Samuel Lee - Church Visit #2

Church Name: St. Peter and Paul Catholic School
Church Address: 201 E Franklin Ave, Naperville, IL 60540
Date Attended: 10/30/16
Church Category: Tridentine Mass 

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

The very first thing that I noticed about the church was the art work and the intricacies of the design of the church. The church was quite large and had a lot of people attending the evening service. While the whole service was in Latin, pamphlets were provided with English translations. As long as you were paying attention to what was being said, you could easily follow along. The service was very transitional; things moved smoothly from one thing to the next. Like the Orthodox service, there was a very physical sense to the service. From the bits of holy water splashed across my face, to the pungent smell of incense filling my nose. The sermon given at the service was very formal and different to my regular context in the Presbyterian church. The aspect of kneeling, standing, and sitting at different times in the service was heightened. The genuflections that the priests and the congregation did was also very different from my regular context. 

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

The extent to which the church was connected to the Catholic Church surprised me. Toward the end of the sermon, the priest prayed for the problems of other Parishes and the recent earthquakes in Italy itself. The service showed me the extent to which the Catholic Church had a sense of catholicity and global church unity. The fact that the service, except for the sermon, was in Latin also illuminated the strength of unity. It is surprising to me that the tradition of singing all the liturgy and praying in all Latin as still existed to this day in 2016. I could not help but notice that the priest had a bit of a southern accent in the sermon but was speaking Latin in the service. The service showed me that there are traditions and practices practiced across the world that are practiced in the same exact manner here in America, that is inspiring. 

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

The service was close to an hour and a half long. Much of the time was spent kneeling and praying. Much like what Dr. Lee spoke about how often physical actions can attribute to the spiritual aspects of worship, I felt the same way. As I was kneeling and following along as the priests said, "Lord, have mercy," I could not help but feel physically feel a great connection to the Lord that renews our mercies every single day. Kneeling with my hands together, I looked forward at the altar and the crosses. I could understand why some people would aspire to this kind of worship, because I really believe that the physical aspect of worship can draw us closer to the presence of the Lord. As a Presbyterian, I feel challenged to incorporate more physical acts into my act of worship.