Latin in the Mass: Part 2

(My 1962 Missal opened to the "Gloria".)

Language preserves tradition. In the Latin Mass, I learned how to worship God with the adoration and respect the Church has always shown Him. Latin helps remind us to keep what is sacred as sacred. It doesn’t damage or diminish holiness and tradition by changing in meaning or structure. For example, in the Masses said in the vernacular, we used to say, “And also with you,” when the priest said, “Peace be with you.” Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had that changed to the traditional and literal translation. So now we say, “And with your spirit.” In the Latin Mass community, I never had to wake up one day and find out I had been saying the wrong stuff in Mass my whole life. In Latin, it was always “And with your spirit” (Et cum spiritu tuo), and it always will be.

Just as in the non-Latin Masses, at the Latin Mass, missals are always available. The Latin missal has the Latin right beside the literal English translation of what is going on in the Mass. It can be a little tricky to follow along at first, but the more you expose yourself, the easier it will become. It took one of my friends just three visits to the Latin Mass to get the hang of it. Just a few months later, he was able to say many of the responses from memory. Sometimes I don’t even use a missal because I’ve been able to memorize the responses and the different parts of the Mass as well. Murmuring responses like, “Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis,” has become like second nature to me and to everyone else who has been introduced to the Latin Mass over the last few years.

I feel as though going to the Mass in Latin has helped me nurture a mature relationship with God and the saints. I feel as though I’ve developed a deep understanding of God’s Plan and my role as a lay Catholic in our troubled modern world. It has made the Sacrifice of the Mass come alive for me and reminds me that my life is something that belongs to God. When you go to your first Latin Mass allow yourself to be transported. Allow yourself to learn more about your God and your faith through mystery and tradition. Allow yourself to be taken up, to participate in the sacred, to experience unity and continuity, to worship God in the most respectful way we know how. “Commune with your God.” (1962 Missal) It won’t be long before you reach an understanding you never thought was possible.

Latin in the Mass: Part 1

(My Latin Mass community, December 2014)

Since the 3rd century A.D. and up until the year 1965, the Mass was said in Latin. For the first 300 years in the history of the Church, much of the Mass was said in Greek, but for the almost 1600 years following, the Mass was in Latin. And yet, during this time, the Church grew explosively. Interestingly, today, many people balk at the idea of hearing the Mass in Latin. When I invite people to the Latin Mass, they usually say, “It’s in a language I don’t understand!” Although I am a young Catholic who does not speak Latin as a first language, and who understands very little of it, I tend to view the Traditional Latin Mass in a different light.

Many Masses are said all over the world in many different languages. Not everyone in all those Masses understands the languages being used, but, they still feel blessed, they still know the actions at Mass--what is happening at Mass. For example, on Guam, Chamorro is spoken even though not all people on Guam understand it. In fact, most people on Guam speak English. If someone from Korea or Vietnam or other parts of Micronesia goes to a Mass that is said in English, is it less of a Mass for them? Even native English speakers--do they understand everything that goes on in an English Mass? This is why the celebrant explains the Mass and Church teachings in their sermons, which is what our Traditional Latin Mass priests do for us.

As a matter of fact, when all the Masses were in Latin, it created a unifying experience. Latin is the language of the universal Church, the Catholic Church. In Guam, right now, people who are concerned about cultural identity are scrambling to teach young Guamanians to speak Chamorro. Why is language so important to this effort to re-establish cultural identity? Well, one of the reasons is that language often nurtures unity. “One island. One people.” I think I saw that on a billboard in Yona somewhere. Unity helps a people and its culture to not only survive, but to thrive. It keeps reality from turning into memory and then into myth. If unity is so terribly important to a small island in the South Pacific, it seems that it should be just as important to the one, universal Church.

