Quote:
Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington
Although I am not a catholic, my mother is....she used to take me to Mass on a Sunday morning at the Sacred Heart Church.......I thought the Latin mass was beautiful.
My mother had a Missal with the translation of the latin mass, so she knew what it was all about, she also did latin when she was at school.
I think the Latin mass has far more solemnity to it than the Happy Clappy services.....if I had to choose I would take the latin Mass over the happy Clappy stuff anyday.
And maybe the faces of those who were at the Mass, were deep in contemplation, reflection or prayer.
I know that I have been accused of looking miserable when I am deep in thought.
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I agree ... I think ritual is important and comforting ... and if one has strong personal spiritual beliefs I don't think it interferes. Maybe in some it inspires faith, and this might not be a bad thing. I'm nominally Catholic. My mom told me that my grandad converted in WWl. During the Battle of the Somme my grandad was lying wounded in no man's land, and a priest came up, gave him a shot of rum, lit him a cigarette, and gave him a field dressing and some pain killers. Then he asked him if he wanted the last rights. And all this during a battle with bullets and shells flying all over the place ... not only that he was doing this for the German wounded too. My grandad (so my mom said) was so impressed by his faith and courage, that he converted. Point is, this man had faith. And he risked his life to bring comfort and the ritual of last rights to the men lying wounded. So perhaps ritual is not so empty if it inspires this kind of act.