Episcopal & Catholic Mass: A Comparison of Consecration Rites

The services I chose to view are an episcopal and a catholic mass. In the past, I have attended a catholic Eucharistic mass and was awed by the various sessions of sitting and standing throughout the sermon. Besides, their consecration rites were somewhat confusing, and I found them quite intriguing. In my Lutheran church, Christ is seen as mysteriously present in the bread and wine, while these items are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the catholic doctrine. Besides, while their homily majors on good deeds and their connection to salvation, our church's sermon are founded on emphasizing God's laws and the salvation brought by Jesus. Generally, the episcopal and the Roman Catholic Church present two distinct Christian experiences that are beyond my faith tradition.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The Episcopal Church

The service and the church were calm and led by two ministers who took alternating roles. The room was serene, with a cross being the only distinguishing feature in the room and other elements being generally simple. This simplicity was further evident with the minimal use of instruments and walls that have minimal decorations. Its altar was also simple with candles as the only main features of it. The main focus of the room seems to be establishing a serene setting for the church service. The design is generally plain and induces a calm feeling hence creating an ideal environment for uninterrupted worship.

There was no music during the service, and the ministers chanted several readings from their guiding books. The chants were tranquil and were extracted from various verses in the bible. There was no use of any musical instruments, which enhanced the calmness further. Conversely, the readings of the bible comprised of both the new and old testament and were read by different church members who connected to the service virtually. All texts were scripted, with each member taking congregants through selected reading. Moreover, they recited the Lord's Prayer together after the sermon.

The central part of the service was conducted by a minister who donned robes that had minimal decorations. He led the first part of the service, which involved chants with a fellow minister and later gave a sermon based on the day's readings. One surprising element I found in his sermon was the constant use of his experiences to relate with the bible and give teachings. The address was mainly based on the gospel as the minister used it to provide several lessons. The message was meaningful as it taught about when life in Jesus begins and how Christians should lead such an experience.

The prayer times were solemn with the ministers leading them and congregants reciting together with them. They used ordinary language to conduct them, which made it easy to follow. The communion involved bread and wine and is taken during every service and is open to all who are baptized. The most meaningful aspects were the sermon as I could relate with the teachings and the prayers since they were similar to that of the church. However, I found the general order of the service and their Eucharist confusing as it was somewhat different from the Lutheran style.

The Catholic Church

The Catholic Church interior was breath-taking with the vast decorations and appealing architecture. I would liken it to a historical site that has various features which enhance its charm. The inside of the church had several sculptures of Jesus and Mary hanging on the walls with beautifully crafted cathedral glass. The fundamental focus seems to be creating a setting that brings together many traditions of the church in one place. I found the environment quite distractive for worship owing to the many decorations in every part of the interiors.

The music was serene and well composed to inspire a feeling of calmness with the organ being used continuously. The music was appealing and matched the overall solemnness of the mass. There were readings from the old and New Testament with the congregants taking some, one of the ministers reading the gospel. The second reading was from the book of psalms and was responsive while the other passages were scripted. There were several recital prayers, including the creed and the Lord's Prayer, with each having a distinct part in the mass schedule.

The central part of the mass was conducted by a bishop. The bishop wore highly decorated robes with additions such as a special cap and a unique stick which he held all through the homily. The aspect that perplexed me was his vestments and associated items as I could not establish their significance in the mass. His homily centered on the gospel but also took some points from the traditions of the church. It focused mainly on the deeds that Christians should perform in their daily lives as they seek salvation. I found the message applicable as the bishop gave real examples of how to apply the gospel teachings in our daily lives.

The prayer times, as other parts of the mass, were solemn. Some parts, such as reciting the Lord's Prayer, were done using everyday language while I could not relate with the language used in some parts of the consecration. Eucharist formed an integral part of every mass and was open to all those who had met the set conditions, including completing catechism and attending confessions. The most significant element in the service was the teachings as I could apply them in my daily life. Conversely, I was confused by the consecration rites as they were different from my denomination's practices. Overall, it was an enjoyable service, particularly in their songs.

Conclusion

Overall, while this experience was different from my denomination, some aspects were similar. The focus on the gospel teachings and some elements of the communion are common in the churches. Besides, service leaders wear special vestments when leading the service and follow individual unique books that define the order of service. However, there are fewer decorations in my denomination and seems to embrace the simplicity of the Episcopal Church. Also, there is rarely any mention of the church's traditions when giving sermons while the Catholic Church tends to incorporate them in its homilies.

From the two services, the changes that resulted from the reformation period leading to denominational differences made sense. The Catholic Church seems to focus more on decorations and thus equips its church with vast decor to make it appealing. Besides, its traditions are viewed as unique and widely used when presenting homilies (Jones, 2013, 235). Conversely, protestant churches adopt a simple interior design, with the main focus being creating a serene environment for worship. Also, their teachings are limited to what is written in the bible. Nevertheless, despite the few differences, all churches use the bible to develop lessons, and they are all centered on the life and gospel of Jesus Christ; hence the diversity maintains an aspect of unity.

Reference

Jones, T. P. (2013). Rose Bible Basics: Christian History Made Easy. Rose Publishing Inc.