I’m an experienced “Latin Masser” now, but that was not always the case. I remember saying the Mass in English as a child. Even today, since Latin Masses are extremely limited, I often go to Masses that are said in English. I’ve come to realize, however, that when you experience the Latin Mass, you experience something peculiar. I’ve heard people express this peculiarity in different ways. “I thought I was in pre-War Agana,” someone once told me after his first Latin Mass just a few months ago. Another friend said she felt like she’d been transported back to ancient times. Those were interesting comments because the popes and the saints themselves have talked about how the tradition of the Mass keeps us in touch with our Catholic roots: it keeps us in touch with saints of the distant past, with the Early Church, with the Last Supper itself because of the manner in which it is said, because of the formula we now call “traditional”. The Latin Mass I attend is the Mass of the young Karol Wojtyla, of St. Padre Pio, of St. Thomas Moore, of St. Francis, of St. Anthony... There isn’t a single saint in the book who did not experience the Latin Mass. The Latin in the Mass is timeless and unchanging while vernacular languages are always changing with time. Latin links us with our Catholic heritage while the vernacular severs us from it. Somehow, I can’t imagine myself shouting, as  Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati did, “Yes! He is the King of Kings!” after experiencing a Mass that was said in colloquial Italian instead of archaic Latin--Which brings me to another point...

...Stay tuned for part 2!

Year-End Mastermind Party Program

(What is your word of the year?)

I started 2015 off right with a Year-End Mastermind Party. We had it potluck-style, in the evening, at my house. We ate and chatted first, and then we got down to business.

(My Year-End Mastermind party, January 2015.)

There is untold power hidden within the folds of a mastermind group. Here's a suggested format you can use to uncover some of that goodness at your first/next mastermind party:

Bring:

Notebook and pen

Program:

• 7:30-8:00 Potluck and socializing
• 8:00-9:00 Round-the-Table Discussion
• Did you achieve last year's goals?/Evaluate how you did last year in terms of your goals.
• What is your focus for the new year? (business idea/ goal/ plan)
• What is your word for the year? (Your word for the year is like an affirmation; it backs up your focus and your belief in your abilities. My word for the year is "win" because I want to win in all of my endeavors.)
• 9:00-10:00 Listen to Audio: 
• "Biscuits, Fleas, and Pump-handles" by Zig Ziglar was played.
• 10:00-11:00 Round-the-Table Discussion
• Talk about a few of the notes you took during the audio presentation. What did you get out of it? How does it apply to you/make you think/make you feel? What does it make you think of? (This is just a great time to hear what resonates with the different people in the room.)

A goal-setting printable was provided at the end of the meeting so that everyone could take it home and work on it.

This format can be used for annual, bi-annual, and quarterly mastermind meetings, with a few variations. Hope you got an idea of what you can do! I'll be sharing the weekly mastermind format soon!

Note: When the discussions are taking place, although the flow is conversational, we try to let everyone speak one at a time.

2015: So Far, So Good

I added up my earnings for 2014, and I realized I'd made about the same amount I'd made in 2013. 

It's time to up the ante. 

This year, I want to see my income double, if not triple. So I went ahead and set my monthly, weekly, and daily income goals in order to achieve the yearly income I am after. 

If you haven't made time to do that yet, make sure you do it soon. Get back into the swing of things with your eyes on a solid monetary goal. Your income doesn't have to be as low as it was last year!

Apart from the financial side of things, how is your 2015 going so far?

I decided to evaluate the last 10 days, and I've decided that I've had an awesome start. I've been running (metaphorically) hard from the time midnight hit on the 1st of January. Hopefully, you'll begin to see the little baby ideas I have for myself take flight in the next few months because I've been working hard on setting myself up for success in 2015. I've been masterminding, improving this blog, choosing and building up new streams of income, preparing to phase out old ones, and working on being more organized and systematic. I'll be able to share some life-changing systematizing methods with you all some day soon.

(1,000 pageviews at last!)

On the faith, fun and health side of things, I've been able to go to Mass a few times, and I got to go to Adoration with the Catholic Apolos and introduce someone to the concept of wearing the veil. We also got to have a study session on the Eucharist. 

(Homeschool sessions)

I've been reading The Borrowers with my youngest siblings and doing some homeschooling with them, and I even had a friend and her daughter over for a homeschooling sesh!

