Mystery is very important because it arouses our attention and draws us into a world beyond what we see, hear, smell, taste or touch. Sadly, the use off the vernacular in the celebration of the Holy Mass, instead of enabling deeper participation in the Sacred Liturgy caused its mystery to be reduced and even eliminated. Familiarity breeds contempt. The Sacred Liturgy, as one writer put it, has been vandalized by bishops and priests who view the Holy Mass as theirs to do with it what they want by adding and subtracting bits and pieces of their own to it. This has seriously diminished the reverence and solemnity that the celebration of the Holy Mass deserves. The Holy Mass belongs to Jesus - it is His Mass. But many bishops and clergy view it as if it were theirs and treat it as something to be finished quickly so the people, as I heard a priest say, "aren't kept too long." The implication is that the Holy Mass isn't worth very much of our time. The Catholic maxim of Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi, Lex Agendi helps us understand why the lack of reverence and solemnity afforded to the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass today, especially in the celebration of the Novus Ordo, reflects a Faith that has become so watered down and demystified by many clergy and laity. This maxim teaches us that as we worship so we believe, and as we believe so we live, and as we act. When the act of worship is deprived of its solemnity and the honour due to God's Word and Real Presence our Faith becomes weakened, our life becomes a chore, and our actions become selfish. The Catholic Faith cannot be renewed unless the the reverence, solemnity, and mystery of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is restored.
Where there is reverence, respect and the righteous fear of the Lord, the Holy Spirit will always abide, where there is none of those things, it will not abide and all that will be left is a yawning chasm which the Adversary will quickly fill. You can see the fruits of both these things in this study.
Mystery is very important because it arouses our attention and draws us into a world beyond what we see, hear, smell, taste or touch. Sadly, the use off the vernacular in the celebration of the Holy Mass, instead of enabling deeper participation in the Sacred Liturgy caused its mystery to be reduced and even eliminated. Familiarity breeds contempt. The Sacred Liturgy, as one writer put it, has been vandalized by bishops and priests who view the Holy Mass as theirs to do with it what they want by adding and subtracting bits and pieces of their own to it. This has seriously diminished the reverence and solemnity that the celebration of the Holy Mass deserves. The Holy Mass belongs to Jesus - it is His Mass. But many bishops and clergy view it as if it were theirs and treat it as something to be finished quickly so the people, as I heard a priest say, "aren't kept too long." The implication is that the Holy Mass isn't worth very much of our time. The Catholic maxim of Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi, Lex Agendi helps us understand why the lack of reverence and solemnity afforded to the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass today, especially in the celebration of the Novus Ordo, reflects a Faith that has become so watered down and demystified by many clergy and laity. This maxim teaches us that as we worship so we believe, and as we believe so we live, and as we act. When the act of worship is deprived of its solemnity and the honour due to God's Word and Real Presence our Faith becomes weakened, our life becomes a chore, and our actions become selfish. The Catholic Faith cannot be renewed unless the the reverence, solemnity, and mystery of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is restored.
Consistent with my experience.
Where there is reverence, respect and the righteous fear of the Lord, the Holy Spirit will always abide, where there is none of those things, it will not abide and all that will be left is a yawning chasm which the Adversary will quickly fill. You can see the fruits of both these things in this study.