Robots in the Mass

During Mass have you ever stumbled at this response:  "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of His name, for our good and the good of all His Holy Church"? Our response to the celebrant took me a long time to memorize. I often came in late ... I would start to respond around "sacrifice"!

Those dialogues were the strangest things. Whenever the priest said something, the people replied as if they were hypnotized or in some kind of secret cult. You may have heard that if you don't understand the Mass, then you won't be able to get anything from it. I definitely complained for not getting anything out of the Mass.

However, we believe that the Eucharist is the source (from where we draw for grace) and summit (the greatest prayer fo the Church) of the Christian life. Therefore, it makes sense that we have to be fully engaged; we are called to participate in the work of God to properly give him praise. When you respond in the liturgy, the words that come out of your mouth have God as its source. Do you make way for God to act or are your words automatic mindless responses?

As you think and pray about the responses you give, you will be more aware of what's going on in the Mass. When you are more aware, you will become reverent toward the gift you receive ... Christ Himself. Next time you will be ready to exclaim all the responses like you mean it.

Amen!