What have you learned from the liturgy?

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The_Reginator

The_Reginator

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What have you learned from assisting at Mass?
We can learn through the liturgy, not just from a sermon.
When I was able to assist at a Traditional Latin Mass I was surprised that we knelt during the Creed for:
“… Who, for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven. (Here all kneel.) AND BECAME INCARNATE BY THE HOLY GHOST OF THE VIRGIN MARY: AND WAS MADE MAN. …”
I had always thought that we would kneel when we mention Jesus’ death (and resurrection). To kneel for His incarnation made me realize what an incredible thing it is for God to become one of us! That came after almost 40 years as a Christian.
What have others learned from the sacred liturgy?
 
i have learned the beauty of Jesus Christ in every person and every piece of creation, no matter how small!.

i have learned of His infinite compassion, that He would invite me, a lowly sinner, to His Eternal Banquet in Heaven!!

Ecce Agnus Dei, Ecce Qui tollis Peccatta Mundi, Beati Quiat Chenum Agni Vocati Sunt (This is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO ARE CALLED TO HIS SUPPER.)

Every time i hear this during the Sacred Liturgy i cry!!!

(i apologize for butchering the Latin)

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark
 
There is so much to be learned from the liturgy that one cannot plumb its entire depths in a lifetime.

But, here are some thoughts just the same.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, properly celebrated, is the Church’s greatest act of worship. We need to remember that the liturgy is not our own personal property; it is the Church’s greatest treaure.

It also unites heaven and earth. The entire Church comes together at Mass. It is not just the warm bodies in the pews, but, the saints and the souls in purgatory also join us at every Mass. Just read the various prefaces to the Eucharistic prayers. It is astounding. As such, the Mass also prepares us for the eternal nuptial banquet of the Lamb and His bride (the Church), as evidenced in the Book of Revelation (perhaps the most misunderstood book in the Bible).

It also lifts the veil between time and space. At every Mass, we become mystically present at the entire paschal Mystery (not just the incarnation, but the Last Supper, the Passion, the Death and the Resurrection of our Lord). We are just as much there as were the Blessed Mother, the Apostles and St. Mary Magdalene. That is something that perhaps should be stressed more.

The Mass is also the most biblically-based form of worship. Virtually every aspect of the Mass takes its form and cue from the Bible. The sacrificial aspect is the perfect fulfilment of the temple sacrifice that foreshadowed it. The vestments, the importance of gold vessels, incense, the altar and the implements have their roots in Deuteronomy. The Mass is, thus, deeply rooted in both Sacred Scripture and Tradition.
 
benedictgal said:
There is so much to be learned from the liturgy that one cannot plumb its entire depths in a lifetime.

But, here are some thoughts just the same.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, properly celebrated, is the Church’s greatest act of worship. We need to remember that the liturgy is not our own personal property; it is the Church’s greatest treaure.

It also unites heaven and earth. The entire Church comes together at Mass. It is not just the warm bodies in the pews, but, the saints and the souls in purgatory also join us at every Mass. Just read the various prefaces to the Eucharistic prayers. It is astounding. As such, the Mass also prepares us for the eternal nuptial banquet of the Lamb and His bride (the Church), as evidenced in the Book of Revelation (perhaps the most misunderstood book in the Bible).

It also lifts the veil between time and space. At every Mass, we become mystically present at the entire paschal Mystery (not just the incarnation, but the Last Supper, the Passion, the Death and the Resurrection of our Lord). We are just as much there as were the Blessed Mother, the Apostles and St. Mary Magdalene. That is something that perhaps should be stressed more.

The Mass is also the most biblically-based form of worship. Virtually every aspect of the Mass takes its form and cue from the Bible. The sacrificial aspect is the perfect fulfilment of the temple sacrifice that foreshadowed it. The vestments, the importance of gold vessels, incense, the altar and the implements have their roots in Deuteronomy. The Mass is, thus, deeply rooted in both Sacred Scripture and Tradition.
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👍
I think I’ll be re-reading your post a few times. Well written!
 
Oh, I love read the words in the thread,
Oh, praise be Jesus Christ! :angel1::gopray:
Hosanna! Hosanna!

Our kind and merciful Redeemer!
Please give your people peace that the world can not give!
 
The_Reginator said:
What have you learned from assisting at Mass?
We can learn through the liturgy, not just from a sermon.
When I was able to assist at a Traditional Latin Mass **I was surprised that we knelt **during the Creed for:
“… Who, for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven. (Here all kneel.) AND BECAME INCARNATE BY THE HOLY GHOST OF THE VIRGIN MARY: AND WAS MADE MAN. …”
I had always thought that we would kneel when we mention Jesus’ death (and resurrection). To kneel for His incarnation made me realize what an incredible thing it is for God to become one of us! That came after almost 40 years as a Christian.
What have others learned from the sacred liturgy?
Click to expand...
We bow in the OF Mass except when we kneel twice a year.
 
benedictgal said:
There is so much to be learned from the liturgy that one cannot plumb its entire depths in a lifetime.

