I am truly enjoying our classes. What began as a puzzle to me, is steadily becoming clear.
My prayer is simple
O merciful and loving Father, who awaits quietly and faithfully, always close to us, ready to steady our hearts and minds
You sent us your only Son out of pure love for us, for our salvation
And to restore our souls with your peace and grace so we can trust the path you have set for us.
May Jesus, our savior, guide us each day on our journey of life.
The ritual flow of my parish is different at every mass, but the foundation is basically the same. My mass the 11 am in the Gathering Hall.
This sacred space for me is without the usual environment of Stations of the Cross, Sacristy, narthex, Tabernacle, but it is inviting, the presence of God is truly felt once the mass begins. I have always been drawn to the richness of our Catholic faith, for example, from the first procession to the dismissal by the priest. I do not feel that the rituals are too rigid. It is only when the person or persons become too rigid in implementing the rituals that the ritual is disrupted. The presence of God is lost or overshadowed. What I mean specifically is this, each mass, at times has little “hiccups” that can disrupt the flow.
How these disruptions are handled by the coordinators of the mass is key in keeping a prayerful and grace filled mass. Besides, if the missal is not at the appropriate place for some reason, a paten is missing, this can be fixed in a quick and quiet manner.
For me, anything having to do with incense makes me a little uncomfortable, but that is my own lack of confidence. The ritual itself is beautiful, especially now that someone from my parish has enlightened me to the key points of using incense. The smoke is a prayer to heaven, the smell of the incense and the soft clicking of the chain holding the thurible all combined set up an experience of sacred ritual.
Our class in designing ritual comes at a key period in my own parish as the worship coordinators for the 11am have steppped down leaving a big hole. They were usually the sole leaders at this mass for many years. Having to fill in at the last minute as sacristan, Eucharistic minister, or lector because people were too shy to sign up. Yes, the mass did happen, but there were moments of anxiety before and during the mass. Thankfully, over the past few days, a few parishioners have stepped up to set up a Yahoo group where set schedules will be placed to list, a month before, who will be on for which volunteer spot, such as lector, worship coordinator and Eucharistic minister, greeter, and usher. I am so grateful for this opportunity to implement what I have learned. A truly teaching experience.
What I enjoy about the Mass is the peace and grace I feel listening to the readings, saying the prayers, and singing. What I do not enjoy and what pushes me away is the attitude some people express when things go wrong. If the communion lines start going in the opposite directions for some reason it is not the end of the world, the key is that every one invited to partake in receiving the sacred Body and Blood can. Certainly you would not want this to happen every week, but what is important is that each individual received in a sacred manner.
Music is very important to me, and it is another form of praying. I feel more comfortable practicing the songs beforehand to prepare, just as I would if I were a lector proclaiming the Word. It enhances the spirituality of the mass for me. I believe more singing during the mass makes it more spiritual.
I personally feel being a coordinator for a large mass is an honor, where I am a part of a sacred celebration, but not the center of attention. In a smaller group, I prefer a calm, and peaceful celebration. I look forward to learning how to celebrate these different settings appropriately.