Posted on 07/19/2016 1:45:18 PM PDT by NYer
Do you ever feel bored at Mass?
Don’t worry, I’m not judging. When I first returned to Mass after a time away, I found the Mass boring. But Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist drew me in. And eventually, his presence in the Mass instructed me in the ways of heaven, helping me to develop a greater love for the Mass. I realized that the Mass was the most important prayer that I could pray in any day.
As Blessed James Alberione once said, the Mass is “the daystar of prayer.” In other words, nothing else we do to get closer to God even comes close to going to Mass.
That being said, while I appreciate the Mass more than I did when I first returned to the Church, I still “phone it in” sometimes. I get to the end of Mass on some days and I realize that my mind was a million miles away. My love for the Mass is something that has grown more fervent over time but it still needs work.
Perhaps, like me, you need some motivation to go to Mass, to see the value in it, to find meaning, to stay engaged, and to look forward to it with the excitement that this “daystar of prayer” deserves.
Here are some reasons why the saints did not find Mass boring:
The heavens open and multitudes of angels come to assist in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. – St. Gregory the Great
The angels surround and help the priest when he is celebrating Mass. – St. Augustine
It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do without Holy Mass. – St. Pio of Pietrelcina
The Mass is the spiritual food that sustains me, without which I could not get through one single hour in my life. – Mother Teresa
One single Mass gives more honor to God than all the penances of the Saints, the labors of the Apostles, the sufferings of the Martyrs and even the burning love of the Blessed Mother of God. – St. Alphonsus Liguori
All the good works in the world are not equal to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass because they are the works of men; but the Mass is the work of God. Martyrdom is nothing in comparison for it is but the sacrifice of man to God; but the Mass is the sacrifice of God for man. – Saint John Vianney
It is joy that brought me to the faith, joy at the birth of my child, 35 years ago, and that joy is constantly renewed as I daily receive our Lord at Mass. – Dorothy Day
Jesus … [is] the Lamb that was slain but who lives forever, in every instant renewing his passion through the continual celebration of Masses throughout the world. – Blessed James Alberione
The Mass makes present the sacrifice of the Cross – Saint John Paul II
There are many more reasons to go to Mass, many more reasons to strive to find the profound meaning that the saints could see.
But I will end with one last motivational quote from St. Leonard of Port Maurice, (I assume he said it with a mischievous smile):
“O you deluded people, what are you doing? Why do you not hasten to the churches to hear as many Masses as you can?”
The Maronite Communion hymn bears this out.
Hosts of Heaven. Stand with us at the Altar.
They carry in procession, God's atoning Lamb, sacrificed before us.
Let us all approach and receive Him, for our forgiveness.
One of the most beautiful and poignant prayers is said at the conclusion of the mass. The celebrant kisses the altar and silently prays:
Remain in peace, O holy altar of God. I hope to return to you in peace. May the offering I have received from you forgive my sins and prepare me to stand blameless before the throne of Christ. I know not whether I will be able to return to you again to offer sacrifice. Guard me, O Lord, and protect Your holy Church, that she may be the way to salvation and the light of the world. Amen
Catholic ping!
I quite enjoy mass. It is one of the few hours a week that is quiet. Of course I have four young boys so quiet is at a premium these days.
Crying and yelling, not so much.
:) Thank you, NYer!
The older I have gotten, the more I appreciate and love the Divine Liturgy / Mass. We are indeed surrounded by tens of thousands of angels when we chant the Sanctus. We are no longer on earth, no longer in 2016. We are in heaven and off the timeline. The Saints are there worshipping with us, for me Saints Patrick, Aidan of Lindisfarne and John Chrysostomos, as real as my family around me. There is nothing quite like it. It is a “Thoro tou Theou” a gift of God.
When my kids said that they were “bored” at Mass I explained that they take all week. Mass is a special time to give to Jesus. Through giving though they receive the most special of gifts, Jesus True Presence. A presence that will never let them down. This was the encounter of the Saints.
