Papal Mass at St. Patricks

Deacon Ed B · #1 Apr 19, '08, 10:17 am

I know the opinions on the mass at Nationals stadium are all over the board. Our Holy Father has now completed the mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. How about some discussion on it. What are your opinions.
Prayers & Blessings
Deacon Ed B

chrisb · #2 Apr 19, '08, 10:45 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deacon Ed B

I know the opinions on the mass at Nationals stadium are all over the board. Our Holy Father has now completed the mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. How about some discussion on it. What are your opinions.
Prayers & Blessings
Deacon Ed B

Grace and Peace Rev. Ed,

I must admit that it appealed to me more than the Liturgy at Nationals Stadium. Much more traditional and yet the majority took Communion in the Hand.

Of course I recently attended an Eastern Orthodox Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts at a local Orthodox Mission House-Church and I found it to be profoundly more reverent than anything we in the West do in our modern liturgy.

What was sad is that this Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts is from our own Blessed Pope Gregory yet I must go to an Eastern Orthodox Parish to attend in our own day.

**brotherhrolf** · #3 Apr 19, '08, 11:00 am

Deacon Ed: Had the Holy Father come to our cathedral, we wold have greeted him similarly. There was nothing in today's Mass that I would not have heard at my own cathedral.

I do have to admit that because of my age that I was reduced to tears by the recessional.

anamchara · #4 Apr 19, '08, 11:12 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deacon Ed B

I know the opinions on the mass at Nationals stadium are all over the board. Our Holy Father has now completed the mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. How about some discussion on it. What are your opinions.
Prayers & Blessings
Deacon Ed B

Hi Deacon Ed, I am actually watcing it now.

It's very lovely. I am just happy the Pope is here so it doesn't matter to me what the music is. I know many would like to have this sort of Mass every Sunday in thier parishes. I would love it now and again but I wouldn't like it every Sunday. This was a Mass for clerics and religious only?

Someone quoted his homily, I love the way he discribed the stain glass windows.

Fergal · #5 Apr 19, '08, 11:39 am

I have to say that following the Holy Father's visit to your country has filled me with many emotions. I sometimes think I am loosing touch with reality. I am filled with immense joy yet profound disappointment in that he has visited you so many times whilst he as only visited Ireland once in 1979. How I wish he would come and walk amongst us once again......

I am in awe and very moved by the wonderful news he is bringing with him and the way in which he humbly yet convincingly imparts it to all. I am in awe at how all are receiving him and how all speak so highly and so lovingly of our Pastor of the Universal Church.

I know I share with you all wonderful feelings as we watch / listen / read about all he has to say and all he is doing. These feeling we all share is certainly a sign that we are all being filled with grace as he goes about being a pilgrim for Christ.

Believe you me, these are grace filled days. These are Tabor moments. Let us be thankful to God, returning as did Peter, James and John to our realities with heart and mind renewed.

JReducation · #6 Apr 19, '08, 11:48 am

I believe it was a beatiful celebration of the liturgy, the music, homily and the participation of the faithful.

I can't see such a mass being celebrated in my parish very often, as it requires a great deal of planning and many hands. In our parish we have seven masses every SundaY. But I also believe that this is the ideal and that slowly you work toward the ideal. You can't get there over night.

Besides the liturgy, I was also very impressed by the integration between the traditional and the new. I saw Sisters and Nuns in tradtional habits, modified habits, and no habit. What was beautiful to me was that they are all part of the same Body of Christ, celebrating the same Eucharistic sacrifice with the clergy.

Some people may point out why Mother Seton's Sister's of Charity were allowed to read one of the readings or one of the prayers of the faithful, without a veil, not knowing that Mother Seton never wore one.

This is what makes the Eucharist such a beautiful mystery, that it brings together every man and woman into communion with Christ and the Church without judgement.

I believe this mass at St. Patricks brough together people who have given their lives to God in many different ways without judgement. On the contrary, the Holy Father's sermon emphasized how they are such a vital part of the Church with their individual charisms and ministries.

The mass did was it was meant to do at many levels.

JR

Deacon Ed B · #7 Apr 19, '08, 11:49 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by anamchara

This was a Mass for clerics and religious only?

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that the mass at Nationals stadium was for the laity, and the mass today at St. Patrick's was for the Bishops, Priests and Deacons and all religious. At least that was the impression I got.
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B

Volodymyr 988 · #8 Apr 19, '08, 11:52 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisb

Grace and Peace Rev. Ed,

I must admit that it appealed to me more than the Liturgy at Nationals Stadium. Much more traditional and yet the majority took Communion in the Hand.

Of course I recently attended an Eastern Orthodox Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts at a local Orthodox Mission House-Church and I found it to be profoundly more reverent than anything we in the West do in our modern liturgy.

What was sad is that this Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts is from our own Blessed Pope Gregory yet I must go to an Eastern Orthodox Parish to attend in our own day.

Chris,

Go to an Eastern Catholic parish, they have the same Liturgies.

Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified is also what Western Catholics do on Good Friday. The form is different, of course.

Volodka

JReducation · #9 Apr 19, '08, 12:33 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deacon Ed B

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that the mass at Nationals stadium was for the laity, and the mass today at St. Patrick's was for the Bishops, Priests and Deacons and all religious. At least that was the impression I got.
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B

Rev. Deacon:

You are correct. The liturgy at St. Patrick's Cathedral was by invitation only to clerics and religious.

