Many people don’t know what is the real essence of the Mass and what is the proper way to celebrate it. One of the proper ways to celebrate the mass is to “Pray the Mass”. You may encounter that word in social media or from a priest from your parish. But why pray the mass? Because the mass contains group of prayers. If you have booklets of the Mass specially the Traditional Latin Mass (Tridentine Mass), you will notice that many parts of the Mass are actually prayers. Like the Pater Noster (Our Father) and the Apostle’s Creed. Even the Gloria and the Kyrie Eleison (Lord Have Mercy) is a prayer. In the Novus Ordo Mass, most prayers are prayed together by the Priest and the people while in the Traditional Latin Mass was most prayed by the priest. Prayers are very important in our lives because it is the way to send our wishes or message to God, the Blessed Virgin, the Angels and the Saints. The Mass is a very important because we dedicate these prayers to the Holy Trinity.
Why do masses have music like the choir and musical instruments including the Organ? If there’s music then it must be an entertainment, right? The answer is No. Music was included in the mass because singing is part of the tradition from Jewish to Christians. And according to Saint Augustine “He who sings well, prays twice”. Singing the prayers is more effective. That’s why in the previous generation before the Vatican II, the prayers in the mass are sung using Saint Pope Gregory the Great’s “Gregorian Chant”. And this chant is very solemn. Let us remember that we attend the Mass not for us to be entertained, but to pray, to praise and give adoration to our Our Lord, our God. The mass should remain a Catholic Sacrifice, not a Protestant feast.
