The Latin Mass
Recently, the current pope (Pope Benedict XVI) issued a pastoral (?) letter about the plan to revert back all the masses to Latin Mass. I am all for it, for the following reasons:
1. The Latin mass will provide us with "one language" in saying the mass. So wherever you are, whoever you are, you can join the mass and won't feel any segregation. In other words, this "one language" will erase borderlines that separate each race or culture.
2. Latin, if intoned correctly, has powers to directly penetrate the soul without the mind knowing it (and therefore, free from any filtration, bias, conditioning by the mind). I believe the essence of every religion is to change man, if needed, and/or to bring him closer to God. And since God is within each of us, religion ought to bring us closer to our own self too. When we are attuned with ourselves, there is nothing we should fear. Nothing will perturb us. And all will be well in our world. Ever wonder why saints and sages of all times and ages are not afraid to embrace poverty, difficulties, even diseases? Because they have found God. Remember the parable of the woman who found a pearl? Why can she afford to give away her belongings and keep only "the pearl"? I wish I can reach that level of "spiritual evolution" where nothing will ever distabilize me because GOd is with me. I know God is everywhere and that He is within me. But I guess I still have a lot of divings (into my soul) to do to fully realize Him in me.
3. Corollary to no. 2, the Catholic religion wants only the best in every parishioner but the negative influences and conditioning of the external world simply overrides this desire. It would be difficult to teach chastity, charity, humility, sincerity, etc when the society around you shows the opposite happens daily as if they are normal and sound thing to do. When you reprimand a junior to do what is upright and sound, it is not uncommon to be rebutted with "why, what's wrong with that? Everyone else is doing that anyway". If you are somebody who has learned the rules of sound living by obedience to "the rules", such rebutttal is either insulting, discouraging, hopeless, and downright frustrating. It is indeed with great difficulty to bring the explanation across to a mind (and heart) conditioned by a corrupt society; much less tell him to just obey and follow ("WHaaat? We are not robots?", they might say). So what is the best way to change his mindset then? There can be no best way but I think the Latin Mass can be helpful in staging a mindset/inner state conducive for contemplation because as I have said, the Latin words have power if intoned correctly (and therefore, the celebrant must be trained at proper intonation). A weekly dose of Latin Mass can surely reform us little by little while the mind is wondering what those strange words are doing to ourselves (but eventually the monotony of the chants and the ritual in general will tire you and you will have to stop asking and rationalizing).. And before the mind realizes it, WE have changed for the better.
4. I believe that some words have power. I mean POWER to even defy physical laws. Ever wonder why many magicians are able to "create magic" through incantations of a certain verse? Even wonder why shamans chant first or undergo an elaborate ritual (with matching chanting) before entering a state of healing? Ever wonder why the walls of Jericho in the Old Testament just came crumbling down to the sound of trumpets and other instruments instructed by God to use? Ever wonder why "The Word" was used in Genesis? Certain words must certainly have powers. In a society where freedom of speech ( and to rebut) is a valued right, I guess the use of powerful words that can't be rebutted not be filtered by the rational mind should be in order. And that is where the Latin Mass can be helpful.
In addition to words, sounds can also be used, with the guidance of "experts", of course. With "experts", I mean professionals who know the subliminal meaning of the sound, or perhaps a "seer or clairvoyant" who is able to see the effect or vibration of a certain sound at the spiritual plane.
5. The Latin Mass will also provide no room for egotistical priests to use the mass for personal end because in this kind of mass, they are nothing but just "spokesman" or "reciter" of the mass. Because the mass is in Latin too, people will not be sparring for better interpretation of the gospel. The Latin Mass leaves no room for intellectual discourse. SO everyone is humbled and silenced as the entrancing chants move everybody's spirits to soar with the music--which is , I think, the best approach/attitude to The Mass.
I don't think we need to understand the Mass word for word. We only need to be contemplative and the Latin Mass can do it. In the silence of our heart, in due time, we will learn what we need to learn by just being so. The Seers, psychics, saints and sages of all ages, or even secret societies never ever learned by intellectual discourse but by just keeping still and quiet.
