Mass - Robert Barron - Episode 1
Summary
TLDRThe video script delves into the significance of the Catholic Mass as the ultimate way to connect with Jesus Christ. It highlights Vatican II's call for active participation in the Mass and emphasizes the sacred mysteries that allow worshippers to encounter divine realities. The Mass is described as a supreme form of adoration, play, and worship that brings humans closer to God. It concludes with a reflection on how the Mass unites Christ and his mystical body, urging full conscious engagement from believers.
Takeaways
- 📖 The Mass is the supreme way to relate to Jesus, serving as the ultimate form of prayer and adoration.
- 🙏 Vatican II emphasized that the Liturgy is the source and summit of Christian life, calling for full, conscious, and active participation in the Mass.
- 😔 Participation in the Mass has significantly declined in recent years, with only 20-25% of Catholics in the West regularly attending.
- 💬 The Mass is a two-fold encounter with Jesus, first through the Liturgy of the Word, where we communicate, and then through the Eucharist, where we share a meal with Christ.
- 🕊️ The Mass is a mystery, where concrete physical elements, like bread and wine, put us in contact with divine reality.
- 🎭 The Mass is the supreme form of play, according to theologian Romano Guardini, as it is done for its own sake and anticipates heavenly worship.
- 🌍 The Mass connects all of creation to God through right praise, where humans, as priests of creation, lead in adoration.
- 👼 The Mass is linked to the eternal praise of the saints and angels in heaven, lifting our voices to echo theirs in worship.
- 📣 The Mass is a call and response between Christ the Head and his mystical body, symbolizing a love affair between God and humanity.
- 💒 Active and full participation in the Mass is essential for experiencing its true spiritual power and aligning ourselves with God's divine will.
Q & A
What is the primary way Christians are called to relate to Jesus according to the script?
-Christians are called to relate to Jesus through the Mass, which is described as the most intense and privileged form of adoration and encounter with the Living God.
Why does Vatican II place a high emphasis on participation in the Mass?
-Vatican II emphasizes full, conscious, and active participation in the Mass because it considers the Mass the source and summit of Christian life, the highest form of worship and the ultimate encounter with Christ.
What did Monsignor Reynold Hillenbrand criticize regarding Mass attendance in the past?
-Monsignor Reynold Hillenbrand criticized the fact that only 50-60% of Catholics were attending Mass on Sundays in the 1960s. He would be more alarmed by current attendance figures, which are now around 20-25% in some Western countries and even lower in others.
What analogy does the speaker use to explain the structure of the Mass?
-The speaker compares the structure of the Mass to a visit from a friend: first, there is conversation (Liturgy of the Word), then a meal (Liturgy of the Eucharist), just as we typically talk to a friend before sharing a meal.
How does the speaker define the term 'mystery' in relation to the Mass?
-The speaker defines 'mystery' using Jeremy Driscoll’s definition: a mystery is a concrete something that, when encountered, puts us in contact with a Divine reality. The Mass is filled with such mysteries.
What does Romano Guardini mean by calling the Mass the 'Supreme form of play'?
-Romano Guardini calls the Mass the 'Supreme form of play' because it is done entirely for its own sake, not for any practical purpose, making it a higher activity than work, which is done for external goals.
Why does the speaker emphasize adoration in the Mass?
-The speaker emphasizes adoration because it aligns us with God. In adoration, we are 'mouth to mouth' with God, acknowledging His supreme worth and giving Him the highest form of worship, which fulfills our deepest identity.
What does the speaker mean by saying that Mass has a 'cosmic dimension'?
-The speaker means that during Mass, humans join with all of creation in offering right praise to God, thus leading all of creation in a cosmic chorus of worship. This is reflected in the symbolism of Gothic cathedrals, which depict elements of nature.
How does the Mass connect Earthly worship to heavenly worship?
-The Mass connects Earthly worship to heavenly worship because it allows the congregation to participate in the eternal praise of the saints and angels. This connection is explicitly stated in prayers like the 'Holy, Holy' during the liturgy.