But, here are some thoughts just the same.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, properly celebrated, is the Church’s greatest act of worship. We need to remember that the liturgy is not our own personal property; it is the Church’s greatest treaure.

It also unites heaven and earth. The entire Church comes together at Mass. It is not just the warm bodies in the pews, but, the saints and the souls in purgatory also join us at every Mass. Just read the various prefaces to the Eucharistic prayers. It is astounding. As such, the Mass also prepares us for the eternal nuptial banquet of the Lamb and His bride (the Church), as evidenced in the Book of Revelation (perhaps the most misunderstood book in the Bible).👍

It also lifts the veil between time and space. At every Mass, we become mystically present at the entire paschal Mystery (not just the incarnation, but the Last Supper, the Passion, the Death and the Resurrection of our Lord). We are just as much there as were the Blessed Mother, the Apostles and St. Mary Magdalene. That is something that perhaps should be stressed more.

The Mass is also the most biblically-based form of worship. Virtually every aspect of the Mass takes its form and cue from the Bible. The sacrificial aspect is the perfect fulfilment of the temple sacrifice that foreshadowed it. The vestments, the importance of gold vessels, incense, the altar and the implements have their roots in Deuteronomy. The Mass is, thus, deeply rooted in both Sacred Scripture and Tradition.
Click to expand...
 
The_Reginator said:
What have you learned from assisting at Mass?
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What a great question.

To begin, here’s an irony that I just can’t get over:
  • I grew up with guitar Mass and all that in the 1970s. That is to say, I am a beneficiary of post Vatican II liturgical reform: Everything in English, Priest at a table facing pews, doing his thing in plain view, etc.
  • However, I never really knew what was going on until I started going to Traditional Latin Mass.
So, now that I’m all hip to what’s happening, what have I learned lately?

Hmm. Well, here’s one: The celebration of All Saints and All Souls two days in a row last week illustrated the old idea of Church Universal pretty nicely.

ASD​

Traditional Latin Mass: Translation and Grammar
 
I’ve never assisted, but I’m sure you can learn quite a lot if you get involved. Just attending mass you learn a good deal if you pay attention. Not that I would suggest not reading the bible, but I can certainly see where if, idk you were blind and it was just easier to listen or whatever the situation might be… You might actually be able to get by your whole life, never opening the bible, and still learn the entire story of Christ in farily good depth. I’m sure you get get quite a bit more out of it if you take time out to volenteer.
 
crazzeto said:
I’ve never assisted, but I’m sure you can learn quite a lot if you get involved. Just attending mass … .
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Oops. Sorry for the confusion. I’ve gotten in the habit of using the word assisted in this forum rather than attended. Assisting at Mass happens whenever one sits in the congregation and prays the Mass with the priest.
I should have said “attended” rather than “assisted” for clarity’s sake.
 
When you actually listen to the prayers at mass sometimes a phrase will jump at at you with new meaning. I began to notice that “we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our savior Jesus Christ”. And it struck me that I wasn’t really living my life with an attitude of ‘joyful hope’. I started to pray for that and God began to change my life.
 
ASD said:
What a great question.

To begin, here’s an irony that I just can’t get over:
  • I grew up with guitar Mass and all that in the 1970s. That is to say, I am a beneficiary of post Vatican II liturgical reform: Everything in English, Priest at a table facing pews, doing his thing in plain view, etc.
  • However, I never really knew what was going on until I started going to Traditional Latin Mass.
So, now that I’m all hip to what’s happening, what have I learned lately?

Hmm. Well, here’s one: The celebration of All Saints and All Souls two days in a row last week illustrated the old idea of Church Universal pretty nicely.

ASD​

Traditional Latin Mass: Translation and Grammar
Click to expand...
I think that this is where those of us who grew up with the old mass, and really paid attention to it and prayed it, had an advantage. We already knew what was going on and, for some of us, that gave us a greater appreciation of being able to see the priest’s actions and to pray in our own language. To put down the missal and be able to watch and listen was a different way to enter into the mass.

I agree that many Catholics who grew up during the '70’s/80’s were short-changed by the liberals who implemented the changes in the liturgy in outrageous ways that had not been anticipated. I was a catechist then and stopped because I just couldn’t teach from the watered down and banal materials we were given. (I kept thinking that real doctrine was being taught at another grade level, I guess). Therefore, many young Catholics weren’t given good teaching in class or through the liturgy at that time.

