Yesterday I went to Mass at my local church which I've been avoiding whenever possible over the last few months. It occurred to me when Mass was over, after the liturgical abuses I had noticed this time around, that I really was at Calvary again in a more real way than normal. Though, rather than actively calling for Our Lord's death, most of the people and the priest seemed indifferent to what the sacrifice actually meant.
The mandatory hello, how are you right after the processional hymn and before Mass "officially" starts I find disrupts the start of Mass from being something prayerful to being something focussed on the community.
The encouragement for the congregation to say "Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever." That is the Priest's part alone.
For the first time yesterday, I noticed the Priest purposely left out his part after the Our Father and went onto the part when the congregation responds. There was slight confusion as people weren't ready to say their part until the Priest had said his, but since he lead the words, everyone eventually joined in.
The mandatory hello, how are you right after the processional hymn and before Mass "officially" starts I find disrupts the start of Mass from being something prayerful to being something focussed on the community.
The encouragement for the congregation to say "Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever." That is the Priest's part alone.
For the first time yesterday, I noticed the Priest purposely left out his part after the Our Father and went onto the part when the congregation responds. There was slight confusion as people weren't ready to say their part until the Priest had said his, but since he lead the words, everyone eventually joined in.