What does the speaker mean by describing the Mass as a 'call and response' between Christ and His mystical body?
-The speaker means that the Mass is a dialogue where Christ, the head, calls out through the priest or bishop, and the congregation, as the mystical body, responds. This interaction reflects the unity of Christ and His followers in worship.
Outlines
🙏 The Mass: A Divine Encounter
The Mass is the most profound way to connect with Jesus Christ, surpassing other forms of prayer and adoration. It is not a lecture or performance, but a sacred mystery that brings us into contact with the divine. The Vatican II called for full, conscious, and active participation in the Mass, seeing it as the source and summit of Christian life. However, church attendance has drastically declined, with as few as 20% of Catholics regularly attending. The speaker emphasizes that many Catholics who attend may not fully grasp the significance of the Mass, which is central to their faith.
✝️ The Mass as a Personal Encounter with Christ
The Mass is Christianity’s most privileged encounter with Jesus Christ. It isn't just a philosophy or moral system, but a relationship with a person—Jesus. The two major parts of the Mass—the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist—mirror how we engage with friends, first by talking and sharing, then by dining. During the Mass, we speak with Christ and then share a meal with Him, as His body and blood are offered. This sacred moment underscores the Mass as the pinnacle of Christian life, which many Catholics neglect despite Christ being the center of their lives.
⛪ The Mass as a Mystery and Sacred Encounter
The Mass is referred to as a 'sacred mystery,' where concrete, physical actions and symbols lead us to encounter divine realities. Drawing from theologians like Abbott Jeremy Driscoll, the Mass is a series of ‘mysteries’—visible, tangible signs that put us in contact with God. Every element of the Mass, from the procession and incense to the consecration of bread and wine, serves as a conduit to the divine. This 'mysterion' of the Mass allows participants to encounter the transcendent in a very real and present way.
🎭 The Mass as the Supreme Form of Play
Romano Guardini, a key influence on several Popes, described the Mass as the 'supreme form of play.' This concept challenges conventional thinking, which often prioritizes work as the most important activity. In reality, work is subordinate to a practical end, while play is done purely for its own sake, making it higher and more precious. The Mass, seen as a form of play, reflects this truth: it is the most 'useless' yet most beautiful act we can engage in. The Mass’s ceremonial elements, such as vestments and processions, mirror the serious and joyful nature of children’s play, pointing to the higher purpose of liturgy.
🌍 The Mass as Cosmic Worship
The Mass is a moment of cosmic worship, where humanity, as priests of creation, leads all creatures in offering praise to God. Just as the procession in a liturgy culminates with the priest leading the congregation in worship, creation’s procession culminates with humans leading praise to the Creator. The concept of 'adoration,' derived from the Latin 'ad ora' (mouth-to-mouth), reflects our intimate alignment with God during the Mass. This act of adoration allows us to fulfill our deepest purpose, aligning all creation in praise of God. The Mass is thus a moment where we are truly ourselves, fulfilling our role as leaders in cosmic worship.
🎶 The Mass as Heavenly Praise
The Mass is not only a sacred moment on Earth but also a participation in the eternal praise of Heaven. Far from being distant or separate, Heaven is closer to us than we are to ourselves, and during Mass, our praise echoes the praise of the angels and saints. Vatican II emphasized that the Mass should never be viewed as a passive event or performance. Instead, it is a dynamic act of worship, a 'call and response' between Christ the Head and His mystical body—the Church. This mutual exchange allows us to fully participate in the divine praise that links Earth and Heaven.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Mass
💡Liturgy
💡Vatican II
💡Adoration
💡Mystery
💡Eucharist
💡Participation
💡Worship
💡Priest
💡Sacred
Highlights
The Mass is the most intense and privileged way to relate to Jesus Christ.
Vatican II emphasized full, conscious, and active participation in the Mass by all Catholics.
