Feb 21 2009
The Mass – some thoughts
Before I start writing today, I’d like to make a mention of this link. Has a great reflection on mass or eucharistic celebration Click Here
Well, this was in my mind for a long time now but could’nt make a perfect start. Let me try this time..
As a kid, attending Mass was like a weekly ritual, what a good christian is supposed to do. Not just weekly but yes all obligatory days. Until I reached the high school, where I came across two catholics from my catechism class questioning against the faith. That’s when I started questioning too – not against though. I had an urge to understand and know what makes catholic and what makes a protestant. So many doubts in mind, I could have been easily thrown into the winds of misunderstandings. My point here is not to prove any protestant wrong, but to explain what made me stick on to my faith.
I had to start somewhere, so was it the bible, catechism or just the mass. I decided to keenly concentrate on the mass first, as that’s where the bible would be read and catechism explained. Initially nothing made sense to me. I was even more confused. I am still not an expert, but I have enough knowledge to be cemented to my faith (ofcourse without air-cracks)
Then was a period at work, where I met and still meet people from strong catholic (and orthodox) backgrounds finding it difficult to even attend a mass, simply because they find it not so interesting. They find the lively praise and worship music makes more sense to them. My intense desire to understand my faith which led me to start with the mass, put me in complete love with the mass no matter how the choir sang, no matter how many people slept, no matter how boring the priest is. We ask for miracles and Mass (Eucharistic celebration) is nothing less than the greatest miracle. Don’t you ask me how? It seemed like rocket science in the beginning, but it was much simpler than I thought it was. I took baby steps, fell apart, felt agitated at times, went through phases where i just did not believe, times when I stared at the cross blankly. I guess God was slowly writing into me the meaning of the “miracle”, which took me years to realize. If your not looking for quick solutions, then concentrate on everything during the mass, possibly you would go through all I did, but I can assure, you too will fall in love with it 
Now this is what I think Mass is and is not. It is surely a miracle, we reinvent our faith everytime we celebrate it, oh yes its a celebration (grand one), its the mystery of greatest love of God, in the form of his own flesh and blood, it is a time when ‘I’ try to stand and pray and thank God for counting me worthy to take part in his feast, its a time when ‘I’ sing and worship and don’t counter on how good or bad the person next to me is singing (also the choir included). Its a time when ‘I’ lift myself up to the lord. Its when ‘I’ repeat or respond to the priest with my whole heart. That’s when ‘I’ will find the beauty of the celebration coming alive.
Though live music, miracles and healings all matter a lot, we are not called to believe because of these. We are called to believe in Christ no matter how difficult or dull our lives are, even minus all the entertainment.
Everytime you say the priest was boring and choir was slow or not lively, remember its the satan trying to persuade you to believe that its the best time to sleep and Mr. satan really feels glad (gives a devilish smile) when he succeeds, he knows how to separate you from our lords one true catholic church
So BEWARE!!!
Evy
What U ve said is true, I too didn’t like the long sermons and have often taunted them for it till The Lord said, The Simplicity of HIs word is far more than all that this world can offer. I renounced everything to My Lord and Our Lady, becoming a monk in many senses of the word, its not in man’s sermons but in the simplicity of HIs word does fullness lie.