One of the things I used to love was the Latin Mass. I just hated it, when they decided to go into the venacular, Mass in English was more clear to all, but something was lost. My take on it was that the Church decided it was time to step down to the level of the people they were serving. They were stepping down rather than lifting up.
Latin on the other hand, always took us up.
You could always get copies of the Mass in English and follow along. A lot of people did. But the rythym of speech in the Latin was part of what elevated us. Just the sound.
I don’t want to write a thesis here on my thoughts about this, so I’ll get to the point. There was a particular part of the Mass, where the priest said, “Sursum corda”. I always remember how that would hit me. “Lift up your hearts”. The response from the congregation was! , “We have lifted them up to the Lord”.
I think about that from time to time; sursum corda. Lift up your hearts. Go above wherever you are. Lift. Lifting takes effort. We have to be conscious at the moment. Someone is calling to us, directing us to pay attention to what we’re doing. All together now, lift.
In the eleventh step it talks about a conscious contact with God. I think if I can remember the directions it’s the moment we decide to lift. That’s my take on it.
I’m not trying to think of this as a sectarian moment. Religion has nothing to do with growing along spiritual lines. It can, but it’s not necessary. Spirituality is a personal thing. It’s not a collective. It’s between me and God. My personal relationship. I only bring the thought above in, because it helps me t! o sometimes think of that line, “Sursum corda”.
Prayer is the lifting of the hearts and mind to God. We say meditation is listening. Lifting; and while there, stop and listen. The rythym of conversation. We speak and then let the other reply.
And, just think; all of this started the day I decided to stop drinking. It all started with the need to get away from alcohol, which was driving me insane and killing me. It started with the first step. It started, when I was directed to get a power greater than myself in order to overcome this disease. I lacked the necessary power to conquer it. It started when I decided to turn my will and life over to the care of this power. This is the culmination of that first step. Being in conscious contact and continuing to relate to that power. And all these years later, it’s still working. I can neve! r afford to forget that. I have to be grateful that I was lifted up from a state of hopelessness into a state of hope and faith and indeed love.
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