Yet, members of the Way including the youths continue to come to the two hour celebration despite that it involves much time and work. After the celebration, the brothers would stay back to help break down and clean up. The young children would rush to the altar table to take the flowers for morning prayers. Young children always seem to look forward to morning prayers because their fathers would bless them at the table, which is decorated with flowers. We usually end our Eucharistic celebration about 9:00 or 10:00 p.m.
When we have an agape after Eucharist, more work is involved and most people do not even get home until 12:00 midnight The agape table must be set up with tablecloths. Everything must look nice.
There is a simple answer, Diana. The church is the house of God, everything looks already nice in a church. You don't need to do a lot of work to make it nicer. There are statues of saints and angels around, beautiful paintings and windows. There are lamps and lights lifting up your spirit. There is a huge crucifix in the front with our precious Lord on it. We also have beautiful Catholic church music composed throughout many centuries of our faith life. What else would you need, Diana, in order to feel at home with God? Why don't you guys just come back to the church and celebrate our mass together with the whole parish? Then you would not need ironing and table cloth and all this preparation you talk about. You could focus your heart, soul and mind on the holy mass of Jesus Christ. Wouldn't this be wonderful, dear Diana?
ReplyDeleteDear voice of faith,
DeleteYou missed the whole point in my post. The point is that our Eucharist takes two hours long, and this only includes the celebration. The remarkable thing you missed is that despite how long it is or the work we put in it......we do not complain about it. We actually ENJOY doing the work and participating in the preparation. This is why I said in my post: "members of the Way including the youths continue to come to the two hour celebration despite that it involves much time and work."
I actually enjoy picking the fresh flowers, making the bread, setting up the Eucharist, and making all the preparations necessary for the Eucharist, despite how long or how much work I put into it. God has done so many things for me, and the preparation makes me feel happy doing things for Him. Doing things for Him is onel way of showing how much I love Him. :)
Diana, it should not be about enjoyment, it should be about the Lord who suffered and died for us on the cross so that He would save us from our sins.
DeleteDear voice of faith,
DeleteThis kind of enjoyment did not come from me. It came from God because many people would not enjoy doing this when (as you say) there is a much simpler way.
Just curious...what takes 2 hours? I don't get it.
ReplyDeletevoice-of-faith October 27, 2014 at 10:01 PM
ReplyDeletenot a catechist or a priest Voice but the whole Mass and Eucharist is so much more than a man who was crucified on a cross for our sins. As I read your previous comments, I feel like we have the same struggles. If you read Matthew 26: 59-66...we question everything that we don't understand. Rather than as God for the grace to see the truth in front of us, we condemn. The Eucharist is so much more than a rite...a traditional ceremony....greater than death on the cross. It is about life.
No....I am not Father Adrian, Father Pius, Arch Bishop, the priest from chalan pago or anyone of significance.....just a guy who walks and struggles just like you. I hope I don't offend you by saying that you are struggling.....I beg for your forgiveness.
Wow vof! What a gloomy experience of the faith u have. Didn't you know that the Eucharist all centers around the Easter? You cannot separate the passion from the resurrection. When you do all you are left is the suffering. Jesus died for our sins and the good news, at least according to St. Paul if you don't agree, is that god did not abandon him to death but resurrected him and that we are participants in his death AND resurrection. So the Eucharist is the mystery of our salvation through the death and RESURRECTION of Christ.
ReplyDeleteVoice why be sorrowful when is a celebration of existence of God? He is not dead but alive. This is natural religiosity.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous October 28, 2014 at 4:24 AM and Anonymous October 28, 2014 at 4:49 AM
ReplyDeleteI pray that we don't try to convert by comments that questions a person's state of grace. We proclaim the truth....according to Word. The person we meet or speak to did not come by chance....he was sent.
Again Diana, you did not post my comment, I issue a challenge: Invite me to your Eucharist para mag ka-alaman na. I will go there and celebrate with you all the Paschal mystery of Christ crucified and risen.
