worship.”

That is just one of the many golden nuggets of wisdom from Fr. Dwight Longenecker over at Those Catholic Men. Here are a few more (You can read the whole thing here) …

This …

“Spending the weekend with other men on retreat got me thinking about why Catholicism continues to have an appeal for men that other religions lack. I’m convinced that the answer is liturgy. To understand why, we have to remember how men’s brains are wired.

It’s well known that the right hemisphere of the brain controls our more intuitive, creative and emotional functions, while the left half of the brain controls the more mathematical and logical functions of thought. Further studies of brain function have shown that men’s brains make connections within each hemisphere of the brain while women’s brains are better at making connections across the hemispheres.

To put it simply, ‘Women are better at relationships and making connections between their perception of reality, people, and emotions.’ Men compartmentalize their experience. Therefore men’s feelings are more likely to be disconnected from their perception of reality. This is why when a guy’s wife or girlfriends says, “Talk to me honey. What do you feel about this?” she is likely to get a blank stare, a shrug of the shoulders and the reply, ‘I don’t know. Just tell me what you want me to do.’”

And this …

“This is why the feminization of the liturgy is so unattractive to men. When well-meaning liturgists and priests feel they have to make everything in the liturgy emotionally relevant and ‘meaningful’ to everyone, many men switch off. When Father Fabulous insists on being emotionally entertaining in the liturgy he is likely to please the women while the fellas roll their eyes. When Sister Sandals develops new age liturgies that attempt to connect with our emotions, or when Pastor Hipster tries to push the emotional hot buttons with his sermon, most men are not only ready to switch off, they’re ready to head for the door.”

And this …

“Within traditional Catholic worship a man is more likely to experience strong emotions of love and admiration for a religion that has withstood the tests of time and persecution. With the high expectations of Catholic liturgy, orthodoxy and morality, a man is more likely to feel the emotions of solidarity with his brothers and determination to persevere in the face of hardship. The objectivity of the liturgy along with the traditional accouterments of Catholic worship help men access the proper apprehension of timeless beauty, truth, and goodness. In this way his heart opens in awe and wonder at the goodness of God and the richness of the Catholic faith.”

Again, you can read the whole thing over at Those Catholic Men.

Category Heart, Latest Posts