As Catholics, we appear to have a disadvantage compared to other Christian denominations when it comes to our worship services: we seem a bit stodgy. Other churches have laser lights, live bands, fog machines and coffee bars; you can even take your latte into worship with you!
It’s no wonder, we are told, that people leave the Catholic Church because, quite simply, our Mass is boring. But if people understood what really happens at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, maybe they would sing a different tune (preferably Gregorian Chant).
First, we often judge the worthiness of the Holy Mass by the human element, and thus we find it lacking: the homily was too long; the cantor was off-key; the reader lacked enthusiasm; among others. So, we find the Holy Mass boring and we “got nothing out of it.”
But have we ever considered going beyond our senses and tried to see the divine element of the Holy Mass, with the vision of faith? If we did, then indeed, we would never say that Mass is boring. For this, we seek the insights of mystics who were privileged by God to see what was truly happening at each Holy Mass. Saint Gertrude the Great was in rapture at every Holy Mass, because she saw the monastic chapel filled with choirs of angels, a choir of the apostles, a choir of martyrs, a choir of confessors and a choir of virgins, all singing the praises of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Then, she saw Jesus raise His hands and He lifted all the prayers and needs of God’s people to the Father and from heaven came God’s grace, which fell like gentle snow upon all those present to worship.
Granted, we have not been given this special privilege by God to see the true nature of the Holy Mass, as St. Gertrude the Great, but, in faith, we know that this lifting up of man to the heavenly liturgy does occur at each and every Holy Mass. We take comfort in the words of our Lord, “Blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe” (John 20:29). We believe in faith that when the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass begins, we leave earth for a while and join the saints and angels in the worship of the Blessed Trinty in heaven. You can never be bored in the enjoyment of God’s beauty, glory and majesty.
Second, we must remember that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is also the re-presentation of the Sacrifice of Mount Calvary. The Church teaches that the Holy Mass is a memorial, which does not mean a mere memory of a past event, but that we are truly present once again at Calvary and join Jesus in the offering of Himself to the Father for the salvation of man. What if all Catholics truly believed that they were standing with the Blessed Mother at the foot of the cross at every Holy Mass, prayerfully pondering the wounds of Jesus, knowing that the blood which poured forth from them was the healing remedy for our sinful condition? More wondrously, faith leads us to believe that this same blood then flows into our souls at Holy Communion, healing us of the offenses we humbly bring to the Lord at every Holy Mass. What an immense blessing to have Mount Calvary present at my parish church every time I join in the great prayer of the Holy Mass.
I am reminded of a young girl, who during the Great Depression era, was welcomed into a Catholic orphanage run by Dominican sisters because her parents had limited resources to properly care for their daughter. The young girl grew to love daily Mass with the sisters, especially the moment of consecration, when she would bow her head with a deep piety. Some years later, her parents, now back on their feet, came to take their daughter home and every day, at about 7:20 a.m., she would bow her head and kneel in reverence. Her mother asked her what this was all about, and she responded, “This is the moment of consecration at the sisters’ Mass, Momma, and we must kneel and be silent, because from His Holy Cross, Jesus is now blessing the world.” From the mouths of babes. If only we adults had this same understanding of the memorial of the Holy Mass, we would never be bored at Mass, but truly enthralled.
In an age where entertainment value has crept into all areas of life, including worship, the Catholic Mass may seem a bit boring. But if we came to church on Sunday, believing that we would be transported back to Mount Calvary and lifted to the glory of heaven, we might never want to leave! Knowing the true value of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we would find our Lord and beg Him to remain always by our side.
Fr. Benz is pastor at Sacred Heart, Glen Ullin, St. Ann, Hebron, and St. Joseph, Grant County. If you have a question you were afraid to ask, now is the time to ask it! Simply email your question to [email protected] with “Question Afraid to Ask” in the subject line.