1. The Latin mass will provide us with "one language" in saying the mass. So wherever you are, whoever you are, you can join the mass and won't feel any segregation. In other words, this "one language" will erase borderlines that separate each race or culture.
2. Latin, if intoned correctly, has powers to directly penetrate the soul without the mind knowing it (and therefore, free from any filtration, bias, conditioning by the mind). I believe the essence of every religion is to change man, if needed, and/or to bring him closer to God. And since God is within each of us, religion ought to bring us closer to our own self too. When we are attuned with ourselves, there is nothing we should fear. Nothing will perturb us. And all will be well in our world. Ever wonder why saints and sages of all times and ages are not afraid to embrace poverty, difficulties, even diseases? Because they have found God. Remember the parable of the woman who found a pearl? Why can she afford to give away her belongings and keep only "the pearl"? I wish I can reach that level of "spiritual evolution" where nothing will ever distabilize me because GOd is with me. I know God is everywhere and that He is within me. But I guess I still have a lot of divings (into my soul) to do to fully realize Him in me.
3. Corollary to no. 2, the Catholic religion wants only the best in every parishioner but the negative influences and conditioning of the external world simply overrides this desire. It would be difficult to teach chastity, charity, humility, sincerity, etc when the society around you shows the opposite happens daily as if they are normal and sound thing to do. When you reprimand a junior to do what is upright and sound, it is not uncommon to be rebutted with "why, what's wrong with that? Everyone else is doing that anyway". If you are somebody who has learned the rules of sound living by obedience to "the rules", such rebutttal is either insulting, discouraging, hopeless, and downright frustrating. It is indeed with great difficulty to bring the explanation across to a mind (and heart) conditioned by a corrupt society; much less tell him to just obey and follow ("WHaaat? We are not robots?", they might say). So what is the best way to change his mindset then? There can be no best way but I think the Latin Mass can be helpful in staging a mindset/inner state conducive for contemplation because as I have said, the Latin words have power if intoned correctly (and therefore, the celebrant must be trained at proper intonation). A weekly dose of Latin Mass can surely reform us little by little while the mind is wondering what those strange words are doing to ourselves (but eventually the monotony of the chants and the ritual in general will tire you and you will have to stop asking and rationalizing).. And before the mind realizes it, WE have changed for the better.
4. I believe that some words have power. I mean POWER to even defy physical laws. Ever wonder why many magicians are able to "create magic" through incantations of a certain verse? Even wonder why shamans chant first or undergo an elaborate ritual (with matching chanting) before entering a state of healing? Ever wonder why the walls of Jericho in the Old Testament just came crumbling down to the sound of trumpets and other instruments instructed by God to use? Ever wonder why "The Word" was used in Genesis? Certain words must certainly have powers. In a society where freedom of speech ( and to rebut) is a valued right, I guess the use of powerful words that can't be rebutted not be filtered by the rational mind should be in order. And that is where the Latin Mass can be helpful.
In addition to words, sounds can also be used, with the guidance of "experts", of course. With "experts", I mean professionals who know the subliminal meaning of the sound, or perhaps a "seer or clairvoyant" who is able to see the effect or vibration of a certain sound at the spiritual plane.
5. The Latin Mass will also provide no room for egotistical priests to use the mass for personal end because in this kind of mass, they are nothing but just "spokesman" or "reciter" of the mass. Because the mass is in Latin too, people will not be sparring for better interpretation of the gospel. The Latin Mass leaves no room for intellectual discourse. SO everyone is humbled and silenced as the entrancing chants move everybody's spirits to soar with the music--which is , I think, the best approach/attitude to The Mass.
I don't think we need to understand the Mass word for word. We only need to be contemplative and the Latin Mass can do it. In the silence of our heart, in due time, we will learn what we need to learn by just being so. The Seers, psychics, saints and sages of all ages, or even secret societies never ever learned by intellectual discourse but by just keeping still and quiet.
posted by Sweet Samurai at 5:59 PM
3 Comments:
I am enjoying your blog. I am glad I "stumbled2 upon it.
Have a wonderful day;0)
Thank you very much. Drop by anytime.
You were right in what you said about Latin Masses...
keep it up!
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