Jamison 1

RyanJamison
Theo101
11/24/14
MassVisit

AttendingMass

AttendingMass,itwasquitedifferentformebecauseIamnotaRomanCatholic
andtherearesimilaranddifferenttechniquesandpracticesthatareusedduringaservice.AsI
satthroughtheservice,IhadmixedemotionsonhowIfeltbecauseattimesIfelt
uncomfortableandothertimesIunderstoodwhatwasgoingon.Lookingaroundatallthe
peoplethatattendedIknewthatattendingthisservicewassomethingspecialbecauseitsalright
toexperienceadifferentreligionorpractice.Learningthemethodsandeventsofthemasswill
helpmeunderstandandacknowledgedifferentreligionswithallofitspeopleandpurposes.
WalkingintoMadonnaDellaStradaChapel,organmusicwasbeingplayedand
everyonewastakingtheirseats.Onthepamphletitsaidintroductoryritesandthiswaswhenthe
priestorpastorwalkedinwithafewotherpeopleprobablyadeacon,sprayingwhatitseemed
tobeincenseorsomeparticularsmellthatjustsmellslikechurch.Theyoungerguythatwas
shakingtheodorwouldhaveitswinginglikeapendulumsothatthesmellcouldwafflearound
thechapel.Afterthepriestgotupthepodiumandstagehesaidaprayerandeveryoneputtheir
headsdownslightly.Asongprintedinthepamphletwasthensungfromandthewhole
congregationsangfromit.Everyonesanginunisonwiththerightpitchesandnotesbeing
carefullysungfrom.ThemusicfromwhatwasbeingplayedwastraditionalandIexpectedthis
typeofmusictobeplayedbecausewhenIgotomychurch,verysimilarmusicisplayed.After
themusicwasdonebeingplayed,nextwastheliturgyofthewordandawomanfromthe
congregationwentuptothestandandreadapassagefromEzekiel.Aftershewasdonereading

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theverseshesaid,thewordoftheLord,andthecongregationsaid,thanksbetoGod.That
wasalsofamiliartomebecausewehavescripturereadingsatmychurchandwefollowby
sayingthanksbetoGod.Anotherreadingfollowedfrom1Corinthians.Thenafterthereadings
hadfinished,eachwithasmallsongthatfollowed,thepriestwentonwithhissermon.The
sermondealtwithJesusbeatingdeathandhowheisandwillbemankindsgreatestgift,sent
fromGodthefather.HealsomadeaconnectiontotheUSSMissouriandthefleetinthepacific
howthecrewandtheshipisawholeandwhenitispronouncedandalertedthatitiscoming,he
wascomparingthattoJesus.Jesusisthewholeandembodieseverythingandeveryonewhen
thatabidesinhim.ThepriestalsomentionedthatJesusisthewaytoheavenandthatonewill
onlybeabletoreachheavenonlyiftheyacceptJesussloveandhisfilterofoursins.That
relatesheavilybacktowhatwehavebeentalkingaboutinclass.Ithoughtthesermondragged
alongatmosttimesandIfoundmyselfzoningoutbutIusuallydozoneoutmosttimesduring
sermonssincetheyarelongandsomeoftheideasarestretches.AlsotheNiceneCreedwassaid
andthiscreedwasdifferentbutsimilartotheApostlesCreedfromwhichIknowsincewestate
itatmychurch.Ithadmainlythesamemeaningandstructurebuttherewasotherthingsadded
toitthatmadeithaveitsownflavor.Aftertheliturgyoftheword,theliturgyoftheEucharist
followed.TheEucharistmeansandrepresentscommunion,whichisthegivingofthebodyand
bloodofChristforpeopletoreceive.IdidnotreceivetheEucharistbecauseImnotcatholic
andwhenpeopleweregoinguptoreceiveitIfeltquiteawkwardsittinginmychairwhile
peoplepassedbyandlookedatme.Alsowhenthewholecongregationkneltonthepads
underneaththechairsIalsojustsatonthechair.MyexperiencewasadifferentonethenwhenI
usuallyattendaservice.Ihavebeentoacoupleothermassesbeforeandtheyareusually

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structuredthesame;wheretheyshouldbe.Ihavelearnedfromattendingthismassandacouple
otheronesisthattheyarestructuredtohavethesameeventsinorderandattheendeveryone
receivestheEucharist.Anotherthingthatwasdifferentformewaswheneveryonemadethe
signofthecrossorthetrinity,thefather,theson,andtheHolySpiritontheirbody.Ihave
alwaysseenCatholicsdothisbutwhenevertheymakethesignIjustlookaroundandfeellost
becauseeveryoneisdoingit.ThatisthemessagethatIgotalsoattendingtheservice,everyone
participatesbysinging,praying,orrespondingtothepriestandthatisjusttheunityofthe
churchandthemass.Everyoneseemedtoknowwhattorespondwithwhenthepriestsaid
somethingandIthoughtthatwasneattoseewheneveryonesaidthesamethingtogether,which
waspowerfulinaway.
TheMadonnaDellaStradaChapelwasquitesomethingIhaveneverbeentobeforein
mylife.ThearchitectureanddesigninsidethechapelwasquitestunningwhenIwalkedinand
thewholechapelandalotofsymmetrytoit.Insidealanewasmadeinthecenterleadingupto
thetableandstageandatthebackofthechapelwasasmallpoolfilledwithabasinofwater.I
didnotknowthatwhenpeopleenterandleavetheytouchthewaterandmakethesignofthe
trinity.OnthewallsofthechapelwerepaintingsofJesusscrucifixionandhimbeingputupon
thecross.ThisrelatedtotheserviceandsermonbecausethepriesttalkedabouthowJesusbeat
deathandheovercameitandlivesonforever.ThetablewherecommunionortheEucharistwas
receivedstuckouttomebecausethatisoneofthemostimportanttablesthereiswhenitcomes
toreligion.Thatisntanyonestable,thatisthetableforGodandthatiswhyIsawthepriest
andotherdeaconsbowtoitwhentheypasseditwiththeBibleonit.TheBiblethatwasonthe
tablewasnotyourtypicalsizedbible,itwashugeandseemedlikeabiblethatwaswrittenwhen

