Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Mass is Mass

About 20 years ago, I was spending the day in the city, walking around, shopping, going to the library (and avoiding the crowds as well as I could; being jostled is not good for me. Not, of course, that it is good for anyone. But I digress.)
I went to evening Mass in one of the many Catholic churches in New York City; I forget the name
of the parish. That is probably just as well!
The readings were mumbled, and I do mean mumbled.
The singing was waaaaaaaaaay off-key.
The homily was more of a ho-humily.
But these are, after all, not the most important elements of the Mass; they
do not even make up the Mass.
The priest, for all his shortcomings as a homilist (and it's really not fair to judge on the
strength, or weakness, of one sermon,) offered the Eucharistic Prayer beautifully.
THAT is what makes the Mass; the Eucharistic Prayer. The Consecration. Otherwise, what
we have is a Communion Service.
As we walked out after Mass, a woman turned to me and grumbled, "That Mass stunk, didn't it?"
"No," I answered softly. "Mass never stinks."

2 comments:

kkollwitz said...

Probably looked just fine from heaven.

Barbara Schoeneberger said...

Your answer to the lady was perfect. If everyone did his best, that's all God asks.

Encouraging news about EWTN's Fr. Anthony

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