It's Not About Us

Recently, I was at a meeting where a discussion of Mass came up.  The conversation essentially centered around  the million dollar question of, “how can we get people, especially young people/families, into the pews?  The statements and comments that were made reflected the mindset that the mass should be about what we want and how we feel.  We will never get anywhere as a church if we don’t understand that mass is about God and for God, not us.

Being at this meeting and hearing the comments and statements about what should be changed or added to mass was quite uncomfortable, especially considering these comments came from adults.  There were comparisons of the mass to Protestant and non-denominational services.  “We should have music that makes us want to dance in our seats.”  “The choir should sing a new song every week.”  “We should add special things to make it more exciting and lively.”  “People should be more social and friendly before mass instead of just facing forward and sitting silently in the pews.”  These were all real comments that were made out loud.  The problem with these comments is that they all miss the point about mass.  Being Catholic, we are set apart from any other denomination or service.  Just because one church does “this” or “that” or does things a certain way, it does not mean that we should too.  Another statement someone shared was that “they do not know why they show up to mass every week because they don’t feel happy and good after leaving, but they keep going because they might just get something out of the homily that day.”  (We definitely can be inspired and touched by homilies and hear something we may need to hear.  However, this should not be the sole reason we go to mass.)  When we stop making it about ourselves and turn the focus to Jesus, it changes everything.

Jesus makes Himself fully present on the altar in the bread and wine at every single mass and yet people are having conversations about how to make the mass more exciting?  We can change the music, have the best homilies, and have the most vibrant community.  But if Jesus is not enough for people, none of the other stuff matters.  If people think the mass is for our entertainment, we have it all wrong.

At every mass, Jesus is fully present in the Eucharist-body, blood, soul, and divinity, and He gives Himself fully to us.  If that is not enough to bring Catholics to mass, nothing is.  We don’t go to mass to experience warm and fuzzy feelings.  We go to mass to worship and encounter the living God who has breathed life into us and given us everything.

Jesus, thank you for loving us so much that you make yourself fully present to us at every mass.  Help us to appreciate this amazing gift that you give us.  Open our eyes and our hearts and deepen our faith so that we would strengthen our love for the Eucharist and the mass.  Give us a desire to share this love with others.  Amen.