Priest Discourages Reading

[chicago]

If as a life-long Catholic you have been praying the Mass all your life, then your heart will understand it, even if it is in Chinese or any other language that your mind doesn’t understand.

But you’ll still likely take more in, intensifying prayer if you can understand what’s being said.

 

[jmcrae]

But you’ll still likely take more in, intensifying prayer if you can understand what’s being said.

Intensifying prayer is always good, of course, but the head gets in the way of the heart at times, and precedence has to be given to the heart, at Mass.

Reading along is usually more of a head activity than a heart activity, in my experience.

 

[estesbob]

Because you read and prayed on them ahead of time, before you came to Mass.

If as a life-long Catholic you have been praying the Mass all your life, then your heart will understand it, even if it is in Chinese or any other language that your mind doesn’t understand.

As a life long Catholic why should I restrict myself to worshipping in a way you find comfortable?

 

[chicago]

When I listen to the homily (easier to understand from just listening than the readings, because the priest is using a conversational style of speech), I hope to learn something from it.

It would be interesting if the readers could manage to effect this for the proclamation of the Scriptures. Somehow, I envision that is really how things would ideally be. More like the relation of a story, passing down of a tradition, father instructing, admonishing, and exhorting and his children sort of thing.

 

[jmcrae]

What good is parayer you can’t unerstand? This is every Protestants dream right here. If you don’t understand what you’re saying or being said how are you any better than a babbling pagan reciting rote repeating nonsense? I disagree that it doesn’t matter if we as Catholics understand what’s going on or can even decipher what is being said, that is ridiculous, no offense.

But you already know the book-learning facts aspect of it from your Catechism classes and from your on-going personal study of the Faith.

What I’m trying to get at here is the praying aspect of it, which seems to be totally ignored nowadays.

For 1900 years, we prayed the Mass in a language we couldn’t understand, and knew perfectly well what was going on because we studied it outside of the Mass in school-type classes that were designed for that purpose. (The Latin-English missal first came into existence during the 1930s. Before that, people prayed it with their hearts in Latin and before the Latin, it was in Greek, or Aramaic.)

 

[chicago]

Intensifying prayer is always good, of course, but the head gets in the way of the heart at times, and precedence has to be given to the heart, at Mass.

Reading along is usually more of a head activity than a heart activity, in my experience.

But that’s the key… in YOUR experience. In that case, you’d certainly be right to not read along. But in the experience of others, the opposite could be true and in order for something to make it to the depths of the heart, it has to pass through the head.

 

[jmcrae]

As a life long Catholic why should I restrict myself to worshipping in a way you find comfortable?

Just trying to get you to expand your horizons.

Any time I’ve ever actually managed to convince somebody to put the book down, they always report back with amazement and joy that they had such a different and better experience of the Mass, when they weren’t busy flipping around in the book, and just prayed along in their hearts.

 

[chicago]

But you already know the book-learning facts aspect of it from your Catechism classes and from your on-going personal study of the Faith.

Most people who come to Mass probably DON’T have all that prepartion, however. The Mass is the ONLY place where they get instruction on the faith.

What I’m trying to get at here is the praying aspect of it, which seems to be totally ignored nowadays.

Fair enough. I’d like to see more put into the idea of “offering” ourselves at Mass, personally.

For 1900 years, we prayed the Mass in a language we couldn’t understand,

Well, maybe not quite that long.

… and knew perfectly well what was going on because we studied it outside of the Mass in school-type classes that were designed for that purpose. (The Latin-English missal first came into existence during the 1930s. Before that, people prayed it with their hearts in Latin and before the Latin, it was in Greek, or Aramaic.)

Not necessarily true. Afterall, many people were encouraged to pray a rosary or something while the priest “said” Mass. Did they truly understand what all was going on beyond a basic level? Did anyone other than the altar boys respond and “pray” along? And did even these assitants understand what they were taught to say?

 

[chicago]

Just trying to get you to expand your horizons.

Actually, it seems more like you are trying to limit our options based upon your own prejudices.

Any time I’ve ever actually managed to convince somebody to put the book down, they always report back with amazement and joy that they had such a different and better experience of the Mass, when they weren’t busy flipping around in the book, and just prayed along in their hearts.

Fair enough if that’s been the case. But for your failing to value the alternative the perspective that others here are offering which differs, SLAP!

 

[estesbob]

Just trying to get you to expand your horizons.

Any time I’ve ever actually managed to convince somebody to put the book down, they always report back with amazement and joy that they had such a different and better experience of the Mass, when they weren’t busy flipping around in the book, and just prayed along in their hearts.

