M
Mandi
Guest
You are not participating in the Mass you are praying the Mass
The Mass is a Sacrifice - in order to have a Sacrifice you must have a Victim. During Mass the Victim is Jesus - the unbloody Sacrifice. The Victim (Jesus) is offered to God by a priest. But the Victim is also the gift of those present at the sacrifice. The victim of a sacrifice is not only a gift. It is also a sign. It is a sign that those who are offering it are also offering themselves to God.
When we go to Mass we are offering ourselves to God - first and foremost.
We don’t have to pray the prayers, we don’t have to receive Communion, we don’t even have to pay attention. (don’t get me wrong these are not good things) But what we have to have is the above intention to be in union with the priest. Now the Mass being in itself the most perfect and pleasing “PRAYER” to God the Father Almighty. If we are going to pray the Mass than we should do it properly.
According to St. Pius X "* The Holy Mass is a prayer itself, even* the highest prayer that exists. It is the Sacrific dedicated by our Redeemer at the Cross, and repeated every day on the altar. If you wish to hear Mass as it should be heard, you must follow with eye, heart and mouth all that happens at the altar. Further, you must prya with the priest the holy words said by him in the Name of Christ and which Christ says by him. You have to associate your heart with the feelings which are contained in these words and in this manner you ought to follow all that happens at the altar. When acting in this way you have prayed Holy Mass"
Now that is the “PERFECT” way to Pray Mass.
We are not participating…we are praying!
As much as I have never prayed the rosary at Mass and although it is not the “PERFECT” way to pray the Mass…it is still a prayer, infact if one wanted to go to Mass and pray repeatedly “O my God I love you” for the entire Mass, he is still in union with the Priest and offering the Divine Sacrifice. And I would hazard a guess that this devoutly done would be ten times more pleasing than the Mass prayed without devotion.