RS Active and Conscious Participation

[deogratias]

1. Active and Conscious Participation - how often do we hear people talk about active participation and think it limited to hand clapping, singing and other external actions.

This section deals with what it is and what is expected of us and what is not.

[36.] The celebration of the Mass, as the action of Christ and of the Church, is the center of the whole Christian life … “For the common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial or hierarchical Priesthood, though they differ in essence and not only in degree, are ordered to one another, for both partake, each in its own way, of the one Priesthood of Christ”.[91]

Does this mean that there is only one way or several ways to partake of the Mass? I think it means both. But those differences have to be allowable and spelled out by Rome and not the innovation or creative changes made by individual priests or liturgists.

[39.]… the celebration will be carefully imbued with those particular features that will foster the recollection of the participants.Still, it should be remembered that the power of the liturgical celebrations does not consist in frequently altering the rites, but in probing more deeply the word of God and the mystery being celebrated.[100]

[40.] Nevertheless, from the fact that the liturgical celebration obviously entails activity, it does not follow that everyone must necessarily have something concrete to do beyond the actions and gestures

,

I have long said why does everybody “gotta have a job”. It seems to have been interpreted that this is so and so we have an abundance of high profile jobs, EMHC’s, Readers, Liturgists, etc. but probably not too many offering to polish the pews and clean the toilets

… Instead, catechetical instruction should strive diligently to correct those widespread superficial notions and practices often seen in recent years in this regard, and ever to instill anew in all of Christ’s faithful that sense of deep wonder before the greatness of the mystery of faith that is the Eucharist, in whose celebration the Church is forever passing from what is obsolete into newness of life: “in novitatem a vetustate”.[101] For in the celebration of the Eucharist, as in the whole Christian life which draws its power from it and leads toward it, the Church, after the manner of Saint Thomas the Apostle, prostrates herselfin adoration before the Lord who was crucified, suffered and died, was buried and arose, and perpetually exclaims to him who is clothed in the fullness of his divine splendour: “My Lord and my God!”[102]

 

[deogratias]

[42.] It must be acknowledged that the Church has not come together by human volition; rather, she has been called together by God in the Holy Spirit, and she responds through faith to his free calling (thus the word ekklesia is related to klesis, or “calling”).[106] Nor is the Eucharistic Sacrifice to be considered a “concelebration”, in the univocal sense, of the Priest along with the people who are present.[107] On the contrary, the Eucharist celebrated by the Priests “is a gift which radically transcends the power of the community. . . . The community that gathers for the celebration of the Eucharist absolutely requires an ordained Priest, who presides over it so that it may truly be a eucharistic convocation. On the other hand, the community is by itself incapable of providing an ordained minister”.[108] There is pressing need of a concerted will to avoid all ambiguity in this matter and to remedy the difficulties of recent years. Accordingly, terms such as “celebrating community” or “celebrating assembly” (in other languages “asamblea celebrante”, “assemblée célébrante”, assemblea celebrante”) and similar terms should not be used injudiciously.

Sometimes we become impatient with our priests because of liturgical abuses, scandal, etc. etc. But the bottom line is that they are priests and only they can concoct the Holy Eucharist so necessary for us and our salvation. I have emphasized much about reporting abuses but we must not neglect to always and everywhere pray for all oru Bishops and Priests.

One of my favorite “little books” is The Way by St. Josemarie Escriva and some of my favorite quotes from that book concern the priesthood:

To love God and not revere the priest—this is not possible.

Like the good sons of Noah, cover the weakness you may see in your father, the priests, with a cloak of charity.

A Priest, whoever he may be, is another Christ.

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

deogratias:

1. Active and Conscious Participation - how often do we hear people talk about active participation and think it limited to hand clapping, singing and other external actions. This section deals with what it is and what is expected of us and what is not.

Does this mean that there is only one way or several ways to partake of the Mass? I think it means both. But those differences have to be allowable and spelled out by Rome and not the innovation or creative changes made by individual priests or liturgists.

I have long said why does everybody “gotta have a job”. …

We all have the job of active participating with our entire mind and soul on the mass, joining our prayers to those spoken by the priest, listening and meditating on the readings and homily, offering Jesus to the Father, as well as singing and receiving the Eucharist (when allowed).

Our participation is primarily spiritual, then mental, and then physical.

I speak about it in my meditation “Getting the Most out of Mass”

 

[deogratias]

Our participation is primarily spiritual, then mental, and then physical.

