enlighten me

[vivshaun]

Hi & Praise the Lord

One thing about the Catholic church is that we take our faith 4 granted. Even I was a victim of this......

at our local parish (here n uae) during gospel i feel there is something missing. even though what the fr. preaches something good and is according to the WORD i believe there lacks that certain charima to really invoke the feelings and the faith of the parishners. during his preaching i feel and see that people r just waiting for his word to finish.

another thing is that i c that there is a 'mass exodus' 2 receive communion and i feel that most of them r not even prepared 4 the same in the sense of going 4 confession and being prepared to receive the holy ghost. even my wife would do the same until i said this was not the right way... she then went 4 confession and then was prepared 2 receive communion.

i really would need some clarifications on these ... do i only feel this or do rest of the people also feel the same. ... or AM I BEING TOO JUDGEMENTAL ABOUT OTHERS.

a clarification wuld def help ..... help help  

god bless
vivian menezes

[Melody]

Hi Vivian,

This is what you've said:

(01) we take our faith 4 granted
(02) during gospel i feel there is something missing... there lacks that certain charima  (I suspect you mean homily)... people r just waiting for his word to finish
(03) 'mass exodus' 2 receive communion and i feel that most of them r not even prepared 4 the same in the sense of going 4 confession

and what you asked:

do i only feel this or do rest of the people also feel the same

I can't speak for the 'rest of the people', but I know that before I met the Lord Jesus personally, I was guilty of all three points you made.

After meeting Jesus and getting to know Him personally as my Living Saviour, my faith & the Holy Masses I went for just transformed into a wonderful new experience.

I think perhaps the reason that  ppl take their faith for granted or don't enjoy a Holy Mass is because the don't really understand the significance of it all as they probably don't have a personal relationship with Jesus.

In your case, I'm sure you don't take your faith for granted any more now that you know Jesus personally! And the fact that you explained pt 3 to your wife, shows that you don't receive Holy Communian if you feel you're unworthy.

As for the homily part (pt 2), what I suggest is:
a] Pray for your priests to be filled with the Holy Spirit
b] Try to be as attentive as possible regardless of any lack of charisma. I know that can be hard, but if you truly believe in the annointing the Lord pours upon His chosen consecrated ones and if you believe in the ability of the Lord to speak through the most unlikely instruments, then you will tune in carefully to see what the Lord is saying to you every homily.

AM I BEING TOO JUDGEMENTAL ABOUT OTHERS.

Don't worry about the fact that you may be "too judgemental" and also try not to worry too much about what other people are doing during Holy Mass - is my advice to you.

One great thing you're doing is sharing your insight with others - as you told your wife, perhaps you could gently tell your other friends. And don't forget to PRAY for your parish priests & parishioners!!! I think if we all prayed even half the amount of time we think about & talk about problems, they would be solved a LOT sooner than we imagine.

Please note all the above is only my personal point of view. I hope it helps!

Blessings,

Melody

[Rev. Eric]

Hello Vivian,

The concerns you posted touch upon an old rule in metaphysics:  something is received according to the mode of the receiver.  In other words, the preparations made towards receiving something have a bearing on how efficiently it is received.  In terms of humans, this means that we get what we are prepared to get.

The Mass always acts as a channel of grace, unless a person places some sort of obstacle.  To illustrate this, let me present the behaviors of two fictional people, Joe and Bob:

JOE
Joe goes to regular confession and he attends Mass in a state of grace.  He arrives at Mass early and spends time in quiet, private prayer.  Maybe he prays the Rosary or recites prayers from a devotional book.  Maybe he just does some spontaneous mental prayer and talks to God.

And let us also say that Joe has taken time to study the various aspects of the Mass.  He knows what the liturgical seasons are, and the themes they represent.  He knows what the prayers in the liturgy mean and why we say them.  At the beginning of Mass he concentrates on his failings as a Christian and mentally asks the Lord's forgiveness as he vocally joins the congregation in reciting the Penitential Rite.  When the Scripture passages are read, he listens attentively and prays that God will guide him through His Word.  When the gifts are brought forward, he offers his life to God as a gift.  When he receives the Eucharist, he does so with an open heart and allows himself to ponder all its wonders.  When he leaves Mass, he does so with the idea that he has been empowered by the Mass to go out and live as a true Christian, and to bear witness to his faith.

And now let us consider a fellow named Bob.  

BOB
Bob does not go to Mass every Sunday and hardly ever goes to confession.  He goes to Mass once in awhile simply to make his wife happy.  When he does go to confession, he'll say something like, "Well father, it has been over a year since my last confession and in that time I may have been impatient with people here and there, and I guess that's about it".  (Note: This is a fictional example I'm giving; I'm not breaking the seal of confession here).

Bob has forgotten all that was once taught to him concerning the Mass, and he has no interest in the rich history behind the liturgy.  While the Scriptures are being read, his mind is on the basketball game he watched last night.  During the homily, he keeps looking at his watch wondering if he will be able to get to the local restaurant before the normal lunch crowd gets there.  As a matter-of-fact, he has decided to sit right next to the exit so he can leave as soon as Mass is over.  During Mass he receives the Eucharist with all the care and consideration of a potato chip.

Even though Joe and Bob attend the exact same Mass, Joe's experience will be different from Bob's.  Joe will receive more sacramental graces than Bob will (assuming that Bob receives any at all).  To get the most out of Mass, a person should engage the liturgy with reverence, an open heart and active participation.  I have given some examples of how to do these things in my above illustration of Joe's behavior.

Nevertheless, this does not mean that people like Joe will always feel wonderful at every Mass.  Challenges will still arise from time to time.  For example, let's be honest, some priests are not very good preachers and we may find our minds wandering during homilies.  Some parishes may seem to have more energetic liturgies than others.  Nevertheless, taking time to prepare for Mass and trying to engage the liturgy with open hearts and active participation will help us to receive the most we can in terms of grace, whether we feel it or not.

God bless,
-Rev. Eric

[vivshaun]

Prasie the Lord

Very much Appreciate your comments Rev. Eric & Melody. Though even i was guilty of all that I have written about... my whole prespective regarding mass has now changed when i met the Lord...........

Rev. your xamples r 2 the point and comments noted ........... melody will change my concern for the congegration and the parish priests into a personal prayer that they may serve the lord and understand the holiness of the mass.

Much obliged Rev. Eric & Melody .......... 'I AM NOW ENLIGHTENED'

Vivian Menezes