What Does Catholic Mass Have to do With Fishing?

Nothing, but that is what I am writing about…

So I went to catholic Mass last year.  There was no lightening in the immediate area and I did NOT, I repeat did NOT burst into flames.

I grew up Baptist.  I converted to Catholicism several years ago. Not sure how many now.  I won’t go into the how or why of it.

The last 2 times I went to Mass were not in the states:

Dome of Koln

Once in 2002, at some point after my Daddy passed away.  It was conducted in what I call a "side chappel" in the Hohe Domkirche St. Peter and Maria (English: High Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Mary) in Koln Germany.  It is also known as Kolner Dom or the Cologne Cathedral.  Anyhow, I was amazed at how much I understood even though the whole thing was in the Latin and German languages.  That is a good day.  I needed that dayin order to help cope with the recent loss of my father. It is amazing how that whole trip helped.

I still miss him so much however.

 

Michelangelo’s Pietà

  The second time was in 2004 when my daughter and I traveled to Italy on "Roman Holiday".  We attended the Sunday Mass in Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano (Latin: Basilica Sancti Petri), officially known as Saint Peter's Basilica.  

All I can say is, while that mass was in Latin and Italian, it was the most moving Mass I have ever attended.  The chapel was packed.  We had to arrive a few hours early to make sure we could get in and be seated.  One day I will find the words to describe that experience.

 

Yes, except for the 2 above visits, I have not been to any other Masses since my Dad passed. I basically stopped when I lost him.  I went from going nearly every Sunday, even when traveling, to not attending. 

Period.

I made a last minute decision to attend Mass at a local catholic Church some months ago because I had been struggling with many things of late and I needed the continuity and tradition that the catholic Church Mass provides.  We will revisit the concept of "Continuity and Tradition" in a moment. I used to find that attending Mass would set and then re-set my emotional and mental clock for the week.  I decided I needed some group therapy with God.  I typically believe that you do not have to attend a church to commune with God, but I do feel that attending an organized event such as Mass helps keep my mind in the moment.

Enter "Continuity and Tradition"

I never liked anything but a good OLD fashion traditional Mass.  No new age, hippy, drum banging, guitar playing Masses for me.  I want some Latin in there (the more the better), choir when possible and the traditional words…

So, when I found a card in the pew outlining new words and songs integrated into the Mass, I was taken aback.  Confused.  Befuzzled.  It seems there is a new catholic Mass Missal as of November 26, 2011.  The explanation that I found when looking online?  Forty some-odd years ago, when the Latin Mass was translated into English, they apparently did a rush job and everyone knew it would be revised. 

Huh?  OK, news to me.

Apparently this new translation is closer to the Latin in both meaning and sentence structure.

They also say that Mass celebrates the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and that is not everyday stuff.  It is a profound mystery that is beyond our comprehension and that mystery is deserving of a more significant language than what we use in our everyday lives.  A deeper meaning.

I am not going to go into all the details of the changes, but instead will give you the “Click Here” link to read the changes for yourself if you are so inclined.

OK, why am I whining?  I needed the continuity and tradition and knew I would find it in the Church. 

Instead? 

More change. 

Really? 

Seriously?

  

That will teach me to take a break from organized religion…