Alright! Here's the second part of the Parish Liturgical Conference I attended back in August. Are you excited to find out about popular religiosity and prayers? 😁

Anyway, yeah I'm so delayed in sharing it to everyone haha. Feel free to read the first talk so you have an idea what liturgy and the mass and such is all about: Awe-inspiring Parish Liturgical Conference Experience! 😱

Same as that one I will also be sharing key points and ideas I took note of from the talk in bullet points.

^source

Who is the Speaker?

Let me introduce to you one of the people I look forward to listen to online or in person! To be honest, he's the only reason I attended the whole day conference! 😆 It was the first time I saw him in person. ❤️

Fr. Jojo is a known exorcist priest in the Philippines. I first learned of him from watching various international and local exorcist online talks and interviews last year. (Glory to God in the highest!) He is also one of the founders of the Philippine Association of Catholic Exorcists (Archdiocese of Manila Office of Exorcism).

If you want to know more about him, feel free to watch this video (in Filipino). He also has a YouTube channel: Sense of the Sacred! ❤️

Don't forget to say a prayer for him and other priests. 🙏

^{Rev. Fr. Jojo Zerrudo during the talk. | source}

What is Liturgy?

Now let's go to the main topic. Here's what he discussed and shared with us in his parish talk. It's mostly in Filipino so I translated almost everything to English. 😁

• Liturgy is the summit of Christian life. The exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ. Sanctification is applied to us.

• Second Vatican Council was all about renewal of the liturgical life of the church.

• Liturgy is the official way of the church to worship God.

• Liturgies are prayers.

• Liturgy is basically the prayer of Jesus.

• Mass is the highest form of worshipping God. It is celebrating and worshipping God.

^{One of the photos I took of Fr. Jojo during his talk.}

What About Popular Devotion?

• Popular devotion is not part of sacred liturgy.

• The reason why people go to The Feast or El Shaddai (Filipino charismatic Catholic organizations) because the mass is thought of as for the elite. Charismatics is considered a personal devotion.

• The mass is the official worship of the Church. It is structured.

• The official state of the mass has already been simplified but most people do not appreciate it that much. Those people don't want formality but want to feel God personally instead.

• An example of popular religiosity is touching statues of saints or Jesus. Just like the bleeding woman (of 12 yrs) who touched the fringe of Jesus' clothes, the same action is done by those who touch religious images.

• Another example is novenas. A novena is longer but more felt by the people.

• The structure of popular devotions is the same as the way we communicate with each other. That's why more people are into it instead of going to mass.

• Processions also have the language that are easier to understand than the sacred liturgy.

• Popular religiosity is easier to grasp and better appreciated and this comes from the people. It has a life of its own because of the culture of the people.

• What is popular devotion?
  1 . It is an extension of liturgy.
  2 . Prepares us to celebrate liturgy.

^{Screenshot source}

Prayers and Popular Devotion

• Because "the liturgy is considered as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ... no other activity of the church can compare with liturgy in dignity and efficacy," according to Sacrosantum Concilium. Mass has no other match than liturgy.

• Prayers extend the liturgy/mass, for example the angelus or rosary. (It is also an act of piety.)

• Mystery of the faith is the Eucharist itself. The presence of the Body and Blood of Christ. The transubstantiation is the mystery of faith.

• Popular religiosity or devotions is closer to the language of our hearts. It helps us understand liturgy and appreciate it. This helps prepare us for the worthy encounter of God in the Eucharist, especially for those who don't usually go to mass.
  -- For example, if you're early to mass, pray the rosary instead of idly talking with your companions while in church. Why? So your interior disposition will be prepared to encounter Christ who will arrive in Word and Sacrament during the celebration of the Eucharist (mass).
  -- Or, by adoring Jesus in the Adoration Chapel it prepares you and makes you more eager to receive Holy Communion.

• Procession and other devotions serve as a reminder to people to go to mass, etc.

• Liturgy is the source which is enriched by devotion and vice versa.

• We must not laugh or make fun of religious piety / popular devotion because it is a personal experience. It is someone's feelings. Liturgy is to the mind as devotion is to the heart.

• Popular devotion is hard to curb. Some of it even becomes part of the liturgy.

• Worshipping God (going to mass) and doing devotions must be from the heart. Liturgy and popular religiosity are both prayers and acceptable to God as long as it comes from faith and love. It must be from the heart.

^source

Questions and Answers Portion

Well I didn't take note of the questions, just the answers. So here they go. 😁

• Devotion prayers like novena should be outside of the mass.

• Traditional Latin Mass and Novus Ordo are the same mass. Neither is more powerful than the other.

• On fake novenas: In occult, orations are very mechanical. Demons are legalistic. The letter kills while the Spirit quickens or gives life. ^{(2 Corinthians 3:6)} Take note: the spirit or essence is more important than the law but the devil makes you legalistic and Pharisaic.
  -- You must put your faith in God instead of whatever you do. The Holy Spirit is always the Advocate, the devil is the accuser.

^{After the talk, Fr. Jojo was also given a certificate of appreciation by the parish priest and a St. Joseph token by the parochial vicar.}

Well, what do you think? Did you learn anything new today? Feel free to share in the comments!


XOXO,
@artgirl