I remember those days, we sat there and had no idea what the devil was being said, etc. etc.
That's not my experience. I used to follow along in my prayer book and knew exactly what was going on. It's not like they didn't say the same thing Sunday after Sunday. The mass is scripted, after all. You might not understand it the first time you go but it wasn't long after I learned to read that I understood it. And I can still recite chunks of it.
To me, the Catholic Church's major weakness as it is is that it doesnt involve the PEOPLE enough in its services.
I understand that argument. But I think that's a matter of personal taste. Maybe it's an extrovert/introvert thing. That change occurred very soon after I left the Church. Had I not already left, that would have been enough to drive me out. The first time they made me turn around and shake hands, I would have been gone. The stained glass, the chanting, the organ, the ritual make for a stunning spiritual experience. It was uplifting, majestic, heroic. Now the only way to get that feeling of the juxtaposition of smallness and majesty is by standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon. <g>
If you're going to do it in English, you might as well be a Presbyterian, IMO.
If they started holding the old fashioned services, I might actually go. Not that my beliefs would change, mind you, but I'd be willing to pay them for a seat and the spiritual stimulus. |
