A great mass experience that I had.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Binary
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Binary

Guest
A few weeks ago I was traveling, and it turned out that the only mass I could attend was in Spanish. I only speak a few words in Spanish, so I couldn’t understand the readings or the homily. However, I was able to recognize the parts of mass as we came to them, so I recited the apostles creed and the Our Father at the appropriate times, and something about that gave me a nice sense of unity. The really cool thing, though, was that the Kyrie and Agnus Dei were said in Latin, so for those parts of the mass I was able to completely join everyone else in prayer.

Maybe it was just the happiness that everyone feels when they overcome a barrier of language, but I saw it as an intimation of the great unity of the Church, and was grateful for it.
 
Binary said:
A few weeks ago I was traveling, and it turned out that the only mass I could attend was in Spanish. I only speak a few words in Spanish, so I couldn’t understand the readings or the homily. However, I was able to recognize the parts of mass as we came to them, so I recited the apostles creed and the Our Father at the appropriate times, and something about that gave me a nice sense of unity. The really cool thing, though, was that the Kyrie and Agnus Dei were said in Latin, so for those parts of the mass I was able to completely join everyone else in prayer.

Maybe it was just the happiness that everyone feels when they overcome a barrier of language, but I saw it as an intimation of the great unity of the Church, and was grateful for it.
Click to expand...
I sometimes attend the Spanish mass in my parish to try and improve my Spanish and I’ve experienced the same thing. I even joined as they prayed the rosary before mass (which was a little confusing; apparently Spanish-speaking people pray it a little differently than we do). It is neat to see how Catholicism blends so well into every culture. The Spanish mass is actually a lot closer to the Latin than the English mass is. I really like the music that they use; a very mariachi-ish style of music.
 
Just think. One time in the past if you understood Latin you could go to Mass anywhere in the world and understand everything. Talk about unity.
 
It is very comforting. I’ve attended masses in Canada, Scotland, and France, and to know that we are all doing the same prayers and the same consecration of the Eucharist (even though the languages may be different) is very powerful.
 
hudson said:
Just think. One time in the past if you understood Latin you could go to Mass anywhere in the world and understand everything. Talk about unity.
Click to expand...
Just think. That was great for the fraction of the modern world which did understand Latin, and also had the wherewithall to travel the world a lot.
 
Stylites said:
Just think. That was great for the fraction of the modern world which did understand Latin, and also had the wherewithall to travel the world a lot.
Click to expand...
Almost everyone understood the Latin to the main parts of the Mass. After hearing it (and seeing the translation right next to it in the Missal) week after week, year after year, it was very easy to know the Latin and its meaning, especially the meaning of the short responses and the Kyrie (albeit Greek), Sanctus, Agnus Dei, etc.

As far as the wherewithall to travel, one doesn’t have to go far (even here in the US) to encounter a Mass in a foreign language.

Pope Benedict has said that he does NOT recommend that the readings and homilies
be in Latin, but that we should all know a certain minimum of liturgical Latin. It really does help understand the Church’s universality better.
 
Sarika said:
Almost everyone understood the Latin to the main parts of the Mass. After hearing it (and seeing the translation right next to it in the Missal) week after week, year after year, it was very easy to know the Latin and its meaning, especially the meaning of the short responses and the Kyrie (albeit Greek), Sanctus, Agnus Dei, etc.

As far as the wherewithall to travel, one doesn’t have to go far (even here in the US) to encounter a Mass in a foreign language.

Pope Benedict has said that he does NOT recommend that the readings and homilies
be in Latin, but that we should all know a certain minimum of liturgical Latin. It really does help understand the Church’s universality better.
Click to expand...
In fact, this is what he wrote in Sacramentum Caritatis:
The Latin language
Click to expand...
  1. None of the above observations should cast doubt upon the importance of such large-scale liturgies. I am thinking here particularly of celebrations at international gatherings, which nowadays are held with greater frequency. The most should be made of these occasions. In order to express more clearly the unity and universality of the Church, I wish to endorse the proposal made by the Synod of Bishops, in harmony with the directives of the Second Vatican Council, (182) that, with the exception of the readings, the homily and the prayer of the faithful, it is fitting that such liturgies be celebrated in Latin. Similarly, the better-known prayers (183) of the Church’s tradition should be recited in Latin and, if possible, selections of Gregorian chant should be sung. Speaking more generally, I ask that future priests, from their time in the seminary, receive the preparation needed to understand and to celebrate Mass in Latin, and also to use Latin texts and execute Gregorian chant; nor should we forget that the faithful can be taught to recite the more common prayers in Latin, and also to sing parts of the liturgy to Gregorian chant. (184)
Click to expand...
I hope this helps.
 
Binary said:
A few weeks ago I was traveling, and it turned out that the only mass I could attend was in Spanish. I only speak a few words in Spanish, so I couldn’t understand the readings or the homily. However, I was able to recognize the parts of mass as we came to them, so I recited the apostles creed and the Our Father at the appropriate times, and something about that gave me a nice sense of unity. The really cool thing, though, was that the Kyrie and Agnus Dei were said in Latin, so for those parts of the mass I was able to completely join everyone else in prayer.

