For those who have never had the blessing of a close priestly friend to go on vacation with, celebrating a private mass at a vacation home is a wonderful gift. These intimate masses offer another dimension of the liturgy that relatively few people get to experience. This past spring my friends and I had the privilege to celebrate two masses with a close priest friend. My friend Fr. Tony has only been ordained two years and his training in the liturgy has served him well. We both had the same professor in seminary and he instilled in all of us a reverence for the liturgy that respects the tradition. The masses that we celebrated with Fr. Tony reminded me of how simple and beautiful our liturgy is. Certain newly ordained priests make it a priority to prepare themselves spiritually in the prayers over the vestments. This itself is a ritual not unlike the way an athlete "vests" themselves before a game. What sets apart anyone who wishes to excel in their field is preparation. We've all heard the term of putting your game face on or bringing your "A" game. As Fr. Tony went through this preparation ritual of vesting and prayers, one definitely got the sense that he was bringing his "A" game.I have had the privilege of having attended many "beach" masses over the years, especially at our annual seminarian beach retreat. While each priest celebrating the mass had his own unique style, there is always a beauty and simplicity to these informal settings that I could always appreciate. Your local daily mass is probably the closest one could come to this experience. The experience is also heightened while on vacation because you are with your family and friends and the experience of "communio" is no just a theological concept but a tangible one.
It is not so much that Fr. Tony did anything innovative or unique. He was carrying out what his training taught him to do. He is probably not unlike his former Marine pilot father in this sense.
There is also nothing particularly pious about the way in which Fr Tony carried out this ritual or celebrated the mass. He performs the gestures and speaks the texts without added flair or drama! What a concept!? Basically, he followed what was in the book. I'm not saying there are not times during our liturgical season when the Church pulls out the stops and the liturgy truly engages all the senses. We are an incarnational faith after all.
The two masses at the beach house made an impression on me because it drew me into an intimacy with God that I have not experienced in quite some time. It was was a true gift to have been able to share the Lord's supper with a few close friends. Amy and I have decided to go to mass at a smaller community and for the most part we enjoy the celebrations there. Some of the other parishes are basically Catholic mega-churches and it is difficult to get a sense of the sacred at these celebrations. We long to be nourished not only in word and sacrament in a community where we won't get lost in the crowd.
A parish can have the resources to do liturgy well- to pay a Director of Liturgy, to pay a Music Ministry Director, an organist, have a state of the art sound system, tons of EMC's etc. During the major seasons and feast days, no expense is spared at decorations and environment etc. Some parishes don't have the luxury of being able to do this. I would argue that MOST parishes around the world don't have the resources to do give to their liturgies. My question is, are all these extras really necessary? If you can do it, why not?
The reason I am asking these questions is because I am not sure if the way in which many parishes celebrate the Liturgy truly offers a spiritually satisfying experience. It is difficult to quantify this but there are different programs that can help measure the over-all satisfaction they might have with their faith community. The Gallup organization has developed a parish based tool based on the Strength Finders method that can help determine how many people are engaged in your parish through worship, education, service, and community activities.
I wonder how many people attend mass regularly who have an experience or encounter with God. This is not about some sort of spiritual ectasy experienced by some of our spiritual masters or spiritual padawam- because these experiences are ALWAYS pure gift and given, never earned.
Are our liturgies helping people to place God at the center of their lives once again every week? Do they help us be more loving and compassionate people? Do the scriptures truly come alive and speak to us? Do we truly know who it is we are receiving and whom we are called to not only imitate by BECOME?
I came across an article that spurred these thoughts and I would encourage you to read it. Fourteen Easy Steps to Improve the Liturgy. There is a fine line between what some would consider to "enhance" the liturgy and entertainment. I, for one, do not need to be entertained at a liturgy. We hunger for the sacred and the liturgy needs to point us in that direction. The power of our liturgy comes from the Holy Spirit and sometimes, it seems as if we are led more by man's spirit and not God's.
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