Sunday morning I attended my first British mass-- and it was really different! For starters, the physical layout of the church was different. The pews are shorter (meaning the back rest is lower) and instead of one long foot rest for kneeling on, they have individual pillow cushions. Also, the priest stands much closer to the congregation, which gives the mass a more intimate feel. Of course, the fact that there were only three other worshipers in the church with me may have contributed to that close feeling. Apparently, Londoners like to sleep a bit later—the priest told me later that the 11:00am is more densely populated.
Even though the structure of the mass (two Bible readings, followed by the Gospel and Homily, concluding with the Eucharist) was the same, there were so many small differences in the wording of the prayers that it was hard to follow along. For instance, in response to “Peace be with you,” the Brits say “And with thine spirit” instead of “And also with you.”
Interestingly, the priest actually talked about politics and current events during the homily. I wasn’t all that surprised to hear him discuss the need for religious tolerance in the wake of the recent bombing incidents, but he surprised me when he compared Islamofascists to “the Leftist fantatics” that tried to take over Parliament in the 1970s.” I was waiting for him to give his opinion of the new head of state, but he stopped just short of that. Maybe I can get him to talk about that at the church Garden Party on Thursday night. Wine and savories will be served- admission is only £10.00!
No comments:
Post a Comment