Fun with Dick and Jane…. Or something like that.
when was the last time you went to church and left saying that was fun? How many times have you gone in to church dreading it? Or went only because you had to?
Being Catholic, we are not know for our exciting mass, we don’t get up and sing and dance, we sit and kneel and stand a lot, but that’s not the same. But in the other hand mass is only 1 hour long (except Easter Vigil mass then is 3 hours).
Catholics are not know for having fun at church, we are rather subdued, some would say stiff. Well that may be for some, but not for me!
Me I look at Mass as a family gathering, so when I attend mass, I make sure to enjoy it!
At my family gathering, there is conversation before the meal, so I make sure to talk to people before mass starts. Now I am sure some of you are say, what! You talk before Mass! You should be in Prayer, quit and reverent!
Yes that is true, for some, but once again, it is a family gathering and I don’t know about you , but my family gatherings are nothing like that.
Now I am not suggesting that mass turns in to a free for all, nothing like that, but I am suggesting that we all try to remember that mass is our family dinner together as Catholics, and that we are there to celebrate mass together, not alone.
If you need prayer time, great, use it, but don’t forget that fellowship can be and is a form of prayer. All to often we seem to think that there is only one way to praise God, but King David danced in the streets to praise God.
I really don’t think God would be upset if we had a little conversation prior to mass, or if we shared a joke and a smile. In-fact I think God would be pleased with us. All to often we don’t take the time to be family.
So next time your in the Church prior to the start of Mass, take some time to talk to your family (and I mean the Church as a whole) tell a good joke or 2 (make sure they are clean) and have a smile!
Paul
The STATIC Shop
View Point: Paul 
So according to you, is there no such thing as a place or time or situation in which one should strive to create an environment of solemn sacredness, to the greatest extent one can (within practical limits)?
No one can knock any of your sensibilities about God approving of a variety of forms of worship and fellowship. Family gatherings should be joyful, relaxed, open. And yes, the mass is, in a sense, a family get-together. But what distinguishes it from a family gathering in our homes or a park or a beach? Nothing at all, or something? If “something,” then is that “something” significantly different from a non-church family gathering?
I suggest that Catholic Mass is incredibly different from a family gathering, while not denying in the least that the Mass is, in part, a family gathering. Because the nature of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass being so incredibly different from a non-church family gathering, our behavior and demeanor should also be quite different.
If lighthearted banter and fellowship are so important to you, then give them the time they deserve, without cutting into the time and reverence that the celebration of Mass deserves.
Fellowship aside, one should prepare for Mass well in advance of leaving home. If possible, review the day’s readings and pray on them. The Magnificat is an invaluable tool for this. Begin to compose your heart and thoughts towards the re-creation of the Last Supper and the sacrifice at Calgary.
One can be solemn and respectful, while still lighthearted and joyful, as the example of the saints teaches us.
Next we should arrive early. As soon as one enters into the church, he or she should seek out the tabernacle and pay homage, with, at minimum, a genuflection. The God of the universe deserves at least this much. And the whole time one is in the church building, one should be aware of true presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Next one should put their heart and mind in the presence of God and spend some time in quiet prayer. Now if lighthearted pre-Mass fellowship is desired, please exit the sacred interior of the church, the area where Mass will be said, and go into the foyer, narthex, fellowship hall or whatever place is appropriate to do so.
Chatter away. Have fun. Be delightful. Smile. Tell a joke or two (make sure its clean!), shake hands, kiss babies, whatever.
What could be wrong with reserving the interior of the church itself, where Mass is celebrated, as one solemn respite from the world, where the highest (practical) level of solemnity, silence and a sense of the sacred is honored and protected?
Your vision and mine don’t need to be in competition with each other. They don’t need to be mutually exclusive. We can have a win-win situation. Let’s just reserve the church proper as a place where one can strive for pious, solemn respect for God Almighty. Especially in the time frame immediately leading up to and immediately after Mass is celebrated.
And all that lighthearted joyful fellowship can occur absolutely anywhere else in the world. Its not that there’s anything inherently wrong with the fellowship you recommend. Its just that there’s likewise nothing wrong with sacred silence, either.
Dirk;
I agree 100%, now after re-reading my blog, I will say that my point was not well made, at all… But such is life.
I am not advocating a disrespect of the Mass… What I am stating is that, for you, the quiet prior is inportant to get yourself in to the place you need to be, for me, it’s not the same. I need to feel connected, and I do that by the conversation and such. I am respectful of your needs, you need to be respectful of mine.
Paul