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Mass intention?

henrik.hank
edited December 1969 in Non-Orthodox Inquiries
In the Roman Catholic tradition there is something called Mass Intention. Does this exist in the Coptic tradition?

Comments

  • HolmesHolmes
    + Irini nem ehmot,

    Mass Intention:

    The object for which a priest offers the Eucharistic Sacrifice. This intention is distinct from the priest's decision to offer Mass, which is necessary for valid celebration. It is also distinct from the effects of the Mass which benefit those who take part in the sacrifice and attend the Mass. These are called the special fruits of the Mass and extensively are without limit, as are also the effects on the entire Church, called the general fruits of the Mass.

    Mass intentions refer to the particular purpose for which a specific Mass is offered. This may be to honor God or thank him for blessings received. But technically a Mass intention means that the sacrifice is offered for some person(s) living or dead. Also called the application of a Mass, it pertains to the ministerial fruits of the Mass. These fruits are both extensively and intensively finite in virtue of the positive will of Christ. Other things being equal, the more often the sacrifice is offered the more benefit is conferred.

    The intention for which a priest offers a Mass is determined either by the common law of the Church, or by specific precept, or, most often, by the intention of the donor of a Mass stipend, or by the priest's own devotion. Since it is not absolutely certain that the ministerial fruits of the Mass are limited, a priest may conditionally (if the one giving the stipend suffers no loss thereby) offer the Mass for several intentions. It is assumed that the priest does not intend by these second or third intentions to fulfill an obligation of justice by these conditional applications.

    Source

    [quote author=henrik.hank link=topic=11737.msg140369#msg140369 date=1309246191]
    Does this exist in the Coptic tradition?


    No.
  • henrik.hank
    [quote author=Κηφᾶς link=topic=11737.msg140372#msg140372 date=1309248333]
    + Irini nem ehmot,

    No.

    so you don't pray for specific people at Divine Liturgy? I have heard that you actually do.
  • HolmesHolmes
    + Irini nem ehmot,

    No. There are feast days and days that commemorate saints, but these are not 'mass intentions'. The liturgy is not served up because of that saint per se. In larger churches, where there are many priests, the liturgy is often performed on a daily basis. Furthermore, there is a section during the liturgy where the saints are commemorated as well as prayers are said for those who have departed. However, that should not be viewed in the light of 'mass intentions' as defined above.
  • henrik.hank
    What about praying like this: http://www.anacapa.net/~handmaids/6prayers.html#Anchor1
  • dzheremi
    What about it? All that "hearts of Jesus and Mary" stuff is heretical nonsense, based on post-great schism (AD 1054) developments in Latin monasteries, with the actual cults surrounding them (with specific devotions to them and whatnot) developing even much later than that, based on private revelations from supposed visitations of Mary to various European Catholics. Orthodoxy has nothing to do with such things. The Lord and the Theotokos (or any of the saints) are not vivisected for worship, or for any other reason. That is just disturbing.
  • HolmesHolmes
    + Irini nem ehmot,

    :D Oh Jeremy, you cracked me up with that post.
  • henrik.hank
    [quote author=dzheremi link=topic=11737.msg142184#msg142184 date=1311958155]
    What about it? All that "hearts of Jesus and Mary" stuff is heretical nonsense, based on post-great schism (AD 1054) developments in Latin monasteries, with the actual cults surrounding them (with specific devotions to them and whatnot) developing even much later than that, based on private revelations from supposed visitations of Mary to various European Catholics. Orthodoxy has nothing to do with such things. The Lord and the Theotokos (or any of the saints) are not vivisected for worship, or for any other reason. That is just disturbing.

    Why is it such a big heresy?  ???
    Is it also a big heresy to offer prayer to the Father united with all the Masses that has been and will be celebrated?
  • dzheremi
    It is heretical because as I stated already it is not proper to vivisect our Lord Christ or the Theotokos, or any of the saints, for the purposes of worship. I didn't come up with this idea myself. This is the Orthodox position.

    St. Athanasius of Alexandria pointed out the wrongness of worshipping Christ's body in a separate way, in these words: "We do not worship a created thing, but the Master of created things, the Word of God made flesh. Although the flesh itself, considered separately, is a part of created things, yet it has become the body of
    God. We do not worship this body after having separated it from the Word. Likewise, we do not separate the Word from the body when we wish to worship Him. But knowing that "the Word was made flesh," we recognise the Word existing in the flesh as God."     (Ep. ad Adelph., par. 3)

    Read more about Orthodox objections to this at "Occidentalis" Western Rite Orthodox webpage
  • HolmesHolmes
    + Irini nem ehmot,

    Ultimately, the object of our worship should always be God in His person (whether this be the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit). This may be done through certain portions of Him, such as if we were to find the foreskin of Jesus, we could worship His person through it. But to worship the actual segment of His nature is essentially to succumb to the heresy of Nestorianism in our worship.

    This focus on one part of our Lord’s physical body effectively separates the worship of the human nature of Christ from His Divine Nature; the Orthodox Church, teaches us to worship the Lord in His Divine-human unity, not in each of the natures separately. Orthodoxy maintains a more restrained and objective devotional approach to the Lord, avoiding sensuality, sentimentality, and emotionalism.

    (Excerpts taken from others on another website)


    [quote author=henrik.hank link=topic=11737.msg142256#msg142256 date=1312050281]
    Is it also a big heresy to offer prayer to the Father united with all the Masses that has been and will be celebrated?


    What does this even mean?
  • henrik.hank
    [quote author=Κηφᾶς link=topic=11737.msg142259#msg142259 date=1312051542]
    What does this even mean?

    something like this: We offer all of these prayers in union with Jesus in each Mass celebrated throughout the world, throughout all time. Amen!
  • HolmesHolmes
    + Irini nem ehmot,

    And that ties in with everything how?
  • christiangirlchristiangirl
    It won't matter about the difference of place or religion, only if you use them for the right kinds of worship.
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