So often you hear the suggestion that religious practice has lost its relevance in today's society. Among Catholics for instance, attendance at Sunday Mass, and participation in the Eucharist have in fact declined noticeably. Going to Mass on Sunday has traditionally been seen as the mark of a strong and committed faith. When asked why one has stopped attending Mass, a common answer given is because they do not get anything out of attending Mass, and that you do not have to go to Mass to be a good person.
So the question then is why does a person go to Mass and what do they get out of going?
We go to Mass to be in Jesus PRESENCE. "Do this in remembrance of me." "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there, in their midst". Two things are at work here, first, personal faith in Jesus, and a certain conviction that he remains among us, alive and active; and second, real and true communion, that when we gather around the table of the Lord, Jesus is really and truly present with us, no less than he was at the Last Supper, and that we are brought into full communion with Jesus, that we are given a seat with him at the Supper of the Lord. Gathered this way, in Jesus presence, we are affected at the deepest level of our being. Even if we where in heaven, we would not be closer to Jesus than we are a Mass.
The nature of this presence is described as MYSTERY, partly seen, partly hidden, yet fully real. The forms of the liturgy of the Mass are intended to help us focus our attention as we move into this mystery, to be embraced by the Light and caught up into a true communion with all the saints. From here we are "sent" into the world to transform it by our lives.
Some suggest that the reforms of the liturgy introduced by the Second Vatican Council had a negative affect on this sense mystery in the Mass. I would suggest that it is more coincidental than causal. At the same time the council was underway, western society was experiencing significant societal changes, which they called, a "New Age". It was marked by a a decidedly secular and humanistic world view, which placed the rational person at the centre of all pursuit, relegating religion to myth and superstition. Finding "myself" was more important than finding God.
During my work with the Charismatic Renewal in the 70's and 80's, as well as connection to other renewal movements at that time, I witnessed people experiencing and embracing a personal encounter with Jesus, truly present to them - breaking through into their lives with a profound renewal their faith. Subsequently, when these people gathered for Mass, the presence of Jesus was deeply felt.
(This "Grace of Renewal", is explored in an earlier Post - LINK )
As pastors and people, we often spend a great deal of effort trying to create a better experience of the Mass by improving our performance of its forms, i.e. music and the spoken word. While these efforts are admiral, they are not sufficient in and of themselves to produce the experience of presence. The experience of presence is a grace. Grace is a gift, not a product of our doing, but can be a result of our desiring. Jesus wants to reveal himself to us, if we are willing to have him.
Saul of Tarsus was a man of strong, religious conviction, who was convinced that Jesus had been executed by the Romans and was no longer a threat to Judaism; but that he left behind a few radical followers who were perpetuating some of his radical ideas about God. They too needed to be purged from the scene and Saul was on a mission to eradicate them.
Then, unexpectedly Saul found himself literally, face to face with Jesus who was very much alive and challenging him. Jesus is real and his message is true, and for Saul everything was about to change. Saul's conversion was not a product of convincing arguments, it was a personal encounter that was real and undeniable - and it was Jesus plan and his timing, not Saul's.
People in the renewal movements of the 60's and 70's came to a deep renewal of faith not by convincing arguments about religion but by a personal experience of Jesus impacting on their lives with his grace of renewal. The Second Vatican Council and the renewal movements that followed it was clearly a plan of God's design and timing. Which raises the question, what is the plan for us in this new millennium? Who's interested? Who's asking? Are we listening? Speak Lord, your servants are listening!
So the question then is why does a person go to Mass and what do they get out of going?
We go to Mass to be in Jesus PRESENCE. "Do this in remembrance of me." "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there, in their midst". Two things are at work here, first, personal faith in Jesus, and a certain conviction that he remains among us, alive and active; and second, real and true communion, that when we gather around the table of the Lord, Jesus is really and truly present with us, no less than he was at the Last Supper, and that we are brought into full communion with Jesus, that we are given a seat with him at the Supper of the Lord. Gathered this way, in Jesus presence, we are affected at the deepest level of our being. Even if we where in heaven, we would not be closer to Jesus than we are a Mass.
The nature of this presence is described as MYSTERY, partly seen, partly hidden, yet fully real. The forms of the liturgy of the Mass are intended to help us focus our attention as we move into this mystery, to be embraced by the Light and caught up into a true communion with all the saints. From here we are "sent" into the world to transform it by our lives.
Some suggest that the reforms of the liturgy introduced by the Second Vatican Council had a negative affect on this sense mystery in the Mass. I would suggest that it is more coincidental than causal. At the same time the council was underway, western society was experiencing significant societal changes, which they called, a "New Age". It was marked by a a decidedly secular and humanistic world view, which placed the rational person at the centre of all pursuit, relegating religion to myth and superstition. Finding "myself" was more important than finding God.
During my work with the Charismatic Renewal in the 70's and 80's, as well as connection to other renewal movements at that time, I witnessed people experiencing and embracing a personal encounter with Jesus, truly present to them - breaking through into their lives with a profound renewal their faith. Subsequently, when these people gathered for Mass, the presence of Jesus was deeply felt.
(This "Grace of Renewal", is explored in an earlier Post - LINK )
Saul of Tarsus was a man of strong, religious conviction, who was convinced that Jesus had been executed by the Romans and was no longer a threat to Judaism; but that he left behind a few radical followers who were perpetuating some of his radical ideas about God. They too needed to be purged from the scene and Saul was on a mission to eradicate them.
Then, unexpectedly Saul found himself literally, face to face with Jesus who was very much alive and challenging him. Jesus is real and his message is true, and for Saul everything was about to change. Saul's conversion was not a product of convincing arguments, it was a personal encounter that was real and undeniable - and it was Jesus plan and his timing, not Saul's.
People in the renewal movements of the 60's and 70's came to a deep renewal of faith not by convincing arguments about religion but by a personal experience of Jesus impacting on their lives with his grace of renewal. The Second Vatican Council and the renewal movements that followed it was clearly a plan of God's design and timing. Which raises the question, what is the plan for us in this new millennium? Who's interested? Who's asking? Are we listening? Speak Lord, your servants are listening!
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