This is how I understood it before Vatican II and this is how I understand it now as well.

I will try to read your paper. Another good book on the subject is Understanding the Mass by Charles Belmonte who is an Opus Dei Priest.

 

[deogratias]

I think I forgot to respond that I had read your very good paper.

 

[Panis_Angelicas]

I have long said why does everybody “gotta have a job”. It seems to have been interpreted that this is so and so we have an abundance of high profile jobs, EMHC’s, Readers, Liturgists, etc. but probably not too many offering to polish the pews and clean the toilets

This is definitely the mindset in our parish. (And there is a group of ladies who do the church cleaning, but they are getting old and complain that it is time for us “younger” ones to step in. If I do anything physically “active” in my parish, it’s helping out the old gals, on occasion.)

 

[Panis_Angelicas]

I’m off to read T.A.Stobie, SFO’s meditation!!! :yup:

 

[Guy]

In our classes on symbol and ritual, and on the Constitution on the Sacred Litugy (Sacrosanctum Concillium), one thing that is repeatedly told us and is the philosophy of our bishop is that we are to worship intentionally which is the meaning of full active and conscious participation in the liturgy. That means we are to fully understand the symbolism of the Mass and ingtellegently participate in its rites.

 

[LaVada]

Oh, Guy -
When you finish your studies could we borrow you for Southern Arizona? Yes, Yes, know “what” one is doing, know “what” one is praying and most importantly to WHOM one is addressing one’s prayers. One must realize that one is participating in Christ’s offering of Himself to the Father at The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass! We are supposed to offer ourselves also. The way things are going “all” will be scurrying about in the Sanctuary with no one in the pews. Maybe that is their point. How sad.
Mary, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us.
Peace on earth to men of good will.
LaVada

 

[Fast_ed75]

“active participation,” as modernists see it, is the busy-ness of engaging in behaviors that are “fun,” not rooted in our liturgical purposes and heritage, and, especially, which usurp the priest’s role and detract from the Mystery of Faith.

 

[deogratias]

LaVada - do you live in that Diocese that is about to go bankrupt ?

 

[deogratias]

And all this “active” participation serves to distract to the point where any “active internal participation” becomes impossible.

 

[Panis_Angelicas]

Yes! It is almost impossible to focus interiorly with all of the external stimuli and distractions, with people greeting you the moment you enter, others parading back and forth from pew to altar during Mass, neighbors grabbing your hands during prayer, celebrant cracking jokes during the homily and instructing the faithful to applaud the performers at the end, and hardly ever a moment of silent meditation…:nope:

It is really a struggle to keep oneself interiorly fixed upon Jesus Christ with all the commotion.

 

[redkim]

Deo:

It seems you are reading my mind lately! Having just bought the Fr. Lasance New Roman Missal for the TLM, I am reading it, nay, studying it.

It’s a mind opener for me, because I was always told that Vat.II opened up laity participation in the Mass.

Not so, according to my Missal. This Missal is from 1945. Fr. Lasance constantly tells us how we assist at Mass, through saying and praying the Mass along with the priest. I can think of no better way to assist at Mass than praying with the priest. And I am an EMHC (or whatever it is we are being called today!)

Also, the term “celebrant” is not new to Vat.II as I have been told.

 

[deogratias]

Yes indeed and I think I have posted something to this effect in other threads. The faithful who assist at Mass are participants in the offering no less than the priest who offers it. The Priest is the representative of the people during the Mass and as you said the fourfold purpose of the Sacrifice - adoration, thanksgiving, atonement and impetration.

More than the external active participation assistance depends upon the interior disposition of our souls and an understanding of the outward forms or the rite of the Mass. The more clearly we understand the “why” of the liturgical forms, the more actively (albeit silently) we can participate.

You have chosen a good Missal - I still have my mother’s copy of Fr. LaSances prayer book which has the order of the Mass but not the propers. It has many prayers that I love to read also.

I think I have posted before that there is no better or more correct way to assist at Mass (especially TLM) than by the use of the Missal. In this manner we can follow each action of the priest, quietly recite with him precisely the same prayers and thus identify ourselves with our divine Lord, who is there and then acting as the Priest. By using the Missal we not only enter into the spirit and meaning of the Sacrifice, but also accompany every part iwth the wrods which the voice of the Church declared suited for this purpose.

Perhaps then, like now, people did not receive the proper catachesis to allow them to participate in this way and they though verbal participation might promote more active participation but more than just saying the words is required to actively participate in the sacrifice of the Mass.