Me too. It is the highlight of my week. So many times, the beauty of the liturgical prayers, drilled deep into my soul, have left me quietly weeping.
And now, O Lord, let the right hand of Your mercy and compassion rest upon us, for we are shaken like reeds in the desert of life. We are overcome with fear as the sands of sin and the winds of discontent encroach on our feeble lives. ...
Each week, I am humbled to be in the Presence of Our Lord and leave church with a sense of peace unlike anything the world can offer.
Hope and pray you and the family are well!
From my experience, since the introduction of the Novus Ordo, it appears that a huge number of formerly faithful Mass attendees have decided to sleep in on Sunday mornings. And since there is no Tridentine Mass within a hundred miles of where I live, I am now one of them.
I am never bored.
How can one be bored in the presence of a miracle?
For many years, I did the same. But then, a fellow freeper pointed me to the East! Although it is not widely known in our Western world, the Catholic Church is actually a communion of Churches. According to the Constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium, the Catholic Church is understood to be "a corporate body of Churches," united with the Pope of Rome, who serves as the guardian of unity (LG, no. 23). At present there are 22 Churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The new Code of Canon Law, promulgated by Pope John Paul II, uses the phrase "autonomous ritual Churches" to describe these various Churches (canon 112). Each Church has its own hierarchy, spirituality, and theological perspective. Because of the particularities of history, there is only one Western Catholic Church, while there are 21 Eastern Catholic Churches. The Western Church, known officially as the Latin Church, is the largest of the Catholic Churches. It is immediately subject to the Roman Pontiff as Patriarch of the West. The Eastern Catholic Churches are each led by a Patriarch, Major Archbishop, or Metropolitan, who governs their Church together with a synod of bishops. Through the Congregation for Oriental Churches, the Roman Pontiff works to assure the health and well-being of the Eastern Catholic Churches.
While this diversity within the one Catholic Church can appear confusing at first, it in no way compromises the Church's unity. In a certain sense, it is a reflection of the mystery of the Trinity. Just as God is three Persons, yet one God, so the Church is 22 Churches, yet one Church.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes this nicely:
"From the beginning, this one Church has been marked by a great diversity which comes from both the variety of God's gifts and the diversity of those who receive them... Holding a rightful place in the communion of the Church there are also particular Churches that retain their own traditions. The great richness of such diversity is not opposed to the Church's unity" (CCC no. 814).
Although there are 22 Churches, there are only eight "Rites" that are used among them. A Rite is a "liturgical, theological, spiritual and disciplinary patrimony," (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 28). "Rite" best refers to the liturgical and disciplinary traditions used in celebrating the sacraments. Many Eastern Catholic Churches use the same Rite, although they are distinct autonomous Churches. For example, the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Melkite Catholic Church are distinct Churches with their own hierarchies. Yet they both use the Byzantine Rite.
To learn more about the "two lungs" of the Catholic Church, visit this link:
The Vatican II Council declared that "all should realize it is of supreme importance to understand, venerate, preserve, and foster the exceedingly rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Eastern churches, in order faithfully to preserve the fullness of Christian tradition" (Unitatis Redintegrato, 15).
A Roman rite Catholic may attend any Eastern Catholic Liturgy and fulfill his or her obligations at any Eastern Catholic Parish. A Roman rite Catholic may join any Eastern Catholic Parish and receive any sacrament from an Eastern Catholic priest, since all belong to the Catholic Church as a whole. I am a Roman Catholic practicing my faith at a Maronite Catholic Church. Like the Chaldeans, the Maronites retain Aramaic for the Consecration. It is as close as one comes to being at the Last Supper.
Please freepmail me if you would like more information on the Eastern Catholic Churches.
Yes NYer, when my father was living at the LSOP Home in D.C. I often attended the Divine Liturgy at the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine situated next to the nursing home. The service was solemn and beautiful, but agonizingly long.
I also appreciate the opportunity to attend Mass and become closer to God as I get older.
I remember my grandparents walking to daily Mass.
That is a great joy to do in our retirement.
That’s a good way to put it, “off the timeline”.
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