There are three traditional practices that Catholics are encouraged to do during the Lenten Season:  Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving.  Over the next few weeks, I am going to reflect on these three practices.  Since we just heard the Bishop’s message for the Annual Catholic Appeal, let’s keep the reflection on almsgiving for last.  For the first two weeks I am going to speak about prayer, or more specifically about two forms of prayer.

    I am sure that most of you know that the Mass is the highest, most perfect form of prayer that we have.  It is the source of all our spiritual life as a Catholic, and it is the summit toward which all our spiritual life should be directed.  Contrary to what some people might think, the Mass is not about entertainment, because that would place the focus of the Mass on us.  Rather the focus of Mass is on God.  First and foremost, the Mass is about giving praise that thanks to God for all that He does for us.  The Mass is also called the Eucharist, and the word Eucharist comes from the Greek word meaning “to give thanks.”  This is one of the reasons why priests roll their eyes when people say that they don’t get anything out of the Mass:  the real question is what are you putting into the Mass?

    Of course, even giving God praise and thanksgiving benefits us.  During the Mass, God speaks to us, sharing His words of life.  And we receive that Word most intimately when we receive Holy Communion, which is the very Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.  If we receive Holy Communion worthily, we truly become one with Christ Jesus.

    The key is do we receive Holy Communion worthily?  We should never receive Holy Communion if we are in the state of mortal sin.  As St. Paul writes, if we do so we receive the Body and Blood of Christ as our condemnation.  However, we also have to have the proper attitude towards the Eucharist.  God tells us through the Prophet Isaiah the attitude we should have towards keeping the sabbath worship:

 

If you refrain from trampling the sabbath,
from following your own pursuits on my holy day;
If you call the sabbath a delight,
the Lord’s holy day glorious;
If you glorify it by not following your ways,
seeking your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs—
Then you shall delight in the Lord, (Isaiah 58: 13-14)

 

    Clearly, the emphasis is on putting God first throughout the entire sabbath, and not just the hour or so that Mass takes.  It means putting time in before Mass to recollect ourselves, putting ourselves in God’s presence.  It means forming our intentions for Mass.  During Mass it means listening intensely to the readings and prayers, actively responding to the various parts of the Mass, and singing.

    Frankly, I think too many Catholic have gotten too casual about the Mass.  Not just here at Resurrection Parish, but at most parishes I have visited.  We seem to rush into church at the last minute with no time to recollect ourselves.  We read the bulletin instead of listening to God’s Word, and then we are in a hurry to get out of Mass after Communion.  Do we really think about God the rest of the day?

    Recently I asked Rev. Parker, at our neighbor Refreshing Life Praise Cathedral, if any of his parishioners are sports fans.  He said “Of course!  Many of them are looking forward to the Eagles playing in the Super Bowl.”  He then asked me why did I ask.  I told him that when I see his congregation either going in for the service or leaving, I notice just how well dressed they are.  I never see anyone wearing shirts with their favorite sports team.  He told me that they know that first you dress for God, and then go home and dress for your team.

    We need to learn that lesson.  We have to get back to the practice of wearing our Sunday Best to Church.  It shows a respect for God, that we are making Him the most important thing in our lives.  It will help us from making Mass too casual.  The more we value the Mass, the more we will experience the love of God in our lives.