"When all we end up doing is watching, we're missing out on what we could be doing and that's not bad when it comes to a concert, not bad when it comes to a game. But we bring that same attitude to Mass."
~Fr. Mike Schmitz Fr. Mike said this way before Covid was ever known about, before all of our Masses were virtual and we had to "watch" Mass from home. What he is saying though, is regardless is if you are physically at Mass or you are participating virtually - we all have this attitude of "watching Mass" - why? Because when we were little, that's what we were told to do - we would go to Mass, be told to sit still, be quiet and watch. We just sit and watch the priest saying the prayers, or listen to the Word of God being proclaimed, or just sit and listen to the homily, and we wonder why we don't "get anything out of it". I'm going to guess that you have said, or even heard someone say that "Mass is boring" or hear the response that, "you only get out of Mass what you put in!" I sheepishly raise my hand at this point too, yes it's true. I think if I participate, sing, say the responses when I'm supposed to and pay attention really hard to what is going on, I will walk out of Mass more fulfilled and more on fire with Christ's love. And my focus isn't fully on God at this point, it's on myself and how will I feel after Mass, how I will feel and share Christ's love. HOWEVER - I've been woken up to a reality, and I need to share this with you. I'm sorry, but in reality - the Mass IS NOT ABOUT US! It's not about us "getting something out of it" or leaving more or less fulfilled, or participating in order to make ourselves feel good or to show up to fulfill our Sunday obligation. So what is Mass for? What is it's purpose? "Pray my brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the almighty Father." "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of His name and for our good and the good of all His holy Church. " We know this - we say it at every Mass. But what we've missed is what WE say, is the two-fold purpose for the Mass 1. For the praise and the glory of His name 2. For our good and the good of all His holy Church We are called by God to come to Mass and worship. We are called to worship our God and offer the sacrifice of the Mass and every time we do this, the Father is glorified and the world is saved. "Do you realize that every time that you are at Mass, you are participating in the salvation of the world?" ~Fr. Mike Schmitz We don't realize this, because again, we are just watching. We watch the priest pray , but do we really pay attention to what he is praying, what the prayers mean, or the fact that we are ALL worshiping God together? No, because we have been taught to watch, and not taught to worship. If you're a member here at St. Mary or St. John's parishes, you might know or have heard the term "Ad Orientem." This describes the kind of Mass where the priest is facing the tabernacle instead of facing the people. We have ad orientem Mass on Saturdays at 5:30 pm at St. Mary's and Sunday at 9:00 am at St. John's if you're interested in worshiping at one of those Masses. Anyway, the reason I'm bringing this up is because when we see the priest looking towards Jesus in the Tabernacle and raises his eyes towards heaven, that is where our eyes and hearts are directed too. The priest is not there to entertain us, or for us to watch him, he is there to lead us in worship. We worship God through the sacrifice of the Mass. We bring Him glory by worshiping Him how he asks of us. God gave us the Mass and asks us to worship Him in this way, TELLS us that the bread and wine is no longer earthly food but it BECOMES Jesus - literally His Body and Blood. And we hear this so many times, it doesn't faze us after awhile. When we go up to receive the Eucharist and the priest says "the Body of Christ", he can't be any more clear! He isn't saying "this is a symbol of the Body of Christ" - it IS the physical Body of Jesus. And when we say "Amen", we are saying "I believe" - I believe what you have said to me and who you have given me, on my tongue or in my hand, IS JESUS. So when we go to Mass and we get curious about the homily, if it's going to be a good one, or if we're really going to feel that we have received Jesus today, or if we leave Mass thinking that we didn't get anything out of it, we aren't doing what God asks us to do. The same thing applies when we decide to skip Mass and go hunting, thinking, oh yes I'll find God in the woods - yes, God is there of course, but that is not what He asks of us. The same applies if we choose to go to another service because Mass is boring, God is there of course, but that is not what He asks of us. "If I give God what I want and not what He has really asked for, who do I really love? Do I love Him, or am I saying I love myself more?" ~Fr. Mike Schmitz Even though we are at Mass to worship God, God is so good to us, He is still giving to us, even though the Mass is not about us. He gives us His Word, and He gives us Himself in the most intimate and humble way possible - through the Eucharist. Due to this pandemic, we have had to worship virtually - and praise God for technology! However, we also must realize that God always calls us back to His Church. Yes we can worship God from our living rooms, and we need to keep each other safe if we or those we love are at risk or sick. But I invite you to keep this as a constant thought in your mind as well - God calls us to worship in His Church, and we are made for community. He wants us and invites us to receive Him in the Eucharist - it is a gift to us that we cannot and should not think is replaceable by going to Mass virtually. Although going to Mass, in any sense of the word (physically or virtually), is different right now, God sees our efforts and invites us to continually do the best that we can - if you are staying home due to being at high risk or being with someone else who is, and continue to worship Him with all your heart and soul, our Lord pours out the graces you need to do that as long as you need. If you are able to come to Mass, and continuing to worship Him with all your heart and soul, our Lord pours out the graces you need as well. But I'll tell you one thing - I cannot wait to see our Churches full again :) Wherever you are, remember this: "We're not there to worship an experience, we're there to worship HIM" ~Fr. Mike Schmitz Next time you go to Mass, remind yourself who you are there for. ***Most of what is said in this blog post is taken from Fr. Mike Schmitz' 2019 Seek Talk. I HIGHLY encourage that you take the time to watch it. This is a message that I need, and that we ALL need. I encourage you to share with your family and friends as well! "How to pray the Mass like never before": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpUp6zSGCb4
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