Avoiding Consumerism in Mass
I’d like to share an insight into my life and how I struggle personally with the Mass.
There is no other place on the planet that I’d rather be at any given time than in Mass. It is the true place of union between heaven and earth and where we are called to worship the triune God. Christ the bridegroom awaits His faithful on the altar, to give Himself entirely to His bride: the Church.
As I am sure that many of the readers can attest to (from their own experiences), I have been to many a Mass that I would not necessarily classify as reverent or even dare I say, respectful, of the sacred nature of the liturgy. I know someone who likes to discuss these sorts of Masses as “liturgical malpractice.” There are instances when I wonder if that’s a fitting phrase.
I must give credit where credit is due, and admit that at the other end of the spectrum, I’ve been to many Masses where the Divine was on such vivid display that it would have been possible to deny every one of our sense’s perceptions of it.
One ought to be careful, though, when making the claim that they know what is true, authentic beauty in the Mass, and what makes one particular Mass valid versus invalid, and so on and so forth. The majority of us aren’t liturgists, so validity is generally beyond our mental checklists. As we are all different from one another, we’ll have different preferences of what we deem to be worthy of a title such as ‘reverent’ or ‘sacred’, or ‘holy.’ What I might claim to be reverent may seem like traditional nostalgia, and what the fellow next to me deems reverent might seem like radio-esque pop worship.
The fact of the matter is that the holy Mass is our home. I fall victim to judgment and condemnation of what I would label as “less-than-reverent/sacred” (as if I am worthy enough to claim to know) and I become distracted and even angry during the liturgy. I understand why I do it, though: it’s because I know what potential is there, that I know what is really at stake: that Christ, the God-man is present and offers Himself to us on the altar.
I presented this problematic thinking with a friend of mine for some consolation, and he advised me that what's going on is that because I know and have seen what is good, true, and beautiful in the realm of the Mass, that demons will use that against me so that I become discontent in the place where my soul is laid bare. The Mass of all places, is not where I ought to behave in such a manner.
The point that I would make here is that we could fall into this trap of condescension, I think, due to the American consumerist mentality. Think about it: we have an infinite array of choices about practically everything, and if we’re not happy with the selection of some thing, all we have to do is simply elect something different for said thing that satiates our desire.
I fear that at times, we encounter this with the Mass; I know that I do. If I don’t see that a Mass is to a caliber of reverence that I deem necessary, I simply go elsewhere. If the Mass setting (music), priest(s), liturgy of the Word, liturgy of the Eucharist are not at a level of sacredness that I mandate, I make a note not to return, unless of course I’m in a pinch and the parish offers a Mass that corresponds with my hectic schedule (how convenient).
That thinking is dangerous if we let it get out of hand, which I have of course. At times I notice it creeping in, and I have to remember to keep it at bay, because I do not get to pick and choose and determine what the Lord’s Mass ought to be like. I’m invited to come and share in the divine banquet; I did not, nor could I earn that invitation; it is given.
I share these thoughts because I know some of my brethren share this sentiment and also experience the tempting call to downplay a liturgical celebration. Let us always remember that the Mass is an invitation to contemplate the sacred, not a right, and with this mentality in check, we can be thankful for the Lord’s call to come to Him in the Eucharistic celebration.
