Active Participation - A misinterpretation

One of the biggest sources of confusion about the Mass that came from the writings of the Vatican II council is the phrase: "ACTIVE PARTICIPATION."

Well... the Seditious Catechist over at Ten Reasons has juxtaposed the intended meaning with the interpreted meaning of the phrase and shows how problematic it really is.

What the universal Church teaches:

Yet we must not overlook the fact that some misunderstanding has occasionally arisen concerning the precise meaning of this participation. It should be made clear that the word "participation" does not refer to mere external activity during the celebration. In fact, the active participation called for by the Council must be understood in more substantial terms, on the basis of a greater awareness of the mystery being celebrated and its relationship to daily life.

What the local Church does:

"They feel a sense of ownership. They know it's their Mass," Sauter said, noting that the students love attending the 5:30 p.m. liturgy in which they actively participate as lectors, altar servers and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion.

The 10 Reasons blog is quickly becoming a daily read, especially as I become more interested in Cathechetics. I think this post succinctly highlights the misinterpretation of the phrase "Active Participation." We need to correct this mentality, and let go of such personalized importance.