Actually I went the other direction, For years I listened only-its only the last 5 years that i have followed along in the Missal and it did expand my horizons. So let me ask you-I go to Mass 6 days a week. how often do you go? What qualifications do you have to tell me how to Worship?

 

[CarolAnnSFO]

Just trying to get you to expand your horizons.

Any time I’ve ever actually managed to convince somebody to put the book down, they always report back with amazement and joy that they had such a different and better experience of the Mass, when they weren’t busy flipping around in the book, and just prayed along in their hearts.

The phrase “praying along” seems to imply that the pray-er can hear and understand what’s being proclaimed.

*{{Waiting to see if estesbob tries to get jmcrae to expand his/her horizons. }} *

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Pace e Bene

 

[jmcrae]

Actually I went the other direction, For years I listened only-its only the last 5 years that i have followed along in the Missal and it did expand my horizons. So let me ask you-I go to Mass 6 days a week. how often do you go? What qualifications do you have to tell me how to Worship?

I’ve been attending Mass daily since August 15th, 1991, if it matters. (I’ve been Catholic since April of 2001 - long story.)

I’m also not telling anybody how to worship - I’m making a suggestion, and people keep misunderstanding what it is that I’m trying to say, and I’m trying to explain what I’m saying, because people seem to think that I’m advocating total ignorance, or something - but what I’m talking about is outside of the realm of education altogether - what I’m trying to explain is that that’s not what the Mass in and of itself is even about.

 

[estesbob]

I’ve been attending Mass daily since August 15th, 1991, if it matters. (I’ve been Catholic since April of 2001 - long story.)

I’m also not telling anybody how to worship - I’m making a suggestion, and people keep misunderstanding what it is that I’m trying to say, and I’m trying to explain what I’m saying, because people seem to think that I’m advocating total ignorance, or something - but what I’m talking about is outside of the realm of education altogether - what I’m trying to explain is that that’s not what the Mass in and of itself is even about.

Good for you! Now with all due respect you are coming across as VERY judgemental amd very, how do I phrase it, “bossy”. Your way of worhsip is not the only way nor is it necessarily the BEST way. Why dont you expand your horizns and read along for a few weeks? if you really want to expand you horizons try following along with the Holy Roman Missal-the translations in it are far superior(IMO) than those found in the current lectionary.

 

[jmcrae]

The phrase “praying along” seems to imply that the pray-er can hear and understand what’s being proclaimed.

And it was made abundantly clear above that the not reading along doesn’t apply to the genuinely Deaf, nor to those who are genuinely Learning Disabled.

 

[CarolAnnSFO]

And it was made abundantly clear above that the not reading along doesn’t apply to the genuinely Deaf, nor to those who are genuinely Learning Disabled.

But you don’t have to be either deaf or learning disabled not to be able to hear/understand the readings. Just try to make sense of the garbled, auditory mess that comes out of my church’s sound system, when you’re up in the choir loft.

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[jmcrae]

Good for you! Now with all due respect you are coming across as VERY judgemental amd very, how do I phrase it, “bossy”.

Only because of the “NaNaNa I can’t I won’t I never” style of attitude that I’m getting, in response.

People aren’t paying attention to what I’m saying, and they’re responding to things I’m not saying, so yes, I’m repeating myself, and yes, becoming a little strident, because no one gets it.

 

[estesbob]

Only because of the “NaNaNa I can’t I won’t I never” style of attitude that I’m getting, in response.

People aren’t paying attention to what I’m saying, and they’re responding to things I’m not saying, so yes, I’m repeating myself, and yes, becoming a little strident, because no one gets it.

Actually people are paying attention to what you are saying… What you seem to be missing is we dont agree with you…

 

[CarolAnnSFO]

Actually people are paying attention to what you are saying… What you seem to be missing is we dont agree with you…

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****Carrier of the Angelic Sparkles Sprinkle Bag
**Pace e Bene

 

[estesbob]

And it was made abundantly clear above that the not reading along doesn’t apply to the genuinely Deaf, nor to those who are genuinely Learning Disabled.

Well im glad you cleared that up! If i turn my hearing AIDS off is ok for me to read along?

 

[jmcrae]

Actually people are paying attention to what you are saying… What you seem to be missing is we dont agree with you…

I will leave you with one last thought, and then I’m done.

When we get to Heaven, there will be no missals to follow along with; Jesus will expect us to follow along with our hearts.

Shouldn’t we be preparing ourselves for Heaven?