(My brother working on his spelling skills)

I did three 10-minute yoga sessions by myself this week, which really helps me loosen up (yoga stretches are great for those of us who don't have much muscle or endurance, haha). I attended an open mic, I walked and swam at the beach, I attended a couple of fun fundraisers with my friends, and now I'm just hoping you got some kind of value out of this blog post.

(Thursday Night Open Mic at Java Junction)

(Fujita Beach)

(Cranberry juice with a splash of vodka. Yum!)

I guess I'm just counting my blessings!

It's within your power to create a powerful and happy 2015!

Q6:"What is your long-term goal?"

December 17, 2014 marked my first anniversary as an entrepreneur and college drop-out. I invited friends to ask me about my journey. Here is the sixth of the series of questions and my response:

Q6:"What is your long-term goal?"

Freedom. I'm pretty sure I knew that when I was a kid, but throughout the ambiguity of my teenager-hood to adulthood, my goal in life became rather unclear. I think I've spent the last two years digging it up again, and now, whenever I remember it, it takes me by surprise. Losing your dream for a while also makes it hard for you to believe in it, so I'm working on that, too: I believe I am meant to be free!

(Me posing at the "My cause is" wall inside the Amway Headquarters in Ada, Michigan, October 2014.)

Let me tell you what I mean by "freedom." I mean that I want to get to a point where money is no object and where I have time to do things that I actually care about instead of spending most of my time working on making money. The more money you have, the less time you spend worrying about how you're going to pay the bills next month. Money gives you options, the freedom to act on your dreams. 

(Read more here.)

When I get my freedom, I won't have to say, "I can't afford to go on that trip" or "I can't afford to build a house" or "I'll never be able to help other people in the way that I want to." There are hundreds--maybe thousands--of good, wealthy people out there who have that freedom, and the difference between us and them is that, while we're busy doubting ourselves, they're asking themselves, "Why not me? Why not now?" Ask yourself those questions, then ask yourself what freedom means to you.

(Click on this video to let Jim Rohn ask you a few important questions.)

These days we hear a lot of people talk about how rich people are evil and the poor are being cheated out of getting a piece of the wealth the rich enjoy. We hear a lot of people talk about how they think Communism is the answer and how Capitalism doesn't work. If you happen to be one of those people, I'd like to invite you to let Earl Nightingale change your mind. 

(Click here to let Earl change your mind.)

Need more convincing?

 

(Just in case you needed more convincing...) 

So, basically, if you aren't rich yet, it's nobody's fault but yours. And one of the best way to help other succeed is to help yourself succeed first. The best way to help someone climb a mountain is to lead the way. 

Aside from the common sense perspective provided in the excellent talks posted above, I'd like to explore the Catholic perspective with you a little bit. 

(Read more about St. Josemaria Escriva here.)

I myself have much to learn, but I get the idea that God wants us to take it upon ourselves to become saints, and sainthood isn't acquired by faith alone. It comes, in part, through works. "Works" doesn't just apply to charitable works (ie. Corporal Works of Mercy), it also applies to the work that we do to make money. So we must sanctify our work--offer it up for the glory of God and make sure it aligns with His Will. Perhaps God has led you to the work that you are doing now. If that's the case, quit wasting time, because He's waiting on you to make things happen. It is through us that He accomplishes many of His own works. Zig Ziglar says that he believes God wants you to succeed. 

(John Paul II giving both spiritual and practical advice, as usual.)

So don't settle! Claim your God-given freedom and don't let anybody take it away from you. There's a lot of work out there for us to do, a lot of people out there for us to help, and some really big dreams for us to reach in the process. Decide what your own long-term goals are and, as Dexter Yager says, "Get the heartbeat for freedom!"

Q5:"(Do you have) advice for others trying to become small business owners?"

December 17, 2014 marked my first anniversary as an entrepreneur and college drop-out. I invited friends to ask me about my journey. Here is the fifth of the series of questions and my response:

Q5:"(Do you have) advice for others trying to become small business owners?"

