{"product_id":"catechism-of-the-catholic-mass-how-to-properly-dispose-yourself-for-the-most-worthy-celebration-of-mass-to-attain-every-grace-the-father-wishes-to-to-become-the-person-god-intends-you-to-be","title":"Catechism of the Catholic Mass: How to properly dispose yourself for the most worthy celebration of Mass to attain every grace the Father wishes to ... to become the person God intends you to be","description":"The devout, loving but strict nuns at St. Mary’s Parochial School of the 1950s would be rolling over in their graves . . . my journey to Heaven on Earth began with a cheat sheet. Yes, a cheat sheet.\n\nAlso, they would have objected strenuously to Google’s generous AI Overview: “A cheat sheet is a document containing essential information, formulas, or shortcuts for quick reference, originally used for cheating but now a widely accepted tool for learning and productivity.”\n\nMy story begins with an innocent, familiar Lenten resolution -- attend daily Mass. This was not my first rodeo as a daily Communicant but, unlike before, something very unusual happened at a Mass on the way to Communion . . .\n\n“An elderly woman hobbled to the Altar, struggled to prostrate herself before receiving the Eucharist on her tongue, after laboring to stand, she shuffled to her pew, and held her face in hands entwined with a Rosary.\n\n“Conversely, I strolled to the Altar mindlessly, extended my hands robotically, received the Eucharist unemotionally, placed it in my mouth perfunctorily, performed the obligatory Catholic two-step, signed the Cross carelessly, walked to my seat quickly, knelt to offer an insincere prayer, and waited impatiently for Dismissal so I could return to the truly important things in my life.\n\n“Sleeping uneasily that night, I conceded, ‘I’m not getting anything out of Mass.’”\n\nBut unlike Catholics who fell away from the Church, “In a purposeful act of contrition, I, truly, resolved to amend my behavior.” Memo to fallen-away Catholics: It might not be, entirely, the Church’s fault.\n\nTo follow Mass more ardently, I decided to create a cheat sheet to casually record the steps or parts of Mass -- the elements -- which morphed into a formal “Order of Mass.”\n\nThe exercise shocked me in two respects: There is no single, go-to-source for every element of Mass. While the USCCB site offers the most thorough listing, it is inadequate. Starting with my cheat sheet and ending with my book, I discovered over 60 distinct elements in Mass. Repeat after me . . . “over sixty.” In short order, I experienced “Catch-22:” the more I studied the Order of Mass . . . the more I realized how little I knew about each element . . . the more I desired to learn . . . and expanded my search to the “Meaning of Mass.”\n\nConsequently, I traded in my cheat sheet for a laptop and, eventually, published “Heaven on Earth: The Order and Meaning of Mass” to collective sighs of relief as the nuns rolled back over in their graves.\n\nGod bless their open, dedicated hearts. Because they drilled a hole in my brain and filled it with teachings from the Baltimore Catechism, thirty years later, I was able to return, seamlessly, to my Catholic faith.\n\nSo thirty years after returning to my faith, I am producing the Catechism of the Catholic Mass in their honor with a dual purpose: Stem the tide of Catholics, like me, bemoaning, “I’m not getting anything out of Mass,” and, potentially, falling away. Bring fallen-away Catholics back to the one, true Church established by Jesus Christ by demonstrating how to “get something out of Mass.”\u003cbr\u003eASIN: B0G2T2BYQ2\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: BVV.B0G2T2BYQ2.G\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Good\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Barnett, Ralph\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact  including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Blue Vase Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43160590254141,"sku":"BVV.B0G2T2BYQ2.G","price":9.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0589\/4225\/9261\/files\/B0G2T2BYQ2-0.jpg?v=1778275791","url":"https:\/\/www.bluevasebooks.com\/products\/catechism-of-the-catholic-mass-how-to-properly-dispose-yourself-for-the-most-worthy-celebration-of-mass-to-attain-every-grace-the-father-wishes-to-to-become-the-person-god-intends-you-to-be","provider":"Blue Vase Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}