In fact, prior to leaving the Vatican the Holy Father dispense religious from their papal enclosures so that they could participate. As we all know, cloistered religious never leave the papal enclosure, not even for a Pope, unless they have permission from the local ordinary or the Pope himself.

Event he women whom we saw in secular clothes were women religioius.

I was impressed to see such a large group of Deacons. I imagine that they came from many parts of the country. I can't imagine NY having that many permanent deacons. It was very clear that permanent deacons had priority over transitional deacons when it came to tickets.

There were also Secular Orders such as Secular Franciscans, Secular Carmelites, Secular Dominicians, Benedictine Oblates and Secular Institutes. The mass was for those who are either in Holy Orders or who are Consecrated by vows.

JR

Eliza10 · #10 Apr 19, '08, 12:55 pm

Is it possible to view this Mass on the internet? Or will any of the major TV channels broadcast it? We have only basic channels, and I'd like to see it.

My eleven-year-old and I were just at St. Patricks the day before yesterday, visiting! (We would have preferred to visit St. Pat's after our Pope had been there to bless it, if it were possible for us.) We had taken a train in to see some New York sights and St. Patricks was our first stop.

It was wonderful to see it. So beautiful! An oasis of peace in the midst of the busy metropolis. What a witness! I don't know if there is perpetual adoration, but there was Adoration in the stunning Lady Chapel, situated behind the altar, while we were there.

After watching our Pope's arrival on television that night, I was so happy and so peaceful as I was falling asleep. I realized I felt that way because of knowing that this night our Pope was sleeping in our country, blessing us and praying for us! And with him also are his bands of angels and Saints, praying for him and for us.

JReducation · #11 Apr 19, '08, 12:59 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eliza10

Is it possible to view this Mass on the internet? Or will any of the major TV channels broadcast it? We have only basic channels, and I'd like to see it.

My eleven-year-old and I were just at St. Patricks the day before yesterday, visiting! (We would have preferred to visit St. Pat's after our Pope had been there to bless it, if it were possible for us.) We had taken a train in to see some New York sights and St. Patricks was our first stop.

It was wonderful to see it. So beautiful! An oasis of peace in the midst of the busy metropolis. What a witness! I don't know if there is perpetual adoration, but there was Adoration in the stunning Lady Chapel, situated behind the altar, while we were there.

After watching our Pope's arrival on television that night, I was so happy and so peaceful as I was falling asleep. I realized I felt that way because of knowing that this night our Pope was sleeping in our country, blessing us and praying for us! And with him also are his bands of angels and Saints, praying for him and for us.

I'm wondering if either youtube or ewtn.com would have it.

JR

KevinAK · #12 Apr 19, '08, 1:06 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by JReducation

I'm wondering if either youtube or ewtn.com would have it.

JR

Ewtn.com does have it.They are going to make several of the events available on DVD.

Fox News Channel carried the Mass live this morning as well.

**mercygate** · #13 Apr 19, '08, 1:11 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deacon Ed B

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that the mass at Nationals stadium was for the laity, and the mass today at St. Patrick's was for the Bishops, Priests and Deacons and all religious. At least that was the impression I got.
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B

It was for Clergy and Religious only. I thought it was delicious on all fronts. The sad part is that the Clergy get the good stuff while the laity are tossed the stuff that was mounted in D.C.

Ah well. I've been Catholic long enough (7 years) to know that the laity tend to respond very well to the pop-rock-folk stuff and are for the most part completely estranged from -- not to say alienated by -- the great Traditions of Catholic worship and culture.

Deacon Ed B · #14 Apr 19, '08, 1:20 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercygate

It was for Clergy and Religious only. I thought it was delicious on all fronts. The sad part is that the Clergy get the good stuff while the laity are tossed the stuff that was mounted in D.C.
.

Remember that the efficacious merit of each mass was infinite, i.e., equal, as there are no degrees in infiniteness.
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B

JReducation · #15 Apr 19, '08, 1:31 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercygate

It was for Clergy and Religious only. I thought it was delicious on all fronts. The sad part is that the Clergy get the good stuff while the laity are tossed the stuff that was mounted in D.C.

That is a very unfair statement. The Eucharist is the same regardless of the art involved in the liturgy. To have the successor of Peter and the Vicar of Christ preside over the liturgy is in itself a magnificent blessing.

One must also remember, that a liturgical celebration presided by a Pope requires many hands and thousands of house of preparation. You're not going to get perfection all the time. It's Murphy's law. If something can go wrong, it will.

Focus on the Holy Father's messages instead of the liturgy at DC.

1. Unity of Christians
2. Role of the USA in the world
3. The respoonsibilities of the UN to human rights
4. The connection between Jews and Christians
5. The sexual abuse scandal
6. The place of people with disabilities in the Church
7. The education of seminarians
8. Catholic education
9. The contributions of Americans to the Catholic Church
10. The vitality that religiious life brings to the Church

I think that this visit has covered more ecclessioilogy than many other papal visits. Let's ger stuck the the liturgy, which while it is the apex of Christian prayer, it is still part of the a greater mystery called the Church. What makes liturgy prayer is Word of God, the Eucharist and the life of prayer of those participating in the liturgy.

Liturgy always points the way to charity, not to self-pity or complaining.

JR