"Sorry, but I believe that a good worship service should be based on Word of God (Bible) than a ritualistic one, no offense meant!" replied the receptionist to my query on the nearest Catholic Church in the new place (where I came for job interview). I felt happy at her openness towards the WOG and tried to share in few sentences about how I agree with her and how 5years back I started finding meaning in Holy Mass and ever since never willfully tried to miss daily mass. Soon I left for the nearest church (she gave me the directions:)) pondering on the oft repeated question of why Catholic mass is boring while protestant worship services are so vibrant? Ok, before answering this, let me take a detour here.
It's pin drop silence…the priest walks in solemnly and starts the holy mass…during the time of response the church is silent…first reading..responsorial psalm…even after repeated exhortation from the reader, there is only silent mumbling…priest takes up the role of responding…people wore solemn faces and looks blank…they seemed determined to be mute spectators or silent observers!!
The above scene is from the daily 5pm Holy Mass which I used to participate in my college chapel. The fact that hardly 10-15 comes to fill up a 300 capacity church only adds to the 'thickness' of silence during the Holy Mass. If we want to excuse ourselves (or justify!) saying this s a week day mass even the situation on Sunday mass is not different - pull out the church choir and stop distributing the missalette - u will be left with a church full of silent worshippers! After all someone has said – "Silence is the mother tongue of God"!!
So whom should we blame? The Catholic church (read bishops/priests) or the congregation (baptized Catholics)? As usual I went in search (read google) on what the church has to say about active participation in Holy Mass:
The first chapter of Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (promulgated by the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council) explains the meaning of active participation by the faithful in the sacred liturgy: "Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as 'a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people' (1 Pt 2:9; cf. 2:4-5), is their right and duty by reason of their baptism. … for it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit" (14).The faithful are encouraged to participate so that: "when the Church prays or sings or acts, the faith of those taking part is nourished and their minds are raised to God, so that they may offer Him their rational service and more abundantly receive his grace" (33). The assembled faithful, then, should not just be at Mass … as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action, conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration" (33).
"If you wish to participate in the Mass actively, you must follow with your eye, heart and mouth all that happens on the altar. - Pope Saint Pius X
Keywords: fully conscious, active participation, right and duty by reason of baptism, faith is nourished, minds are raised to God, abundantly receive grace, devotion & full collaboration, follow with eye, heart & mouth and finally through a good understanding of the rites & prayers.
For me this seems to be the root cause – a lack of good understanding of the rites and prayers, of what is happening in the Eucharistic celebration. Most of us seem to be clueless on what is happening on the altar. If we fully understand that we are transposed to the Calvary heights, (oh yea tats what happens every time we offer mass for it's a perpetual once for all sacrifice!) to the foot of the cross; heavens open up and Jesus is truly substantially coming down as flesh and blood to make us co heirs with him, little could we afford to stay inactive or praise-less! Shouts of joy and praises will rise up, not murmurs and whispers because it's a Feast not Funeral!
P.S:- On a lighter note, when I gets frustrated with no response to the responsorial psalm; I would imagine the words of Jesus turning real - "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." (Luke 19:40) :)