The Mass is the source and summit of the Christian life, as stated by Vatican II.
Only 20-25% of Catholics in the West attend Mass, reflecting a decline in participation.
The Mass is a mystery that puts us into contact with the Divine reality.
Christianity is not primarily a philosophy or moral system but a relationship with Jesus Christ.
The Mass has two major divisions: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, which mirror human relationships.
The Mass is the most intense encounter with Jesus Christ, especially through the Eucharist.
The Mass is a concrete mystery, a physical act that puts us in touch with the Divine.
The Mass is the supreme form of play, done for its own sake and as the highest form of human activity.
The Mass is an anticipation of heaven, where eternal praise and adoration occur.
Worship in the Mass is the moment when human beings are most aligned with their true purpose.
Bad praise leads to disorder and trouble, as illustrated throughout the Bible.
The Mass connects earthly worship with the eternal praise of the saints and angels in heaven.
The Mass is a call and response between Christ the Head and the members of His mystical body, uniting them in divine worship.
Transcripts
foreign
response
between Christ the head
and his mystical body
[Music]
we are called to relationship with Jesus
there is no more intense privileged way
to relate to him than at the mass
it's the great prayer
Supreme form of adoration
[Music]
the ultimate form of play
[Music]
the way by which we encounter the Living
God
[Music]
it's a mystery that puts us into contact
with the Divine reality
[Music]
the mass is not a lecture or a
performance
that we witness from a distance
[Music]
in the mass
[Music]
foreign
[Music]
calls of Vatican II
was for all of us fully consciously and
actively to participate in the mass
Vatican II also said that the Liturgy is
the source and the summit of the
Christian Life it put a huge premium on
the mass it wanted more and more of us
to be more fully participating in this
great prayer
just recently I was reading something by
a hero of mine Monsignor Reynold
hillenbrand who was a leader in the
Liturgical Movement in the last century
he was giving a talk around the year
1960.
and he was bemoaning the fat
that only 50 to 60 percent of Catholics
were attending Mass on Sunday
only 50 to 60 percent you know what the
figure is now
in the west I'm like in our country it's
maybe 20 25 percent
go to other parts in Europe and
Australia gets down to 10 15 percent
if you had told the fathers of Vatican
II that in the year 2017 that would be
the level of participation in the mass
Vatican II wants us
fully involved and fully understanding
fully participating in the Liturgy but I
think first of all many many have fallen
away from him
but secondly even a lot of Catholics who
do come to mass I'm increasingly
convinced don't fully appreciate what it
is they're participating in
so my talks today are all about the mass
you know in many ways it's my favorite
topic because as a priest I'm I'm a man
of the mass
when I was Rector at Mundelein Seminary
outside Chicago I used to tell the
students all the time you're preparing
to become men of the mass all that you
do comes from the mass returns to the
Mass finds its life and energy in the
mass
so it's my favorite topic and I think if
Vatican 2 is right it should be the
favorite topic of
everybody in the church
let me Begin by invoking a friend of
mine Father John Muir he's a priest in
the Phoenix diocese and John was a
former student of mine at Mundelein
and um John is is the best amateur
golfer I know he golfs like
72-73 and for about five years the week
after Christmas I would go to Phoenix to
play golf with John for a week
well like all great golfers he's a
terrific putter right so one day we're
walking up the
Fairway and I said to him John give me a
little help here with reading greens you
know how do you read a green so well and
he said well first look at the mountains
and I just laugh at the mountains he
goes yeah putts tend to break away from
a mountain
then he said read your way in from the
mountain until you get to the green then
we'll start reading the green and I
always think of John when I'm
approaching a big topic like the mass
I think first we have to get the big
picture we got to look at the mountains
first so in this first talk that's what
I'll do I'll talk about some basic
themes around the mask but then we're
going to move in and we're going to get
to the green we're going to read the
green carefully in the next five talks
I'll kind of walk through all the
elements of the Mask
so first the big picture the mountains
here's the first general theme I want
you to know about the mass
the mass is a great Encounter With Jesus
