The Beauty of the Catholic Mass: the Journey from "Feel-Good Experience" to Arrival at Substantive Faith.

The Catholic Mass is in a word, beautiful. The perfect balance between Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist, where we gather around the Lord's table and witness once again but forever anew, Christ's ultimate act of love and unimaginable sacrifice, all for the sake of each one of us and our own salvation. Yet while we enter into communion with Jesus, receiving his body and blood, we are truly receiving the resurrection itself, the risen Lord. We receive the God who was, who is, and who will be, and a God that is alive within us. One could argue that, at that moment at which we receive communion, there is no other moment where we are more fully alive, as eternal life truly enters our mortal being. So beautiful is this tradition and sacrament of the Catholic Mass. However, how many of us have ever been deaf, blind, or unfeeling to the magnitude and beauty of the experience and Sacrament of the Mass? How many of us have ever simply "gone through the motions", or even left at the end of Mass somewhat disappointed, because our entertainment expectations were not met by either homily or musical selections and performance?

Our Catholic faith is of course a journey. My personal journey has involved the usual peaks and valleys, as well as times of darkness, doubt, and even despair. Through these challenging times, I have leaned on my faith to pull me through; however, I have definitely been guilty of "going through the motions" in the past. There have even been times in the past where I would try different churches, searching for better entertainment. I am, of course, not alone in this, as many of our Catholic brothers and sisters have gone through the same process, sometimes leaving the Catholic Church altogether or even worse, losing faith completely. How many of us have friends or family members, that we know, that have left the Church for one reason or another? The beauty of this Catholic Mass is however, that even in, or maybe especially in our times of brokenness, despair, or blindness, our God is there with us, sustaining us, pouring himself out for us in order to heal us, welcome us back, and ultimately to save us. This is a beautiful, powerful, and redemptive Mass.

The clear turning point for me, in my journey, has been becoming a husband and father, which created the desire to become a better Catholic man. It is beautiful the way our God uses family, and in particular children, to soften our hearts, open our eyes and allow us to experience God's love and Divine Mercy. Through this desire of wanting to become a better father, the Holy Spirit has gradually revealed the beauty and the magnificent power of every single Mass. I can say with all sincerity that since my eyes have been opened to the intrinsic beauty of the Mass, music and homilies simply play supporting roles to the true power and presence of our Lord. How could I ever leave a Mass disappointed now?

A few years ago, while on a men's retreat at Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg Maryland, I had an experience which further crystallized for me the true meaning and purpose of the Mass. Being a rather involved father, it is difficult for me to be away for my children for any length of time, let alone for a weekend retreat. The retreat and the weekend away from my kids, culminates during the family Mass, when the wives and children are able to be reunited with the dads at the beautiful St. Mary's Chapel, aka the "glass chapel", at Our Lady of Lourdes National Shrine, which overlooks the beautiful northern Maryland valley. I remember this particular morning, I arrived at the chapel early in order to save a pew for my wife and, at the time, 4 young children. The 15 or 20 minutes that I waited to see these beautiful faces again seemed like an eternity, as I was literally on the edge of my seat peering through the crowd trying to locate my family. I remember my heart being so full of joy and love as I waited with excited anticipation, wanting nothing more than to love them and hold them again. In that moment, I believe the Holy Spirit revealed to me a parallel between men, as earthly fathers, and God the Father. Just as I waited for my family, being so filled with love, and wanting to pour out my love upon my family, so too does God the Father wait patiently and excitedly for us each week to return to him and pour his love out upon us. It is God the Father, through the outpouring sacrificial love of the Son, all through the power of the Holy Spirit which make every Mass so perfect and so beautiful. My sincere hope and prayer is that, as Christians, we keep our hearts ever open to receive this endless outpouring of love and strength through our beautiful Trinitarian God. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this beautiful Mass and for the gift of faith. Amen.