[kosta50]

take on a great meaning which may have the tendency to lead the Faithful into some very basic error, like thinking the liturgy is about us rather than for us

Kolo, the liturgy is for God. I hope that we don't go to church for us.

Concentrating on the "community" is concentrating on us. Monasticism teaches the opposite. Devoting your life to God leaves no room for earthly community and material priorities.

The only reason why Orthodoxy retained the "vertical" aspect is because our liturgy hasn't changed in 1600 years. We are not a community because we have picnics but because we are gathered, through faith, around Christ. It is a spiritual, not physical community.

If the Latin Church returned to the Tridentine Mass (or perhaps the Liturgy of the undivided Church even better), it would reestablish the vertical -- God centered -- worship. But as long as there is emphasis on the congregation and all this 'touchy-feely' stuff, God is not the center stage.

This, however, has taken the discussion way past my original observation -- namely that by taking the Eucharist we somehow become "assimilated" with Christ, i.e. somehow become like Christ. To which I say: you wish!

[Kolokotronis]

" Kolo, the liturgy is for God. I hope that we don't go to church for us"

Kosta, I'm surprised at you! You're the one who always tells us that God doesn't "need" our praise, which, of course, is completely in accord with the Fathers. The Divine Liturgy and all the sacraments are absolutely "for" us but none of them are "about" us; they are the Thora tou Theou, the Gifts of God to man.

"Monasticism teaches the opposite. Devoting your life to God leaves no room for earthly community and material priorities."

Not so, Kosta. The monastic community, like the parish community, is a Eucharistic community, though one far outside the world we live in, where the members work with each other to strengthen individual theosis of the monks. Only the most powerful, spiritually speaking, are ever allowed to go off on their own and live a life of a hermit.

[Pyro7480]

If the Latin Church returned to the Tridentine Mass (or perhaps the Liturgy of the undivided Church even better), it would reestablish the vertical -- God centered -- worship.

The Liturgy of the undivided Church? Was there even such a thing? Though many of the traditional liturgies have much in common, local uses developed quite early in Christian history, which then became liturgical rites. The challenge of Protestantism is the reason why the Latin West, for the most part, only has one rite.