ReplyDeleteDear Isaias,
DeleteI published your comment. And your comment showed that you are more interested in knowing my identity than in the Eucharist. I don't think my husband would appreciate you being more interested in me than in the Eucharist.
i haven't been to one eucharist except the one Convivence where i took again the evangelization sa St. Anthony or if you say, i can join the older communities eucharist in the parish if you do not want your husband to be upset.
ReplyDeleteDear Isaias,
DeleteThen go to a Eucharist in St. Anthony since you have been to their convivience.
But you are not in communion with the Catholic Church. Why do you want to go to a Eucharist? Just to out diana? What is the purpose of you attending Mass? Unless you are seeking to return to the church and for that you can go to any Mass you want.
ReplyDeleteI think i will and then maybe ask if they know you since you are so afraid to come out..DO not be AFRAID.
ReplyDeleteDear Isaias,
DeleteYou REALLY are not interested in the Eucharist are you?? I thought so.
No judging Diana...leave that to God.
Deleteor maybe visit some other communities.
ReplyDeleteIsaias has a perverse motive. Why is it so intriguing about Diana. Why you can't accept a lil lady can answer your twisted motives.
DeleteDo not judge and you will not be judge.... Anonymous 4:12pm
DeleteFor what purpose? You are welcome to come to any Mass neocat or not but what is your motive? Do you want to reconcile with God and the church? If that was it, why advertise this most profound moment of conversion? If it is not them you have a perverse reason and I don't see why you would choose to offend the sensibilities of all god fearing peoples by desecrating the most sacred moment we live.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, 235pm I want to celebrate the Berakha and hopefully be able to break bread with you all and share the cup of salvation and maybe sing songs with you all. Share the fellowship with you all and maybe dance, "How Beautiful your Tents"
ReplyDeleteAnonymous October 29, 2014 at 2:35 PM
ReplyDeletehow Isaias comes to the Mass and Eucharist is not the issue. Only God knows his motivation. What is our concern is how we leave the celebration.....with grace....or.....??
Let us vote by Voice that Isaias be invited by Diana to attend Saturday Eucharist anytime at her parish.
DeleteIsaias Ginson October 30, 2014 at 9:47 AM
DeleteLet us vote by Voice that Isaias be invited by Diana to attend Saturday Eucharist anytime at her parish.?????
Let us not Isaias, .....you may have walked in the way....so you claim....but your suggestion is clearly speaks of someone who never has. To refresh your memory....if I am wrong....the Eucharist is open to all.....in every country...in every village throughout the world.
Anonymous 6:35, You clearly do not understand the pedagogy of the Way ( must be fairly new). So before you make a comment think first.
ReplyDeleteBefore the statutes came out and the NCW became a program/itinerary of faith, it was a small group in the parish for people who wanted to live out their baptismal promises in stages. Eucharist of the NCW has a one day catechesis on Convivence Sunday (Evangelization stage). So it takes a day to understand what is being done and the symbols. That is the reason why you invite friends/family for the Eucharist. Of course anyone can drop by and join the Eucharist....But...will that person understand we do monition, songs after the readings, singing the Anaphora, seated for communion, open palm and we take both bread and wine, dance and sing those alien songs.
Isias how can you say Alien songs when it's taken by scriptural readings. You sound like Chuck White or Ken SA.
DeleteIsaias GinsonOctober 29, 2014 at 6:16 AM
DeleteAgain Diana, you did not post my comment, I issue a challenge: Invite me to your Eucharist para mag ka-alaman na. I will go there and celebrate with you all the Paschal mystery of Christ crucified and risen.
You clearly chose to ignore your previous "challenge" that prompted my response to you Isaias.
You wanted an invitation to a Eucharist celebration. Why would any Catholic who claims to have walked in the Way asked for an invitation? It is open to all.......all. See you in Church.
Name your parish Anonymous 6:16pm and i will show up on Saturday.
ReplyDeleteOne God, One Church Isaias. Take your pick....it will not be by chance.
DeleteIsaias Ginson October 31, 2014 at 7:40 PM
DeleteName your parish Anonymous 6:16pm and i will show up on Saturday.
God passed last night.....did you meet him Isaias? Praying that you did