When we come to Holy Mass, we enter the presence of the Master of the Universe, the ageless Alpha and Omega, the shimmering King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When we participate at Mass, we draw near to our Messiah, our refuge, and our intimate friend. In the Eucharist, Christ is radiantly alive with grace, calling out to each one of us by name.
But do we hear Him?
According to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the Sacrifice of the Mass is so central to the life of Mother Church, that “heaven meets earth” within it.
“Yes, in a certain sense this is the liturgy of heaven,” he wrote. “That is its true greatness, that heaven is torn open here, and we are incorporated in the great chorus of praise. And that is why the Preface ends with these words: With all the choir of angels in heaven, we join in singing. And we know that we are not alone, that we are joining in, that the barrier between earth and heaven has truly been torn open.”
Given the ethereal nature of the Mass, Catholics should be won over by wonder in its presence.
“'Reverence'” literally means 'intensely to stand in awe of,'” said Fr. Nick Schneider, who serves as Director of the Office of Divine Worship for our diocese, as well as the Pastor of Christ the King in Mandan. “During the Mass, we encounter God, the Creator of the Universe. On the altar, the one sacrifice that Jesus offered of Himself to the Father on the Cross of Calvary is again present. Before these mysteries, the only appropriate response would be “intensely to be in awe."
Showing this due reverence to God on high can take on many forms.
“Of course, there are the traditional ways of showing reverence, like genuflecting to Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist in the tabernacle,” Fr. Schneider continued. “Receiving Communion with reverence is also important—interior and exterior reverence. The heart recognizes the God of Universe, coming to us in a small host; the body's posture communicates nobility and humility. The head bows, and the tongue professes 'amen' as a response of faith after the profession of the minister, 'The Body of Christ.'”
Fr. Gary Benz, Pastor of St. Mary's in New England and St.Elizabeth of Hungary of Lefor, believes that respect for Our Eucharistic Lord naturally overflows from souls of authentic prayer.
“If you have a true, deep devotion to the Real Presence, reverence will come naturally,” he reflected. “When our body and soul are uplifted in prayer, the beauty of the sensible nature of the Mass allows you to taste the divine with all your senses, and reverence flows from that.”
Time and time again, God continues to guide Mother Church and her leaders, revealing to us awe-inspired ways to approach our Creator.
“Bishop Athanasius Schneider talks a lot about certain traditions and devotions that lead us to worship with greater reverence,” Fr. Benz said. “He explains that when one kneels for Communion, reverence is built up in the soul—not just because of the posture itself, but also because of the attitude it fosters in their heart. When we kneel to receive on the tongue, we are showing our humility before God, because we are waiting for the priest to approach us, and to feed us Christ.”
Further, there are also many other ways we can express our devotion to Christ, who awaits our love in the Eucharist.
“Sacred architecture can be a great means to show reverence,” Fr. Benz said. “It can be hard to properly worship Our Lord in a mundane, horizontal, stripped down sanctuary. But when you go to Mass in a church building that is crafted from beautiful, sacred materials and bears a vertical dimension (hence lifting the heart to God on high), your senses are elevated, and reverence follows. We can also show reverence by dressing modestly. We veil things that are holy, and when women wear a chapel veil, it speaks of reverence in the presence of God at Mass.”
One preeminent means to savor the gift of Christ's Eucharistic Presence is to remain silent before Him, allowing Him to speak to the soul in “unspeakable” ways.
“In the rubrics for Mass, there are a number of instructions for the priest to leave silence,” Fr. Schneider commented. “In those silent moments, the heart can rest, and hear the Lord speak to us. Without the silence recommended, it is not possible to hear the still small voice with which God often speaks. It is drowned in the noise of worldly concerns. God is gracious and modest, and never imposes.”
“The silent moments are key moments during the Mass,” Fr. Benz explained. “Silence enhances reverence, and by saying nothing and being silent in the presence of God, you are being reverent. When you are in the midst of something that is so overwhelmingly beautiful and divine, your first response is to say nothing. Your silence gives Him an 'in' so He can speak directly to your soul.”
Ultimately, the grandness of silence can also lead one to sincere repentance and contemplation.
“To build up reverence within our souls, we have to cultivate the understanding that once the Mass begins, you are drawn up into heaven, and inspired to let go of the world,” Fr. Benz said. “But you need to be mindful of the fact that you are a sinner. It is hard to be reverent at Mass if you are not humble. You need to have an awareness of your sin and come to the sacrament of penance regularly in order to be reverent in the presence of God, your Savior.”
Another way to help ourselves have a spiritually uplifting experience at Mass would be to prepare ourselves diligently beforehand.
“Certainly, reading the Scriptural readings for the Mass and meditating on them can be very helpful,” Fr. Schneider said. “Most of the missals offer prayers of preparation for Mass. My favorite among them is the
Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas before Mass, but any of the great prayers of preparation can help the heart to calm and recognize the mystery approaching.”
Fr. Schneider also suggested using books with short meditations to help prepare yourself for Mass, such as Msgr. Guardini’s
Meditations Before Mass, or
A Month with the Eucharist, published by the Vatican Press.
Next time we go to Mass, let us contemplate how much God loves each one of us, and longs for us to spend time with Him in the Eucharist. As a true Father, He has carved each one of us in the palm of His hands. In the end, this is what reverence is all about.
Recently, our diocese hosted a visit from the relics of St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. May we savor his words: "Every Holy Mass, heard with devotion, produces in our souls’ marvelous effects, abundant spiritual and material graces which we, ourselves, do not know. It is easier for the earth to exist to exist without the sun than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass."