Laura Clark - Church Visit 2

Church name: Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church

Church address: 36 N Ellsworth St, Naperville, IL 60540

Date attended: 11/1/2015

Church Category: Roman Catholic

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?

The Tridentine service I attended was staggeringly different from my regular context, although in a certain respect it was familiar due to my weekly attendance to mass during childhood. In contrast to my regular context, which is Protestant, I noticed a level of thoughtfulness, reverence, mind for tradition, and strictness that is not generally present in Protestant churches. There was a divine significance to every word and movement that the priest and laity said or made. For instance, during the reading from the Epistles the Missal was placed on the right side of the altar, and during the Gospel reading it is moved to the left. Also, the color of the vestments, pouring a small part of water into the wine during communion, the chimes, and the combination of standing, sitting, and kneeling were all very intentional. I appreciated the particularity, although some of the meaning was unclear to me. Another substantial difference was the distinct division between the priest and the congregation, both physically and sacramentally. For starters, there was a stone divider separating the altar from the pews. More importantly, though, was the priest’s multiple private prayers and offerings especially during the Canon and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Overall, it was clear that the mass was not primarily performed for the congregation.

How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity?

It just so happened that before attending this service I had just finished reading Luther’s criticism of the Catholic Mass in On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church. It enlightened some of the theology behind this Tridentine Mass and I was able to not only comprehend but also feel where Luther was coming from when he wrote the treaty. For instance, one of Luther’s arguments is that the priests are too separate from the laity. I felt the separation! Luther also argues against the priest’s focus on human works in the Mass. I got this sense as well, especially through the particular, precise, and routine way they perform the sacrament; as if doing it correctly would impart more grace. Because of this and other points I felt I was able to better grasp the reasoning of Luther’s push-back to the Catholic Church in the 16^th century.

How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian?

After attending this mass I am more secure in calling myself a Protestant, or at the very least not calling myself a Catholic. There was never a time when I seriously considered converting to Catholicism, rather I just never understood the somewhat harsh rebuke that Protestants usually made towards Catholics. How different could they really be? I grew up with Catholic Mass and I came to a point in high school where I greatly respected Catholicism—and I still do. However, during my college years I have become more knowledgeable about the theology of different branches within the Christian church. Attending Mass with a new, more informed lens helped me to distinguish the more subtle theological differences between Protestants and Catholics and ultimately affirm myself as a Protestant with full knowledge of what I am claiming.