Getting Something Out Of The Mass

Have you ever sat through a Catholic mass just to walk out an hour later and realize that you spent the past hour zoned out, half asleep, or just plain bored? Believe me, this is something that has happened many times throughout my life – even to this day I’m guilty of just going through the motions some weeks. So why is it that we have to do the same things every week at church – why can’t they just spice it up and do things a little different every now and then? I mean, after 2000 years, don’t you think it’s time we finally changed it up a bit?

I would like to propose an analogy that helps explain to me a little better the significance of the mass and why it is that we do the same things every week . This analogy is specific to my family, but I’m sure others out there can substitute in any family tradition they might hold. For the past 50 years, all of my family (aunts, uncles, cousins, and some other crazies ;)) have all been going down for a week long camping trip at Table Rock Lake. Even though we all joke about “suffering through the week” and “roughing it”, we all know we love it deep down – after all, we wouldn’t still be doing it after 50 years if it was that bad 🙂 Going to Table Rock is a family tradition that we do year after year – it’s always the same concept and we do similar things, yet it’s that sense of tradition and spending time with the ones we love that makes it so great. Now, if you were to go down there and the whole week you didn’t get involved with anything going on – maybe you just stayed in your camper or tent and didn’t interact with anyone – you probably wouldn’t have a great time or be excited about going back the next year. But, if you’re out talking with everyone, laughing, going out on the boat/jet skis, and really getting involved, you’re bound to have a great time and be excited for the next year!

Just is the same with the mass. When you participate in the mass, you’re participating in something that is greater than yourself – a tradition that hasn’t just been around for 50 years – but for 2000 years! It’s spending that time with loved ones and the one who loves us more than anyone else in this world that makes it so great.  And just like at Table Rock, the more you get involved and put yourself into it, truly the more you will get out of it. So why is it that the mass has to be the same every week? It is that tradition and what we are celebrating that makes it so special – changing it (say, if we decided to go to the Ozarks instead of Table Rock) would mean taking away something that is really incredible – celebrating the most important event in human history!

Another thing to consider is the purpose of the mass – the mass allows us to keep alive an amazing event that happened 2000 years ago that changed the world. God, the creator of the universe and ourselves, came down on this earth so that we might better know Him, His love, and His purpose for us. It also is an opportunity that we have to give thanks. It’s easy in our fast-paced society to get caught up in the “me” – focusing our days around getting done what I need to get done. Just as God gives us the gift of himself in the mass, we also can use the mass as a time to give a gift back to God – the gift of ourselves. The mass gives us a chance each week to refocus our lives and simply thank God for life and for coming into the world to teach us the way to salvation, peace, and joy.

So maybe you decide to try out this whole mass thing again – will the mass be exciting right away? Honestly -probably not. First, it may take time to get to know God better. Just as with any relationship, it takes time. When you first get to know a person, it can be a little awkward and uncomfortable at times, but as you grow deeper in friendship and share more with each other, the more comfortable you will become.

We all are a little crazy in this world – we all have our own struggles and doubts and fears. Going to mass or growing closer to God doesn’t have to be some cookie-cutter thing where you are on your knees with your hands folded looking all pious. It can be, if that works for you. But God wants us to be real with Him. To show Him our scars. To yell at Him, if that’s what it takes to get the conversation started. God has created us to be uniquely us – so be just that! You don’t have to have everything together to come to God – I think God likes it best when we come to Him in our messes and just allow Him to love us and heal us. Each day is a new beginning and a new chance to open our hearts to God to be healed and filled with His peace.

Here are a few ideas on ways to get started:

1. Find ways to keep your mind focused on Christ. As I said, it’s easy to get caught up in the world, and a lot of times this can bring us sadness and emptiness. I’ve found the more I fill my mind with Godly thoughts, the more peace I find in my life.

• If you have time while driving to work, working out, cleaning the house, cooking, etc. try putting on some uplifting podcasts. I am slightly addicted to the podcast homilies by Fr. Mike Schmitz – if you have a smart phone (which yall probably do haha), just look up “UMD Catholic Campus Ministry” on the podcast app and you can listen to all his homilies for free. You can either follow along with the homily from that week or just listen to random ones, which I like to do. (http://bulldogcatholic.org/homilies-archive/)
• I can’t begin to tell you how much I learned by attending the FOCUS conferences the past few years – they have some amazing Catholic speakers who really bring the faith to life. There is a FOCUS conference going on right now and some of the talks are available to watch: http://seek2015.com/connect/videos/. Just pick any one – they are all wonderful!
• Another idea is to read a good spiritual book. A few I like are: As I Have Loved You (A Conversation with Mother Teresa), Rediscover Catholicism, My Life with the Saints…if you need more ideas let me know – I have a bookshelf with about 20 great ones!

2. Don’t make God just a Sunday thing – spend time with Him daily to get to know Him better. That way, when you visit Him in the Eucharist on Sundays, it will be like visiting a close friend.

• Try reading some of the gospels daily. You can subscribe to this site which will lead you through the gospels in a year (http://flocknote.com/gospel) or I’m sure there are some great apps out there.
• Try spending just 5 minutes each morning in prayer or silence – it might be hard at first, but believe me, it can change your day and your life!

3. Learn more about the beauty of the mass and prepare for it – I’ve found that when you actually know a little more about the symbolism and what is going on, you get a lot more out of it!

• Dr. Ted Sri wrote a great book: A Biblical Walk through the Mass. I know a lot of you have a copy of Rediscover Catholicism and chapter 14 does a great job at breaking things down in a more understandable way
• Look over the readings before you get to mass – you can even start earlier in the week and reflect on them throughout the week. When you get to mass, you will find they have a much deeper meaning. You can download the Magnificat app on your phone or go to http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/123114.cfm for daily mass readings.

Just a few ideas to get ya started. It’s always great to take the New Year as a time for a fresh start – to reflect on your past year – the ways you grew, the things you struggled with, and the things you want to work on for the next year! May 2015 be a blessed and fruitful year 🙂