Christ
in fact it's the privileged Encounter
With Jesus Christ
so Christianity is not a philosophy
primarily
it's not a moral system primarily not a
sociology not an ideology
Christianity is a relationship to a
person it's a relationship with this
Jesus
and we can relate to the Lord in all
sorts of ways but there is no more
Intent no more privileged way to relate
to him than at the mass
think for a second of the two major
divisions of the mass
so we have the Liturgy of the word and
then the Liturgy of the Eucharist right
well they correspond precisely to the
ways we usually relate to friends when
they come over
right when someone comes over to visit
typically we talk for a while
no one comes to the door and say Here's
dinner you know no first we sit down and
we talk we share stories experiences Etc
and then typically we move into sharing
a meal
so with Christ
at the mass we encounter him him in
person and first we visit we talk he
speaks to us
we speak back to him and I'll say much
more about this now in the ensuing
tongues
and then after we visit
we sit down for a meal
not an ordinary meal but one at which
Christ himself is the host at which his
own body and blood are served there is
no more intense encounter with him
possible than the mass now can you see
why the Vatican II father said this is
the source and Summit of the Christian
Life and why everybody it's so tragic
that 75 of our own brothers and sisters
in the Catholic faith regularly stay
away from the man's
oh Jesus Christ he's the center of my
life
Jesus Christ is what it's all about and
yet
I regularly stay away from the
privileged encounter with him
see that's the problem we're facing
here's a second General remark about the
mass
the mass is the Great
mystery
you know the beginning of the mass the
priest will say let's prepare ourselves
to celebrate these sacred Mysteries
that lovely word Mysterion in Greek
mysterium and Latin mystery
what's a mystery
here's a definition from a friend of
mine and one of the great experts in the
Liturgy Abbott Jeremy Driscoll he's the
Abbott up at Mount Angel in Oregon
here's his pithy definition of a mystery
it's a Concrete something
that when you bump into it it puts you
in contact with a Divine reality
that's a cool little pithy definition a
mystery a Mysterion is a concrete
something that you bump into and it puts
you into contact with a Divine reality
do you see how the mass in its entirety
is a set of mysteries
from the procession of the ministers
to the candles to the incense to the
proclamation of the word to the
transfigured elements of bread and wine
to the blessing offered by the priest or
the bishop all of it is a great
Mysterion
a concrete physical something that we
encounter that gives us access to the
Divine reality
in the course of the talks this morning
now I'm going to be telling you all
about these Mysteries and how they open
us up
to the divine
here's a third general idea about the
mass and here I'm taking an a lead from
romano gordini and if you know that name
Romano guardini despite his very Italian
name was a German born and German
writing Theologian in the last century
very influential upon John Paul II
Benedict XVI and Pope Francis
in fact Pope Francis went to Europe to
do doctoral work and he wanted to write
a major paper on romano guardini and
just very recently by the way they were
proposing the beatification of this
great figure so here's an idea from
guardini
he says the Liturgy the mass is the
Supreme form of play
what way seems counterintuitive I
thought the mass is the most serious
thing we can possibly do
well that's the point
see we tend to get it precisely backward
we think work
is what's most important work is serious
stuff for serious people
play is kind of trivial it's superficial
it's unimportant
precisely badly
work is that activity which is
subordinate to an end Beyond itself
right
so I work on my car that I might get it
to run so I can go and go places and do
things I want to do
I go to work
so I can make money and do things that I
really want to do
work is for the sake of something else
[Music]
play is done entirely for its own
sake
play has no purpose outside of itself
therefore it's higher than work
it's more beautiful it's more precious
than work
you know in this very church just a
couple weeks ago
there was a gathering of the Knights of
the Holy Sepulcher and I'm a proud
member of that group and this was the
mass for the installation of new members
and we're writing this church it's
filled up like it is today
and boy the Knights of the Holy
Sepulcher they know how to how to dress
for their ceremonies the men are in
these long capes emblazoned with the
Jerusalem cross they have these kind of
jaunty Berets on the women are in Long
Black gowns and montias well there were
