Which Liturgy does more for you

[jonnyws]

Out of these three liturgies aids your spirituality the most?

 

[Trishie]

The Mass is the Mass. The cental reality of the Mass transcends every Liturgy. It’s power and grace and reality should be our focus, is my unshakeable belief.

“Jesus took some bread, and when He had said the blessing He broke it and gave it to His disciples. ‘Take it and eat,’ He said ‘this is My body.’ Then He took a cup, and when He had returned thanks, He gave it to them. ‘Drink all of you from this,’ He said, for this is My blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” [Matthew 26:26-28]

“The One that offers Sacrifice is the same One who, after having sacrificed himself on the Cross…to obtain for us eternal redemption…offers Himself now by the ministry of the priest; there is no difference except in the manner of offering.” [Council of Trent, S. 22, c.2]

 

[Trishie]

We can get oursevles full of concern about Liturgy… the Mass is like the essential person, the life, to uses an analogy…and that wonderful person shouldn’t be lost in perceptions like how it should be presented, and whether the person should wear their hair in a certain way, and so on, so long as the person presents with respect and honour and goodness. We love and honour the person in my analogy, but how they wear their hair etc is details.
It is the person who matters, the essential soul, just as what the Mass really is, is what should be and is my focus.

“The Eucharistic Sacrifice is the source and summit of the whole of the Church’s worship and of Christian life. The faithful participate more fully in the sacrament of thanksgiving, propitiation, petition and praise not only when they wholeheartedly offer the sacred Victim, and in it themselves to the Father with the priest, but also when they receive this same Victim sacramentally.” [Vatican 2]

“The other sacraments, as indeed every ministry of the church and every work of the apostolate, are linked with the Eucharist and are directed towards it. For the Eucharist contains the entire spiritual good of the Church, namely, Christ Himself, our Passover and living bread, offering through His flesh, living and life-giving in the Spirit, life to all who are thus invited and led on to offer themselves, their labours, and all created things together with Him.” [Vatican 2.]

 

[bpbasilphx]

There is no such thing as “the Eastern Liturgy.”

There are half-a-dozen Eastern Liturgies, bearing strong differences from each other, as well as similarities, each with its own spiritual aspect.

While I’m devoted to the Byzantine liturgy, I respect and love all the authorized rites of the Church.

 

[malphono]

There is no such thing as “the Eastern Liturgy.”

There are half-a-dozen Eastern Liturgies, bearing strong differences from each other, as well as similarities, each with its own spiritual aspect.

Yes, that is quite true. And is one of the reasons why I will not vote in this poll.

 

[bpbasilphx]

Yes, that is quite true. And is one of the reasons why I will not vote in this poll.

**Same here.

Some decades ago, I took the music section of the NTE. One of the questions therein was “Which of these composers wrote a mass for the dead?” The choices were Beethoven, Brahms, Bach, and Mendelssohn.

The only correct answer was “None of the above,” as Brahms’s German Requiem is NOT a mass for the dead.

But I had to answer “Brahms,” as that was the answer apparently wanted.**

 

[rad]

Some decades ago, I took the music section of the NTE. One of the questions therein was “Which of these composers wrote a mass for the dead?” The choices were Beethoven, Brahms, Bach, and Mendelssohn.

The only correct answer was “None of the above,” as Brahms’s German Requiem is NOT a mass for the dead.

Brahm’s Mass is a “Missa pro Defunctis” - a Mass for the Defunct.

 

[Eucharisted]

The Mass is the Mass. The cental reality of the Mass transcends every Liturgy. It’s power and grace and reality should be our focus, is my unshakeable belief.

“Jesus took some bread, and when He had said the blessing He broke it and gave it to His disciples. ‘Take it and eat,’ He said ‘this is My body.’ Then He took a cup, and when He had returned thanks, He gave it to them. ‘Drink all of you from this,’ He said, for this is My blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” [Matthew 26:26-28]

“The One that offers Sacrifice is the same One who, after having sacrificed himself on the Cross…to obtain for us eternal redemption…offers Himself now by the ministry of the priest; there is no difference except in the manner of offering.” [Council of Trent, S. 22, c.2]

My thoughts exactly!

 

[Diak]

I personally do not like the term “does more for you” as this reduces the liturgical experience to a seemingly emotional state. I have had very enriching experiences approaching the Mysteries in several particular ritual traditions of the Church, both East and West.

 

[bpbasilphx]

**
I personally do not like the term “does more for you” as this reduces the liturgical experience to a seemingly emotional state.**

**Well put, Diak.

A Protestant lady once attended Vespers in an Orthodox Church. Afterwards, she said, “The only thing I understood about the serves was that it was decidedly NOT about me.”**

 

[jonnyws]

**
I personally do not like the term “does more for you” as this reduces the liturgical experience to a seemingly emotional state.**

**Well put, Diak.

A Protestant lady once attended Vespers in an Orthodox Church. Afterwards, she said, “The only thing I understood about the serves was that it was decidedly NOT about me.”**

Sorry about this, the question I actually meant to imply was ‘Out of these three liturgies aids your spirituality the most?’

I suppose I should have worded it as: ‘Out of these three styles of liturgical worship which one are you more spiritually in tune with and which one allows you to maintain a deep sense of spirituality throughout your daily life?’

 

[Aramis]

The whole issue of the question is one of one’s own state… for me, for example, I know that there is the same grace in any of the three liturgies. But they each approach imparting theology differently, and the lesson as well in the Lit. of the Word.

Each has merits. I derive more benefit from the Byzantine Liturgy, not in terms of Grace, but in terms of education and edification, which thus allows me to benefit more from the grace imparted.

My mom, however, benefits more from the Latin NO. She gets lost in the BDL, being unable to extract the teaching from the liturgy.

Each varies, and while each is equal in dignity and grace, each teaches by different methods.

 

[malphono]

The whole issue of the question is one of one’s own state… for me, for example, I know that there is the same grace in any of the three liturgies. But they each approach imparting theology differently …

Each has merits. I derive more benefit from the Byzantine Liturgy, not in terms of Grace, but in terms of education and edification, which thus allows me to benefit more from the grace imparted. …

Each varies, and while each is equal in dignity and grace, each teaches by different methods.

Nicely said, Aramis. I was trying to find the right turn of phrase, but everything I came up with just didn’t capture what I wanted to convey. This pretty much does.

 

[jimmy]

The Mass is the Mass. The cental reality of the Mass transcends every Liturgy. It’s power and grace and reality should be our focus, is my unshakeable belief.

So the liturgy doesn’t matter? What about clown masses (I reallize that it’s an abuse)? Are they still the same?