“Holding the Form of Religion But Denying Its Power”
- St. Paul, 2Tim. 3:5
Ever wonder why Catholic Churches are half empty on Sunday mornings? Or why there seem to be few if any teenagers present? Ever wonder why the power and influence of the Church has so greatly diminished over the last twenty years? Perhaps what follows may give one important answer, if not the key reason…
Last Sunday at a nearby parish, after the Gospel and the homily – and before the Eucharist - the congregation was told to be seated so that the Finance Committee could present the annual budget. Now mind you, this is in the middle of the Mass!
Would they have done this if Jesus were standing there? If it were the Last Supper and He were just finished speaking to us? Of course not! Yet that is the awesome truth which the Church proclaims: Jesus was standing there. He was truly present. In the Mass, in this reliving of the Last Supper and the events of the Paschal Mystery, Jesus is as truly present after the proclamation of His word (John 6:63) – the Gospel! – as He is present upon the altar after the solemn words of consecration.
He was standing there powerfully present in the midst of us. Yet the people there preferred not to relish His presence or savor His teaching, but rather to focus on facts, figures, and finances – and all this in the middle of the Mass! Incredible, outrageous… Yet more than that – it was and offense and insult to God.
Would a parish have such a report after the Gospel at Christmas Mass, or at a solemn Mass on Easter? Of course not! It is because at these times of the year we want people to experience the Gospel, the Good News of Emmanuel – God with us. We want them to feel the Presence of God’s great Love, the Presence of His Spirit which fills the earth at the coming of Christ, and which anoints the world with Pentecost power after His Resurrection.
But why not aim to have such Power and Presence animate every Mass? Why not be urgent in season and out of season? (2Tim. 4:2) Why not make every Mass every week be a powerful proclamation of God with us? Please, no more anemic liturgies where we treat the Mass as some sort of superficial experience, an honoring of God with “lip service”, a “going through the motions” proclamation of God with us that amounts to little more than a “noisy gong or clanging cymbal”, a boring experience filled with empty words and perfunctory rituals, with hollow words and lifeless speech .
Rather, make every Mass a heart and soul effort to render Christ present in power through God’s Word (Jesus!) and Eucharist, through a Gospel proclamation that releases Spirit and Life into the hearts of the Faithful (John 6:63) present at Mass, through a Eucharist that is taken seriously as a reliving of the Last Supper and the all-powerful Love which made itself felt the night before Jesus suffered.
Wake up Catholics! Increasingly, every day, every moment, our society needs more and more the Love of Christ and the Bread of Life, the Food and Fuel which fills our spirits with the Holy Spirit. Please don’t make a Mass a mockery of a real feast on His Love and a true celebration of His Love present in power among us.
God bless,
Doug Michaud
P.S. Please know that I would further welcome your contact with me and the chance to dialogue with you through my websites. Please tell others about them as well: www.trinitycorministries777.net, http://trinity-cor.blogspot.com, and www.modedsys-nereg.com.
AN UPCOMING EVENT –
A SENIOR HIGH ANTIOCH RETREAT AT
BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH
In STOWE, VT.
The Weekend of November 9th through 11th
If you want to experience the Spirit of the Risen Christ powerfully present in our lives, then this is the retreat for you. Contact me at spiritsounds777@aol.com, or via the Tri-Cor website. You can also contact the retreat Director Steve Chambers at epiphanyvt@aol.com
- St. Paul, 2Tim. 3:5
Ever wonder why Catholic Churches are half empty on Sunday mornings? Or why there seem to be few if any teenagers present? Ever wonder why the power and influence of the Church has so greatly diminished over the last twenty years? Perhaps what follows may give one important answer, if not the key reason…
Last Sunday at a nearby parish, after the Gospel and the homily – and before the Eucharist - the congregation was told to be seated so that the Finance Committee could present the annual budget. Now mind you, this is in the middle of the Mass!
Would they have done this if Jesus were standing there? If it were the Last Supper and He were just finished speaking to us? Of course not! Yet that is the awesome truth which the Church proclaims: Jesus was standing there. He was truly present. In the Mass, in this reliving of the Last Supper and the events of the Paschal Mystery, Jesus is as truly present after the proclamation of His word (John 6:63) – the Gospel! – as He is present upon the altar after the solemn words of consecration.
He was standing there powerfully present in the midst of us. Yet the people there preferred not to relish His presence or savor His teaching, but rather to focus on facts, figures, and finances – and all this in the middle of the Mass! Incredible, outrageous… Yet more than that – it was and offense and insult to God.
Would a parish have such a report after the Gospel at Christmas Mass, or at a solemn Mass on Easter? Of course not! It is because at these times of the year we want people to experience the Gospel, the Good News of Emmanuel – God with us. We want them to feel the Presence of God’s great Love, the Presence of His Spirit which fills the earth at the coming of Christ, and which anoints the world with Pentecost power after His Resurrection.
But why not aim to have such Power and Presence animate every Mass? Why not be urgent in season and out of season? (2Tim. 4:2) Why not make every Mass every week be a powerful proclamation of God with us? Please, no more anemic liturgies where we treat the Mass as some sort of superficial experience, an honoring of God with “lip service”, a “going through the motions” proclamation of God with us that amounts to little more than a “noisy gong or clanging cymbal”, a boring experience filled with empty words and perfunctory rituals, with hollow words and lifeless speech .
Rather, make every Mass a heart and soul effort to render Christ present in power through God’s Word (Jesus!) and Eucharist, through a Gospel proclamation that releases Spirit and Life into the hearts of the Faithful (John 6:63) present at Mass, through a Eucharist that is taken seriously as a reliving of the Last Supper and the all-powerful Love which made itself felt the night before Jesus suffered.
Wake up Catholics! Increasingly, every day, every moment, our society needs more and more the Love of Christ and the Bread of Life, the Food and Fuel which fills our spirits with the Holy Spirit. Please don’t make a Mass a mockery of a real feast on His Love and a true celebration of His Love present in power among us.
God bless,
Doug Michaud
P.S. Please know that I would further welcome your contact with me and the chance to dialogue with you through my websites. Please tell others about them as well: www.trinitycorministries777.net, http://trinity-cor.blogspot.com, and www.modedsys-nereg.com.
AN UPCOMING EVENT –
A SENIOR HIGH ANTIOCH RETREAT AT
BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH
In STOWE, VT.
The Weekend of November 9th through 11th
If you want to experience the Spirit of the Risen Christ powerfully present in our lives, then this is the retreat for you. Contact me at spiritsounds777@aol.com, or via the Tri-Cor website. You can also contact the retreat Director Steve Chambers at epiphanyvt@aol.com