all kinds of priests and Bishops up here
all in you know Mass vestments Bishops
with the tall miters and then for the
installation itself the Bishops came
down wearing miters and they took these
great swords out
and they dubbed the people as they were
received well I was sitting right over
here I remember thinking what a
wonderful form of play this is you know
and we're all doing what kids do when
they play We're dressing up now see I'm
saying it this way on purpose just to
make the point as Chesterton observed
children always know how to engage in
serious play
see kids know instinctually play is the
more serious thing and we tend to knock
that out of them we convince them oh no
no work work is what's more important be
real practical no kids understand play
is the most serious and we tend to dress
up when we play
so think of the mass now as the Supreme
form of play
it's the most useless thing we can do
and by that I mean it's the highest
thing we can do
when I used to teach philosophy of the
Seminary years ago and I was introducing
students to this Arcane discipline of
philosophy I would use that line I'd say
gentlemen we're about to engage in the
most useless study that we can
and they would do just what you did they
would laugh you know and I say no no I
mean that is the highest praise
that's why for example we refer to
philosophy as one of the liberal arts
just like literature and so on liberal
Liber in Latin means free right
what are they free from they're free
from utility
they're free from practicality they're
done for their own sake like watching a
baseball game like engaging in a
philosophical conversation those are
forms of play the mass the mass is the
Supreme form of play by the way it's
what we will do forever in heaven
now I know if you've been to some bad
liturgies that can be a little
depressing you know so I get that but
see in principle in principle that's
what heaven is it's a place of utter
uselessness because we'll be in the
presence of the Supreme good
Mass
in its
playful uselessness is a great
anticipation of Heaven
here's a fourth General theme
the mass is the Supreme moment of
worship and brothers and sisters this is
such an important point I think
I think it's one of the best ways to
read the whole Bible the Bible is about
right and wrong forms of worship now
here's what I mean
go back to the very beginning of the
Bible go back to the Book of Genesis
as God brings forth creation and that
beautiful poetic text
let there be light and there was light
and let the Earth be formed and so it
was and let the Earth be filled with
animals and plants of every kind and let
it be filled with things that crawl upon
the Earth right and then evening came
morning follow the first day evening K
morning follow the second day notice
please this stately procession of
elements coming forth from God
what does that remind you of seeing we
Catholics are kind of clued into that
it's a bit like a liturgy isn't it like
a liturgical procession
the elements coming forth
very important
what shouldn't we do with these things
now think of of sun and moon and Planet
the Earth the mountains animals we
shouldn't worship them right and in the
ancient world at one time or another all
those things were worshiped
the author of Genesis is saying don't
worship them they're creatures
but but
precisely because they come forth in
this orderly liturgical way
we understand their purpose
they are meant to turn toward the
Creator in right praise
now who comes at the end of a liturgical
procession
the one who will lead the praise right
so all the ministers come in imagine
that the servers and the ministers and
the Lecter and the incense Bearer and so
on all coming forth who comes at the end
but the priest or the bishop who will
lead the praise
who comes at the end of the great
procession of creation
but human beings
now we get it now we get it
our whole purpose
is to be the priests if you want of
creation
leading all of Creation in a great
chorus of praise to the Creator God
in that act of adoration
we realize who we are meant to be we
realize our deepest identity and that
word I love by the way adoration mass is
the Supreme moment of adoration
Adora in Latin Aura means Mouse doesn't
it
to the mouth of when you adore you are
mouth to mouth with God it means you're
aligned unto God so here we are aligned
unto God consciously worshiping him and
leading a whole chorus of Praise of all
creation
that's the biblical vision of the good
life of the rightly ordered life
where's trouble come fellow Sinners so
we all know this story
trouble comes from
bad praise
and I challenge you go through the whole
Bible I challenge you to find an
exception to that when Israel goes off
kilter it's because of bad praise
