Mass in Slow Motion
On Sunday January 23rd, at 8 am and 10 am, Saint Mark Parish is offering the “Mass in Slow Motion.” It is a form of using the role of a commentator throughout the liturgy to help the participants to have a richer experience. For many people, it probably is new to see the Mass as a process that unfolds in three stages: Pray, Offer, and Communicate.
Look how the Mass meanders through these stages:
These three stages correspond with an invocation of the priest (Let us pray…), a sacred silence, and a concluding presidential prayer by the priest. These are the moment when the congregation is participating actively in the liturgy, as introduced by the Second Vatican Council.
These Masses will be recorded on video and we will use the recordings for three interactive sessions on Zoom:
January 25 (Pray)
February 8 (Offer)
February 22 (Communicate)
Dr. Paul Ford, a national expert in this matter, will lead these sessions. Click on the button below to register for the Zoom sessions:
How to prepare for these Masses
If you plan to attend one of the Masses in Slow Motion, it may be good to do a bit of introspection or self-reflection prior to the Mass.
- What is it that you are praying for at this time of your life?
- What is it what you are offering of yourself to the Lord?
Take a look at this quadrant below. Print it out for yourself, and hang it on a place in your home where you pass often.
- What is it that you would fill out on those blanks?
- What are the prayers, joys, works, and sufferings that you will offer up at this Mass?
Realize that the Presider cannot go on with the Mass if there is no activity here from the side of the faithful!