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My favorite part of mass is singing the hymns. I love expressing myself with singing. We have a great church and they WANT to get people involved in the church.
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I love the hymns as well, although 10:30 mass is like a Peter, Paul, and Mary concert-- heehee, which is not my style I prefer the traditional 5p mass. It is hard to pin point a favorite part. I love it all, but when we say Our Father we join hands in our church and it is such a wonderful feeling to collectively reach out to honor our creator in such an intimate manor!
Thanks for asking. I am new to the forum. It is nice to share with fellow Catholics.
Julie
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My favorite part of the Mass is when before we receive the Eucharist...'Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say that word, and I shall be healed'. It is in knowing full well, that I am not worthy, and that He comes and lays his body and blood before us...to take in exquiste love, that the awe of 'its' presence and my partaking in it...(soooo lovingly given, so never earned), that I bow my head and take it in great solemnity and mystery.
I also take the 'I shall be healed' very seriously and pray for what I need before I have communion and also offer it up for souls.
Just walking around the pews and up the aisle is a time of great contemplation, mystery and thanksgiving. I feel overjoyed and thankful that Christ has again, come into my heart, and to kneel in that experience that we have just 'taken and eaten' is beyond measure of my understanding and language to use.
Well, lately is has been whenever I can get both my girls to knock out at the same time.
My girls love the singing, if I'm carrying my LO she wants to get down and starts dancing to the music.
The Nicene Creed, I usually pick up DD1 and hold her f2f, so she can too learn it.
But above all is receiving the Holy Eucharist!
(Cant' hardly wait till my daughters begin their journey, and one day receive Communion as a family.)
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I feel such a wave of warmth and Christ's love when we say the last line of the Lamb of God - "Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world. Grant us peace." I can't really explain it.
And taking the Eucharist and the wine, the body and blood of Christ, really fills me up, if that makes any sense.
There's another time, too. In our parish at the very beginning of the offering all the little kids run up to the front of church to give Father their gift of a little bit of money. All three of our priests like to sit on the steps at the front of the alter and gets hugs from the kids. DD is not yet three and not quite old enough to go up there in such a big church, but she loves running up and contributing. It is adorable. She's been known to yell "Mommy! Daddy! I did it!"
'Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say that word, and I shall be healed'.
These are the most powerful word spoken to me at Mass. I always hear back "accept healing and you shall be healed"...LOL I think it would be easier if God would just do it for me - no involvement required!! Dang - Free Will...!!!
Being a mom at mass has made me appreciate so many different parts -
- the liturgy of the Word - (when DD4 goes with the children for children's liturgy and I get to listen without interruption!)
- consecration - I love knowing that God is in processing of being the Creator He is - I always pray for my girls at this point!
- hearing my DD4 respond with us - she has been singing Alleluia since she was about 2!
- receiving Eucharist! I feel physical hunger if I have to miss it for any reason (which is rare).
My DD4 has talked about when she will be "big enough to receive" (First we need to get her baptized!) I respond at mass by giving her "Jesus Kisses" when we return from receiving!
I also enjoy the singing, but we don't limit it to mass - we have Catholic music at home as well!!
I highly recommend "Good Morning Jesus" CD by Dana - my DD4 LOVES it - and sings the Our Father and parts of the Creed as result!
WorkerMommy
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I first was attracted to the Catholic for what I now know is the Real Presence. Never understood, but Jesus is just sooo awesome and let me find out.
I was totally music oriented - I was singing at Mass before I understood the order of Mass - no, I never leap before looking.
However, now I am into the whole participation in the Mass throughout all of it. I love assisting at Mass during the consecration, too.
Yet, nothing compares to receiving the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in a personal way.
As I tell my kids - when we eat food, it becomes part of us. When we receive Christ, he makes us part of Him.
Grace happens,
Denise
When I was 13, a smelly, miserable nun informed me and my seventh grade class that I would not be allowed to be an altar server at the Confirmation class because I was adopted. My favorite part of mass is NOT GOING. And, I learned many years later, I was not born catholic, and I sufre don't have to be catholic.
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JPDakota
I feel such a wave of warmth and Christ's love when we say the last line of the Lamb of God - "Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world. Grant us peace." I can't really explain it.
Paulb3 - I am so sorry you came in touch with such an ignorant and mean-spirited (and clearly misguided theologically!) nun/person!
As with any such situations, it is sad that one person, who has made such a negative impression on you, has come to represent for you the entire faith.
And I want to point out that religion is really not something we are born into. Religion is something our parents - biological or adoptive - teach us to value, believe, and follow. Then, religion is a way for us to make sense of our relationship with God.
We are all born God's children, but we are not born "Catholic" or "Muslim" or "Buddhist". We may be born into a culture that's predominantly of a particular faith, but even culture is not inherent, but something taught and passed on from generation to generation.
Having said all that, I cannot imagine how it must have felt to be 13 and be told such an utterly horrible thing, and from someone who's supposed to be representing the love of God! Did the nun miss the part of the catechism class where they talk about Joseph - Jesus' adoptive father?
I am so sorry this happened, and even more sorry that it's turned you away from Catholicism.
God bless.