Active Participation

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valoriuslobo

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How do I achieve active participation in both the EF and NO? How has the Church defined it?

I’m seeking to truly participate in the Mass. I’ve heard it said that we unite our prayers with the priest’s, but how can this be achieved?

I seek not merely to sing, to say, and to move at either Mass, but to actually participate. Such actions do not constitute (contrary to what people say) full participation.

I was never taught this in CCD years ago.
 
Well, you might begin by looking at the Offertory with the eyes of an innocent child. 😃

For the ordinary form, the Offertory begins when you hear the celebrant say “Through Christ our Lord” at the end of the Prayers of the Faithful outside of our Lord’s Day - or after the Credo on the Lord’s Day. For the extraordinary form, the Offertory begins when the priest says “Suscipe, Sancte Pater…” after the Credo. Do you realise what is going on there? Our Lord Jesus Christ is offering Himself upon the sorrowful way of Jerusalem. He is dragging the brutal weight of the cross up to the altar of Calvary.

During the Offertorium, God the Almighty Father is watching from the dark cloud of glory. The closer Christ our Lord approaches to the final position of the old world, the less God the Father is present in the Temple. As the processional cross, candles, bread, and wine approach the sanctuary… the ancient, ever-burning incense dies in the heart of Israel, and the temple veil begins to shudder under the immense force of history. A new world is beginning in eternity. Thunder-clouds are round about Him, and fire is the establishment of His throne.

How can you be most active during the Mass? If in a state of grace, offer your greatest woes and fears to the blessed Trinity as the gifts process toward the inevitable sacrifice atop the black hill of Golgotha. As the world darkens around the cross, give your most grievous fears and most hopeful wishes to Him, and unite them in your heart to the offering. If you earnestly ask them in faith through Christ our Lord, they will be granted - for our Almighty Father is a spirit, the true spirit of justice and majesty. He looks singularly upon that altar, and sees not only His spotless lamb, but all the weights and burdens we have put upon Him. As the knife is drawn - THIS IS MY BODY - and the lamb is sacrificed before our eyes - THIS IS THE CUP OF MY BLOOD - all is released in joyful ecstasy and the messengers of God carry everything to Him.

See the saints in the Mass, kneeling by your side. See the angels sitting in the niches of the stained glass. Observe the cherubim and seraphim floating high above the columns. Feel, in the very depths of your immortal soul, their presence. They are there. 🙂
 
Are you asking about the spiritual participation of your soul in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb?
 
Paragraph 1348 of the Catechism sums it up pretty well:

“All have their own active parts to play in the celebration, each in their own way: readers, those who bring up the offerings, those who give communion, and the whole people whose “Amen” manifests their participation.”

If you’re spiritually and mentally participating, that’s “active participation”.

God’s peace.
 
I was once told that the best way of actively participating in the Mass (in either form) is to receive Holy Communion - provided, of course, that you’re in a state of grace and observing the Eucharistic fast.
 
St Pius X with the active participation started the process which lead the Sacrosanctum Concilium and to the 1970 form of the Mass.

Before him only the simple presence was required during the Offertory, Consecration and Communion of the priest, nothing else. People were late, left early, wandered in the Church looking for a (side altar) Mass which is valid for them, prayed the rosary, the station of the cross, meditated, whatever. The Mass was considered the affair between the priest and Jesus Christ, people just being present, not even hearers (soto voice).

St Pius X advised to follow the Mass from personal missals and also sing the appropriate parts of the Mass. With the approval of the following popes the dialog Mass was introduced, which meant that people actively prayed the mass parallel with the priest, some churches in Latin but most in vernacular: answering the responses, reciting aloud if there was no choir, listening to the lector.

After Vatican II people became (subordinated) partners of the priest, the parts assigned to them (Introit, Kyrie, Gloria, Gradual, Creed, Offertory, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, Communion) were not to be repeated by the priest : the priest prayed with the people or went along with the Mass.

Vatican II wanted this to be controlled by the Church, unfortunately in many cases this lead to the uncontrolled innovative, rule-less masses.

The recent movement is to bring back the centralized control, what is the essence of the Liturgy.
 
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