Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Matthew 26:26

Now, as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."

The Catholic ritual of Mass is largely the same each time a worshiper attends. To people of some denominations, this is boring, and generally not preferable. This is why many churches, some Catholic among them, have strayed from the liturgical constructs and edicts, and have altered the experience. Mostly these alterations have come in the name of making the Mass more inclusive, or participatory. But I contend that they have done exactly the opposite.

The Catholic Church is so powerful partly because of its relationship with tradition. We must learn, as humble servants of the Lord, that we are incapable of developing our religion for ourselves. This is one of the first lessons that we must learn when we realize our faith. Some, like I did at one time, may think that they can think for themselves when it comes to the mysteries of God, but these are mysteries strictly because only a chosen few have witnessed their explanations and demonstrations. If we begin to think that we can change these rituals into what we think that others prefer, we stray toward the doctrine of self-determined theology. We begin to think that we can defy all of the teachings that have been handed down from the beginning of the faith, and not just those of a ritualistic nature.

We are meant to be inclusive and participatory through a greater understanding of how we fit into God's plan. We are not meant to write God's plan for him. And the best way to be inclusive during a Mass is to reflect and ponder while enacting those rituals that have become so familiar to us. If the road on which we traveled back and forth from our work to our home changed every day, we would have to put our entire concentration into following those new turns. However, because it is the same, we find that we can ponder the other details of our day, or our faith, or our minds, while we drive. In the same way, we have no power of internal thought and reflection if we are constantly in search of what new concept is to come during a time of worship. We must be comforted by what is the same, by knowing the next turn in the road, so that we can free our minds to pray at the same time. When we first say the Hail Mary, we are concentrating on the words, ensuring that we say them correctly. Until we memorize it, we are attempting to memorize it. Only when we know it, "by heart," do we open our hearts to what it means.

The sameness of the rituals of Mass is not to be mourned. It is to be celebrated, for this is truly the one path toward participation.

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