Angels on the Alter during Consecration?

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palmas85 said:
I used to think it was kind of silly to serve Mass for just the Priest alone with no congregation, the now infamous and apparently highly discredited private Mass:eek:

Then one morning, I was serving for a very old Priest who was visiting and I in the best tradition of a sreetwise, jaded and highly sophisticated Altar Boy of 11 or so:thumbsup: was how shall I say it, less than completely reverent? Anyway, the Priest did something I had never seen done before or since. He stopped, turned to me and explained that I was being very disrespectful not only to the Lord, but to ALL of the Angels and Saints who had gathered for this Mass and quite possibly had offended the Blessed Mother who was also there… He added that I should be ashamed of myself and ask forgiveness from all of them and that he would give me the opportunity to do so… He the re-started the Mass. As he did, I noticed that he had tears in his eyes and on his cheeks…

From that day on, I never looked at Mass quite the same way again.
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Wow. That’s the most beautiful things I’ve heard all month.
That paragraph speaks volumes about my love of the Mass.
If only I could print it out to read to my children, er excuse me, ADULT children who so typically complain that the Mass is soooo borrriiinnnggg … sarcastically I replied to them once, "Yeah, all those saints and angels around us at each mass . . . boring, right . . . "

When I was a little girl, I used to imagine (wish) that I could see the angel descend during Mass to take the gifts up to heaven. Never caught a glimpse unfortunately, but that’s one of my earliest “Mass” memories.
 
I am so glad you asked the question, I am new to the forum and it is the same question I was going to ask. Wonderful answers.👍
 
In our Catholic theology we teach that heaven and earth meet during the Mass. Since there are angels in heaven it follows that they are also at the Mass since heaven and earth are touching. This is, of course, one aspect of what Scott Hahn brings out in his book that has already been referenced.

Oh, BTW, the correct spelling is “altar” – “alter” means to change something.

Deacon Ed
 
Thanks to all for the responses. I think that reflecting on this fact helps to bring all of us into a state of awe and wonder when participating in the Mass. I will be conscience now to remind my children of this before going to Mass.

Thanks again.

Marci
 
This thread is such a joy to read! 😃

When I was a child, one of my favorite things about Christmas was going outside at night, hoping that I might see the angels in the sky and hear them singing! Even if I couldn’t see or hear them, I believed they were there, just as on the night the Lord was born. Now, I’ve come to realize that they fill the church at every Mass, and that we sing along with them! It fills me with childlike wonder! 🙂

It’s a shame many people don’t seem to share in that wonder. Last weekend, our priest gave a wonderful homily about how in the Mass, we join the Heavenly liturgy with all the angels and Saints, and God Himself. But as usual, I think there were many people who didn’t listen, or take his words to heart. Even in the front of the church, where I sit, I always see people reading the bulletin during the homily, or messing with their cell phones, or whatever. 😦

I love the hymn, “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”–I think it should be a standard part of every Mass. Maybe if people heard it enough, it might start to get through to them and make them understand what a miraculous and momentous thing the Holy Mass is.
 
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