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thewordwasfirstdecodedandputintolines.Thepriestandthedeaconsalsohadtoweara
designatedoutfitthatincludedwhiterobesandIexpectedthattobewornwhenIwent.

MyvisitandattendancetomasswashowIpicturedit.Iwenttomasswaybackat
thebeginningoftheyearwithmyvolleyballteamandwhenIwentIwasreallyconfusedon
whatwasgoingonbecauseIhadneverattendedmassfromwhenIcouldremember.Withthe
learningofatypicalchurchmassfromclassandattendingtheoneearlierintheyear,I
understoodandcomprehendedtheserviceeasieranditmadealotmoresensetome.My
favoritepartabouttheservicewasseeinghowunifiedeveryoneinthecongregationwasand
howtheyallparticipatedintheservice.ThismassandservicewasmoreinteractivethanwhatI
thoughtwasgoingtohappenandtheinteractionbetweenthepriest,thecongregation,andGod
madetheservicespecial.WhenIusuallyattendserviceswehavesimilarsingingandprayer,
suchastheLordsPrayerandsimilarhymnsbutthereisntasmuchinteraction.Wedohavethe
Eucharistbutwejustcallitcommunionandtheconstantgettinguponourfeetandsittingdown
mademefeellikeIwasdoingaerobicsorsomethingalongthelinesofit.Ievenhadthechance
tositnexttoSisterJeanandIfelthonoredtobeabletositnexttoheralongwithKatiefrom
classwherewewereabletodiscussandinterprettheservicetogethersincewearenottypical
Sundaychurchgoers.MyleastfavoritepartabouttheservicewasfeelingoutofplacesinceIm
notCatholic.LookingaroundateveryonedoingthesamethingsIfeltawkwardnotknowing
whattodoattimesbutIrealizedthattherewereothersinthesamepositionasmyselfsoI
wasntalone.

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SomethingthatrelatedbacktoclassthatwassimilartosomethingIlearnedwaswhen
thecongregationwasreceivingtheEucharistandthewineandbreadrepresentedsomething
morethanjustfoodanddrink.ThebreadandwinerepresenthowJesusdiedforallofus,even
ifwedontknowhimandheactsasoursaviorandfiltersowecanliveeverlastingwithGod.
WhenJesuswaswithhistwelvedisciplesintheupperroom,thefamousLastSupperhappened
beforehewascrucified.Hestatedthatthebreadrepresentedhisbody,brokenandgiventothem
andthewinerepresentedhisblood,pouredoutforthemtobedrank.Healsosaidtodothisin
remembranceofhim.WithoutJesusdyingonthecrossforoursins,wewouldnotbeableto
passintoheaventolivewithGod.EverydaywesinandoursinsourforgiventhroughJesus.
AnotherpartoftheservicerelatingbacktoclasswastheuseoftheNiceneCreed,anotherform
oftheApostlesCreed.TheNiceneCreedcomingfromthecityofNicaea,ithasbeenadopted
intoCatholicchurchesnationwideandalsoworldwide.Anotherpartoftheservicethatrelated
backtoclasswastheuseofthetrinity,thefather,theson,andtheHolySpirit.Ilearnedinclass
thatallthreeencompasseachotherandyoucannotjusthaveonewithouttheothertwoorother
one.TheyallembodythesamemessageandthereforewhenpeoplegetconfusedonifGodand
JesusChristaredifferentorarethesamebeing,theyarealltogetherandtheyembodyeach
other.
MyjourneytomasswashowIexpecteditinawaybutIalsolearnedmuchmorethan
whatIpreviouslythoughtIknew.Eachmasshasasimilarstructuretoitthatneedstobe
followedandsinceIamnotCatholicIcouldntreceivetheEucharist.Theservicehadalotof
singingandpraisingtoGodandIexpectedthat,justlikehowIusuallyattendaservicebackat
home.Alongwiththereadingsfromscripture,onefromtheOldandonefromtheNew

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Testament,Iwasusedtoitforthemostpart.Seeingthecongregationparticipateintheservice
madethemassmuchmoreactiveanditmakespeopleattendingaservicealwaysonthelookout
andattentiveforwhatthepriestordeaconsaresaying.