ASK DEACON MIKE

I would like to share with you some thoughts concerning a question that I occasionally hear. People often approach me and ask if there is anything we can do to enhance our liturgies, to make them more vibrant, prayerful and meaningful. This is a great question and hope I can give a satisfactory answer. Are there things we can do? The answer is a resounding and definite yes!

First of all, let me remind you that Mass is not meant to be entertaining. Mass must always be an occasion for us to encounter Jesus Christ in an intimate and humble way. We must avail ourselves to become part of His eternal sacrifice placing all and who we are on the altar of sacrifice. We do this by brining our needs and our blessings before Jesus Who, through the actions of our priests, offers them along with Himself to our heavenly Father.

People sometimes say they do not get anything out of Mass. Other times people come up to me and say that Mass was a great experience that particular day. So the question becomes: Why are some Masses more inspiring than others? There are several reasons for this but I believe that they all point to one thing: the participation of the individual at Mass. In other words, you get out of Mass what you put into it. Let me explain.

If you go to a ball game and do not understand the rules of the game, the traditions behind it or fail to allow yourself to get caught up in the excitement of the action on the field then you are going to leave the ball park asking yourself, why did I come? The same is true for Mass. If we do not understand the actions that take place, the prayers that are prayed or if we do not pay attention to the scriptures or listen to the homily, if we do not sing with a sense of praise to God for the life and blessings He has given us then how can we “get anything” out of Mass? I truly believe that the only way to enhance our liturgies is for those who attend to participate more fully.

The Mass is not a passive activity. On the contrary, it is a very inter-active, living event. Mass is that encounter of humanity with the One who created humanity. Mass is our opportunity to unite ourselves with the all-loving God who took on our humanity and offered Himself up to torture and death to save us from our own sinful nature. That in itself is a very exciting opportunity if we allow ourselves to accept it. Jesus has done His part. Now it is up to us as individuals and as a community to express our gratitude, to offer our praise, to ask for our “daily bread” and to unite ourselves with Him. What more can we do then to enhance our liturgies? First of all we all must strive to come to Mass to pray. All of us could pray better. We can start at Mass.

Perhaps you have a good speaking voice and are at ease in front of people. You can turn that talent into a prayer by becoming a lector at Mass. Scripture that is proclaimed well is well understood by those who hear it.

Maybe you like serving people and providing nourishment to them. You can turn that into prayer by offering to become a Minister of Holy Communion. By showing your love and respect for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament you can become a model for others to follow. Reverence and piety are necessary traits if we are to follow the example of Jesus and serve as He served.

Music at Mass always seems to be a topic of conversation. We have a small, but very dedicated choir. I am sometimes amazed when I hear people in the congregation really singing along. Many of you have beautiful voices. Turn your singing into prayer. You might even find that Jesus is calling you to sing in our choir. The more voices we have, the stronger the sound of our worship. How pleased God must be when He hears us sing our praise.

These are just a few suggestions for making our liturgies greater expressions of our prayers of praise, thanksgiving and supplication. You can make a difference. God has given all of us something that we can use to build up the church. It is our responsibility to do so. God bless you and I love you all. Deacon Mike