The Koreans gave Pope Francis a tumultuous welcome in their World Cup Stadium on Friday morning, but 9:30 PM for us on Thursday for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I would say the majority of Korean women were wearing chapel veils as is their custom never lost after Vatican II.
Despite their exuberance prior to Mass, once the Mass starts, like Pope Francis, the exuberance ceased, personalities faded to the background and Jesus Christ took front and center. Isn't this what should be the case in every Holy Mass?
The choir is excellent as is the congregational participation. Please note the super-long altar and its Benedictine arrangement. The homily is in Italian, surely a disappointment for the Koreans.
The Mass begins at minute 34:13:
5 comments:
Father, thank you for posting the Pope's visit. I have not had time to follow all the videos and am very happy for your interest and articles. I do not have access to Catholic television and where I live the Net is not always kind to online videos. Keep up this good work.
This is how mass should be. Coming from Asia it was hard for me to find a church with such reverence in Canada. I drive 35kms one way every Sunday for mass although there is a church less than 1 km from my home.
The Assumption of Mary- a manifestation of the Power and Glory of God
One of the fruits, one of the results of Christ's redemptive suffering and death was that His physical body would then not have to suffer corruption. Indeed, since the Divine and human nature in the person of Christ now existed in an inseparable unity, He would therefore ascend bodily as well as in His Divinity into Heaven. Now Christ, being God and having all Power and being the One through whom all things were created, could exist in any part of His creation but not so the physical body. The Resurrection testified to the fact that Christ had defeated the corrupting effects of death on the physical body.The splendor of the Resurrection was not just in demonstrating the Glory and Power of God but also in the resultant glorification of Christ's human nature. The physical body no longer had to succumb to corruption. It was glorified and could therefore continue in that inseparable unity with His Divinity in the Eternal Heaven. In the Glorified Body of Christ which ascended with Him is the hope and promise that ours will also one day rise up to join Him. In the Assumption we accept by faith that the Blessed Virgin has already realized the promise of this hope. If we accept by faith what is in Scripture, does it take any additional faith to accept and believe that? The Holy Virgin, through the Grace and Power of God was without sin from the beginning. She in her physical body would not suffer the corruption due to the sin of Adam. The inseparable unity of her soul and body would remain. It was then only for God to draw her to Himself. By His unsurpassing Divine love was she attracted to Him and by His ineffable love for her was she drawn up to Him. In Christ's physical body is the mold which will shape us for our Eternal destiny if we, by our cooperation with the Holy Spirit, we follow His teachings. In the Blessed Virgin is the template given us to imitate so that if we follow her example, we will one day follow her, body and soul, into the Celestial Paradise.
Our Lady’s love is like a stream that has its source in the Eternal Fountains, quenches the thirst of all, can never be drained, and ever flows back to its Source.
- Saint Marguerite Bourgeous (1620-1700),
I thought it was pretty good, all very respectful and not a trace of the egotistical "inculturation" present in certain Western Papal visits.
Do you know what's funny? That Westerners can claim that Latin etc is not part of their cultural tradition! I think that is the dumbest thing. Way to shirk your heritage. How can the liturgy of a Western nation be "inculturated?" Missale Romanum is already inculturated for Western nations. Self-haters.
What did they sing? Although in Korean it was common catholic tradition. Without knowing Korean, without knowing what the even was with my eyes closed I could say it was catholic. It sounded catholic!!!! Even the responsorial psalm in Korean sounded like Catholic (chant). There was no drum sets. The Panis Angelicus was beautifully sung. The Organ was primary. I wish I was there. The whole ceremony would have been beautiful with thousands reciting the credo together and singing the responses together.
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