As far as the technical side of starting certain kinds of small businesses goes, I can't help you very much on my own. I myself use a very simple business model, and I am still learning all the time about how I can work it to my advantage. Consequently, my first piece of advice would be to get help. Look around you. Do you know anyone who is running a business similar to the one you have in mind? Go to them right now and ask for a bit of their time. Schedule an appointment with them so you can ask them questions pertaining to their experience and knowledge, and don't forget to write down or record what they say. Be around people who know what they're doing, or who are figuring it out. You don't have to start from scratch. Go and learn from others. You will get untold value out of learning about the mistakes they've made, the struggles they face, and the ins and outs of the kind of businesses they're in.

Attend seminars and workshops. I attended two such events in 2014, and both were worth the time and money I invested in them. I made valuable connections, received exclusive information, was forced to think and produce under pressure, take lots of notes... Don't miss out on opportunities like these. They are invaluable, and they can provide you with the knowledge you need to start and run a small business. Plus, when you get around groups of people who are motivated to follow their dreams, like you are, you start to feel a whole different energy from what you experience anywhere else.

Join a mastermind group. Energy. Information. Motivation. Accountability. Focus. Support. It's all there for you in a mastermind group full of winners. "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with", so choose your mastermind group wisely and let them help you set yourself up for success.

Get into personal development. I would not be writing this blog post right now without the art of personal development. I used to have a rather low opinion of it, thinking it was mostly just rhetorical philosophy. Jim Rohn, Dexter Yager, Zig Ziglar, Les Brown, Norman Vincent Peale, Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, Earl Nightingale, Matthew Kelley and many, many others soon showed me that I was WRONG. Perhaps I'll write another post about it later. But plug yourself in! Get your hands on all the right books and audios (Ask me for recommendations). I myself subscribe to a bi-weekly education program that sends me four CD's and one new book to read every month. Seriously make time to consume these kinds of materials. It doesn't even matter if you can't put your full attention into them all the time (I, for example, usually listen to audios when I'm cleaning or driving, and I often read when I'm eating a meal). There are so many things to say about personal development, but what I want you to understand for now is that it's what's going to keep you going when things get confusing or rough. Never go a day without improving your mind through business and personal development materials.

Ask yourself, "Why do I want to do this?"Many people who start businesses seem to lose their way. How many businesses have you seen close over the years? It's probably because something broke their focus. You have to have a WHY. What's going to make it worth it for you to get up everyday and work on your business, through good times and bad? To weep over it, stress over it, bleed over it, get frustrated with it, push it, fix it, tweak it, win with it? I, for example, clean houses. I enjoy cleaning houses because I enjoy that sort of physical labor. I enjoy seeing how I can change the appearance of a home on the inside. I like knowing how clean I can make something. But cleaning houses is not something I can do long-term. In fact, I don't plan to be doing it for too much longer. But I started doing it because it was a great way to transition from the life I had (college student, 3 bosses) to the life I wanted (carefree with an awesome residual income). For the sake of my why, I have scrubbed many a toilet. It's all for my WHY.

One of my most recent revelations about business is that in order to be a good business person, you have to be a good consumer. Good business people like to see other business people succeed. I know other business owners, and it's awesome, because whenever I need something, I know who to go to! And they know to come to me when they need something. There's a give and take aspect to it. "The more you give, the more you get!" (Dexter Yager) If you support other people's businesses and open yourself up to being sold to, you might see other people treat you and your business in the same way. This is also a good way to put yourself in your customers' shoes and really find out how you can reach them.

I got the best advice from one of my personal development heroes, Earl Nightingale, over a year ago: "Don't compete: Create!" I heard it on an audio entitled "The Strangest Secret." You should go and listen to it right away; it's on YouTube. I heard Earl say it over and over again until it finally sank in. I live by that quote. Whenever you start to stress or you feel you've hit a dead end, just remember: "Don't compete: Create!"

Practical tips:

• Find a mentor!
• Get educated!
• Mastermind it out!
• Develop yourself!
• Define your purpose!
• Be a consumer!
• Don't compete: Create!