Maybe it was just the happiness that everyone feels when they overcome a barrier of language, but I saw it as an intimation of the great unity of the Church, and was grateful for it.
Click to expand...
Your posting is interesting. Like you I know very little Spanish. Several years ago I was asked to serve at Mass in Spanish at the last minute. They were in a bind so I said I would. I am sure for the first 5 minutes of Mass it looked like I was having a breakdown. I could easily follow it! Was God giving me a special gift?!?

Nope. It was just that I could follow the Mass in Latin and if you can do that, following the Mass in any Romance Language (Italian, Spanish, French, etc.) is fairly easy.
 
hudson said:
Proof?
Click to expand...
Go do your own polling. I have. I have rarely met anyone at all that used to understand the Mass. The great majority turned to missalettes to sort of translate the Mass on the fly each Sunday.
 
Well then, I did my own polling and everyone said they knew Latin. People can say anything without proof to sway opinions.
 
ElToro said:
Go do your own polling. I have. I have rarely met anyone at all that used to understand the Mass. The great majority turned to missalettes to sort of translate the Mass on the fly each Sunday.
Click to expand...
Funny Evryone I know that is old enough to truely remember the latin said that they did know all the responces in latin and most all the prayers. that was then most remember some now. that is even amoung those that you could not drag to a EF mass now.
 
hudson said:
Just think. One time in the past if you understood Latin you could go to Mass anywhere in the world and understand everything. Talk about unity.
Click to expand...
It’s been 49 years. Please get over this. The Ordinary Form is a wonderful and valid mass and many people benefit from it. If you prefer the Extraordinary Form, then good for you! Go to Latin mass and don’t be smug towards other people who don’t. We promise to love you too. I shouldn’t have to say this ever again.

In charity,
your brother in Christ.
 
CompSciGuy said:
It’s been 49 years. Please get over this. The Ordinary Form is a wonderful and valid mass and many people benefit from it. If you prefer the Extraordinary Form, then good for you! Go to Latin mass and don’t be smug towards other people who don’t. We promise to love you too. I shouldn’t have to say this ever again.

In charity,
your brother in Christ.
Click to expand...
Actually, if you were to assist at a Papal Mass, the Liturgy of the Eucharist is celebrated in Latin. Furthermore, even when the Holy Father was in Great Britain, Latin was heavily used, especially at Westminster Cathedral.

The vernacular is the option, but, Latin is the default. Furthermore, in promulgating Sacrsanctum Concilium, the Holy See made it quite clear that the use of Latin in the Mass was to be retained and preserved.
 
ElToro said:
Go do your own polling. I have. I have rarely met anyone at all that used to understand the Mass. The great majority turned to missalettes to sort of translate the Mass on the fly each Sunday.
Click to expand...
I’m old enough to know that missalettes didn’t exist when the latin rite was the norm. We brought our own missals to mass on Sunday. Most had latin on one side and English on the other. Back then like today, automotan catholics probably didn’t make much of an effort to understand what was going on. I remember a steady stream going out the back door after receiving communion. They must have felt their obligation fulfilled at that point.
 
benedictgal said:
Actually, if you were to assist at a Papal Mass, the Liturgy of the Eucharist is celebrated in Latin. Furthermore, even when the Holy Father was in Great Britain, Latin was heavily used, especially at Westminster Cathedral.

The vernacular is the option, but, Latin is the default. Furthermore, in promulgating Sacrsanctum Concilium, the Holy See made it quite clear that the use of Latin in the Mass was to be retained and preserved.
Click to expand...
Yes, yes! We’ve been beat to death with that line of reasoning since at least…well maybe 1966. Can we give it a rest? If you really like Latin, attend the EF, if you want to know what’s going on…even in Spanish, attend the OF (NO).

Peace.
 
elgar said:
I’m old enough to know that missalettes didn’t exist when the latin rite was the norm. We brought our own missals to mass on Sunday. Most had latin on one side and English on the other. Back then like today, automotan catholics probably didn’t make much of an effort to understand what was going on. I remember a steady stream going out the back door after receiving communion. They must have felt their obligation fulfilled at that point.
Click to expand...
You are rght, elgar. Those were the days when quite a few discussions (before CA Forums, obviously) revolved around how little time you could spend at Mass and still fulfill your “obligation”. As I recall, if you slipped in the door before the Offertory, and didn’t leave until (at least) the priest received from the chalice, you were “home free”.

Ah, yes, those were the good old days!
 
Binary said:
A few weeks ago I was traveling, and it turned out that the only mass I could attend was in Spanish. I only speak a few words in Spanish, so I couldn’t understand the readings or the homily. However, I was able to recognize the parts of mass as we came to them, so I recited the apostles creed and the Our Father at the appropriate times, and something about that gave me a nice sense of unity. The really cool thing, though, was that the Kyrie and Agnus Dei were said in Latin, so for those parts of the mass I was able to completely join everyone else in prayer.

Maybe it was just the happiness that everyone feels when they overcome a barrier of language, but I saw it as an intimation of the great unity of the Church, and was grateful for it.
Click to expand...
"the Kyrie and the Agnus Dei were said in Latin" , you said. Well, I don’t speak Spanish or Latin but one thing I know. Kyrie is not said in Latin. Why? Because it’s GREEK. Hahahahaha! Shame on you!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top