Now that you are familiar with the traditional Latin mass, do you find that, when you do attend an OF mass today, you appreciate it more that you did when you were growing up (even though you may prefer the reverence of the EF)?
 
benedictgal said:
There is so much to be learned from the liturgy that one cannot plumb its entire depths in a lifetime.

But, here are some thoughts just the same.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, properly celebrated, is the Church’s greatest act of worship. We need to remember that the liturgy is not our own personal property; it is the Church’s greatest treaure.

It also unites heaven and earth. The entire Church comes together at Mass. It is not just the warm bodies in the pews, but, the saints and the souls in purgatory also join us at every Mass. Just read the various prefaces to the Eucharistic prayers. It is astounding. As such, the Mass also prepares us for the eternal nuptial banquet of the Lamb and His bride (the Church), as evidenced in the Book of Revelation (perhaps the most misunderstood book in the Bible).

It also lifts the veil between time and space. At every Mass, we become mystically present at the entire paschal Mystery (not just the incarnation, but the Last Supper, the Passion, the Death and the Resurrection of our Lord). We are just as much there as were the Blessed Mother, the Apostles and St. Mary Magdalene. That is something that perhaps should be stressed more.

The Mass is also the most biblically-based form of worship. Virtually every aspect of the Mass takes its form and cue from the Bible. The sacrificial aspect is the perfect fulfilment of the temple sacrifice that foreshadowed it. The vestments, the importance of gold vessels, incense, the altar and the implements have their roots in Deuteronomy. The Mass is, thus, deeply rooted in both Sacred Scripture and Tradition.
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Oh, absolutely! The other astonishing thing is expressed in this line from the Compendium: “In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise, their suffering, their prayers, their work, are united to those of Christ. In as much as it is a sacrifice, the Eucharist is likewise offered for all the faithful, living and dead, in reparation for the sins of all and to obtain spiritual and temporal benefits from God. The Church in heaven is also united to the offering of Christ.”

In other words, our lives, hidden in Christ through Baptism, are made part of His offering. All we do or hope to do–from the child baptized yesterday through every one of the saints and and every soul in the Body in between–is all sort of rolled up together in His death and resurrection to make this offering. It was the pleasure of God to do that, and so to look upon us and be pleased to see Him, which has been His Will and destiny for us from the foundations of the universe. Magnificent.

It is extremely touching to look upon each other person recieving Holy Communion and to realize the depth and breadth and height in which we have been united, we and every other soul in the Body. There is so much compassion to be had in that thought. And as you point out, Benedictgal, the unity with the saints…it increases the thirst to be as they were.

I also have gotten inspiration recently from this, also put so succinctly in the Compendium: “The Eucharist unfolds in two great parts which together form one, single act of worship.” In other words, the Mass is all one single, inseparable piece, each piece informing and giving depth to every other piece, so that the sum goes far beyond each part.

Amazing, astonishing, awesome.

Studying the liturgy outside the Mass highlights what is going on when we actually do it, but it is the attentive doing that drives it all home.
 
Claire_from_DE said:
I agree that many Catholics who grew up during the '70’s/80’s were short-changed by the liberals who implemented the changes in the liturgy in outrageous ways that had not been anticipated. I was a catechist then and stopped because I just couldn’t teach from the watered down and banal materials we were given. (I kept thinking that real doctrine was being taught at another grade level, I guess). Therefore, many young Catholics weren’t given good teaching in class or through the liturgy at that time.
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I was lucky to be in a parish where that didn’t happen. The liturgy was conducted and understood in a traditional spirit.

I know what you mean about the materials. Even when the information is there, it seems to be, I don’t know, so spread out as to be hidden. This is why I know about the elegant way the Compendium puts things: I went there to decide exactly which basics the kids making their First Holy Communion just had to have. I worked with our DRE to put it into language at the kids’ level, but we tried very hard to drive home those magnificent truths. Then we let the parents know where the same information could be had in the Compendium. It is very accessible, ideal for adults whose catechesis passed that over.

You can teach “Jesus Loves You” all day long, but learning about what really happens in the Mass is what puts the WOW! in it.
 
Claire_from_DE said:
Now that you are familiar with the traditional Latin mass, do you find that, when you do attend an OF mass today, you appreciate it more that you did when you were growing up (even though you may prefer the reverence of the EF)?
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I guess so, although I liked it fine then.

The problem was that I simply had no idea what was going on, as my 8th grade students now simply have no idea what’s going on.

Also, now that I know the old Mass, I’m badly distracted by ad hoc innovations, showmanship, etc, that are endemic in NO/OF.

As for current textbooks, there’s only one solution: Smile and ignore.

ASD​

Traditional Latin Mass: Translation and Grammar
 
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