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Have you ever been at a Mass where all in attendance are asked to give applause for a person or group of people to show appreciation, recognition, or for a birthday? Whether it’s clapping for a class of religious education students who showed up and participated in the mass or to thank a group of parishioners for all the ministries they are involved in and all that they do for the church, it just doesn’t seem like a good time for applause.
One summer when I was in college, I was attending a youth conference and one of the priests from the diocese that was on the trip made a comment that applause doesn’t belong in the Mass. It was a brief and simple statement, and something I didn’t question. And since then, any time I’ve been at a Mass where we are asked to clap to recognize a person or multiple people, it has just felt uncomfortable. Sometime afterwards, I came across this quote from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, before he was Pope Benedict XVI, in which he said, “wherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment.” The Mass is not about what we have done, but about what God has done and continues to do. When we take time to recognize someone’s achievements or show our appreciation during Mass, it takes our focus away from God and directs it to ourselves or to others in the parish. People do a lot of amazing and great things and serve others and the parish so generously. And they absolutely should be appreciated and thanked. But, I think that the recognition and thanks should take place outside of Mass. Whether it is at a social after mass, a card and gift, an announcement put in the bulletin or posted on the parish website, or just by talking to someone after mass, there are many different ways to go about recognizing and thanking parish members that don’t involve clapping for them before the mass has ended. The mass is the highest form of worship. There is a reason that it is called the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is a time that demands reverence and respect. And when we wrap up the Mass with a focus on the things we’ve done by giving our applause, then our focus is taken away from God. Maybe I’m overthinking this, but it is something I’ve been really convicted of for awhile, especially when I’m at mass and see this happen. What are your thoughts?
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In the Gospel from this weekend, we hear about how it is in the breaking of the bread that Jesus is made known to the disciples. Before they recognize Jesus, they say to Him, “stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” Jesus is always walking with us, whether we recognize Him or not. And He has given us the gift of the Eucharist so that we too can ask Him to stay with us.
When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we receive His body, blood, soul and divinity. And it is when we receive Him that we are the closest to Him we can be. Sometimes at mass, it can be easy to go through the motions and take that hour of time for granted. Maybe there are times when we are blind to the miracle and grace at the altar. But Just as Jesus opened the eyes of His disciples, He can open our eyes too so that we see everything with eyes of faith. Whenever we encounter Christ, whether it is in receiving the Eucharist or in our encounters with Him outside of Mass, our hearts will be set on fire, inspiring us to share Him and His love with the world around us. We must ask ourselves if “our hearts are burning within us”, just as the disciples experienced (Luke 24:32). If the flame has died down, we can ask Jesus to increase our faith and love for Him, and to give us a heart that is burning, and not cold or lukewarm. When we feel far from Jesus or when we don’t recognize His presence at different times in our lives, we should ask Him to stay with us as we continue on our journeys. Sometimes, all it takes is asking in faith. The more time we spend with Jesus and the more we desire to be close to Him, the more we will be able to recognize Him and realize that He truly is with us in every moment of our days. Dear Jesus, sometimes we are blind to You and fail to recognize You walking with us. Give us eyes of faith so that we can see You. Give us hearts that are on fire, burning with love of You. Stay with us, and help us as we continue on the journey. We need you so that we can share the Good news with the world. Amen. Sunday night I was at my college campus for an alumni Mass. My brother was also there. A few people made the comment that my brother and I look a lot alike and they could tell we were siblings. This made me reflect on how we live our lives each day. Do we look a lot like Jesus? Can people tell we are Christians?
We should look a lot like Jesus, not physically of course, but rather in our character and the way we live. We should look like Jesus in the way we love others and in the way we forgive. We should also look like Him because of the joy we have, the peace we experience, and the humility we serve with. We are all called to imitate Christ. When we live as disciples, we are a reflection of Him to the world around us. When we fail, we should ask the Holy Spirit to help us and to rid us of the traits that do not reflect Jesus. When we choose sin instead of Jesus, we can go to confession to be forgiven and made new, giving us a new opportunity to be like Christ again the moment we walk out the door. The way we respond to the events around us, the way we speak to others, and the general disposition we have on a regular basis should be different from the world and from those who are not Christians. This is not always easy, but with a lot of grace and trust in God, it is possible, as long as we allow Him to transform our hearts and minds. We all have different desires, some are good, others can become a distraction or be problematic depending on the priority we give to them. Maybe we want to be successful, do well at our jobs, have a lot of friends, or just become better people. Nothing is wrong with these desires, but they should not be the focus or priority. We should all want to look like Jesus. If people can look at us and see Christ, then we are on the right track. People should be able to tell that we are Christians. Dear God, we know we are made in your image and likeness and we thank you for the gift of our lives. Help us to become like your son Jesus and give us the grace to be a reflection of Him in all we say and do. We mess up and fail, but You have the power to transform us so that we can keep trying. May we use our lives to show the world who Jesus is. Amen. “Our God is not dead, He’s alive, He’s alive!” If this doesn’t make you excited I don’t know what will? This is the basis for our faith. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then our faith means nothing and life is pretty meaningless. Oftentimes, it seems like the resurrection of Christ is downplayed. For some people, it is treated as just an event that happened a long time ago and that has a minor significance to our lives today. But Jesus’ resurrection is a really big deal. Our lives should reflect this not just one day of the year, but every day.
It’s easy to go to church on Easter Sunday and bask in the joy of the resurrection during that time, and afterwards, put any thoughts of Jesus’ resurrection on the back burner until the next year. Maybe we too have at some point glossed over what it means for our lives. But the resurrection is ultimately the reason for our faith. It should impact the way we live each and every day of our lives. If something as brutal and excruciating as Jesus’ crucifixion can turn into the greatest event in history and the biggest source of joy just a few days later, then everything we experience in our lives can also be an opportunity for joy. If we allow Jesus to resurrect our hearts and let the truth of His resurrection change our lives, our suffering and burdens can be transformed into joy too. The world sees suffering as meaningless, but as Christians, we know that our suffering can be offered up and that it can unite us to His Passion, even when it is hard to accept or when we don’t understand it. We know that Jesus can transform us through the trials and challenges. Jesus’ resurrection also gives us a reason for hope. Because he defeated sin and death, he has opened up the path to eternal life with Him. This reality should impact the way we live. Who doesn’t want to get to heaven and live with God for eternity? It is the resurrection that gives us reason to believe that we will be able to have life after death. Christ is risen from the dead! And this is no small event. We must realize the significance this has to our lives and allow it to impact the way we live. Today and everyday, may you live in a way that allows others to believe in the power and beauty of the resurrection! |
AuthorStriving to share hope, joy, God's love, and all of the good stuff, one blog post at a time. Categories |
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