worshiping not the Creator but the
creature
whether it's Idols whether it's
political Powers whether it's it's the
your own culture whether it's the king
whatever when you worship and that
word's lovely too by the way Worship in
English is from an older English word
worthship
what's of highest worth to you see
there's the that's the question
Paul tillick said then the great
Protestant Theologian he said all you
need to know about a person you can
learn by asking one question
what do you worship
it's very penetrating Insight all you
need to know about a person you can
learn by asking one question what do you
worship because what's of highest value
to you will now become the ordering
principle of your whole life right
human beings are meant to worship
worship God and in that process draw all
of creation into this great chorus of
praise
now now the mass the mass and I'll talk
about much more detail as we go but the
mass is the moment when we are most
ourselves
because we've gathered
in adoration odd Aura mouth to mouth
worth shipping giving highest praise to
God and that's why there's a cosmic
element to every Mass read Joseph
rossinger on this over and over again he
stresses the cosmic dimension of the
mass that's why if you go to the great
Gothic cathedrals
you'll find they're covered inside and
out
with symbols of of nature of planets and
animals and the Stars
right right as we give right praise to
God we're leading all the creation a
great chorus of praise
that's what's happening at Mass
and that's why at Mass we are most our
selves
now listen this is happening at 6 30
Mass on Tuesday morning right I I all
this Grand language but that's the
Wonder of it as even 10 people gather 6
30 Mass on a Tuesday morning that's
what's happening
I love that line from Thomas Merton
when he went to The Abbey of Gethsemane
as a young man just to go on Retreat and
he was he's being drawn into the
Catholic world
but he did that Retreat there and then
he wrote afterwards I found the Still
Point
around which the whole country revolves
without knowing it
beautiful see what he had found was the
Liturgy he'd found the mass the mass
adoration right praise
here's something I'll say more about it
as we go too the link to heaven the link
to heaven
do you know there's a song and I'm not
bad mouthing the music of it but the
lyrics I Don't Like
it's a song that says it's not in some
Heaven light years away but here in this
place is Where We Gather I feel what I'm
talking about gather Us in here we are
not in some Heaven light years away well
first of all heaven isn't light years
away that's like Jupiter or something I
mean Heaven's not like physically heaven
in fact is closer to us than we are to
ourselves right
but the point is it's precisely in
heaven that we are When We Gather for
Mass why because our praise here below
is meant to participate in and Echo the
Eternal Praise of the Saints and angels
in heaven
May our voices be one with theirs we say
later in the mass right at the Holy Holy
well who's who are we talking about
there but the angels
see gathered in adoration rightly
ordered May our
praise here below Echo and participate
in theirs the mass lifts us up
to Heaven again I'll say more about it
as we go
that's why it's so important and this
Vatican II was so insistent upon this
that the mass is not like a lecture or a
performance right that we come to to
witness from a distance
great Prayer by which we are rightly
ordered unto God there is your full
conscious and active participation in it
how about just um one more general idea
the mass is a great call and response
between Christ The Head and the members
of his mystical body let me just say
that again because I'll come back to
this theme a lot the mass is a great
call in response
between Christ The Head and the members
of his mystical body
you know read the great Song of Songs in
the Old Testament which is a beautiful
love poem it's like two kids in love and
they spend the whole poem calling out to
each other
well of course the mystics of our
tradition have seen that as a symbol of
our love affair with God
so think of the mass now as not just
something set up here that I guess we
respond to it what said up here what
said by the priest or the bishop is
meant to be the call of Christ
our response is the response of his
mystical body
so that we come together
see we're most ourselves watch now when
we are gathered together as members of
his mystical body ordered to God and
write praise does that make sense and
the mass is what affects that the mass
is what affects that moment
which is why it's the source and Summit
of the Christian Life and why we're
meant fully consciously and actively to
participate in it
[Music]
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