Last night I had a nightmare: the church I love fell to
society and therefore attempted to conform. It began in a huge balcony that
didn't even have sight of the sanctuary but it was still in the church and I
was kneeling with everyone who had their cell phones out and visible and even
audible so as to keep up with everything going on outside, even football games.
So I got fed up listening to football when I was trying to pray and went
downstairs to find a good seat in the front and that’s when I noticed I was
wearing shorts on Sunday and was embarrassed, and other people were too, in
t-shirts, athletic clothes, etc seemed that anything went. I looked towards
where the sanctuary should have been but it was barely recognizable. The altar
was pulled way forward almost at the first pew, the entire back wall was a
collage of paintings of faces that were supposed to be Mary, Jesus, Joseph and
different saints but they weren't any classic works, all modern interpretations.
There were statues not classic saint ones, but of everyday people in life like
poses, running, playing etc. The choir was made up of hundreds of people that
stretched all around the outer edge of the entire "sanctuary." The
band was the size of a large jazz band with several guitars, tambourines,
maracas, and other instruments. It came time for the homily and a team of 4
people came up. One girl started pointing to the pictures explaining them all
to the congregation. The priest stopped her and said no just one. So she had
the audience vote by cheers and show of hands which one they wanted her to
reflect on. It happened to be one that looked like an older painting and was
actually faced away from everyone but from the front I could still see it. It was
one of an angel overcoming a dark figure so I assume St. Michael, but I couldn’t
tell what she said about it because of the background music and as soon as she
interpreted it the whole place burst into claps and whistles and cheers and the
band picked up with a very upbeat jazzy loud version of “o come let us adore
Him.” Then finally the crucifix came out, it hadn’t been there the whole time
it was some sort of contraption that swung out only when needed by lots of guys
manning ropes. It was no longer a crucifix though, just a cross and they “shook”
the whole giant thing to the beat of the music. That’s when I just sat back and
cried. What had become of this place?! Who let this happen?! I looked to the
priest half expecting him to be in approval with all of this, but when I looked
I found a very weary disheartened man looking to the cross his face very somber,
quite detached from everything else going on. Apparently he barely had a place
here. He was just a figure that got to stay part of it but clearly didn’t have
much significance in this theatrical production of a “ceremony.”
I woke up remembering a quote I used recently “we go to mass
not as an audience but as conscious participants in the Eucharist.” This dream
seemed to be the fulfillment of many common and disordered complaints both
Catholics and other faiths have about the Catholic mass.
“Mass is boring, and too old fashioned.” “Why do yall hang
Christ crucified that’s gory.” “Why dress up Jesus accepts us as we are.” “your
church oppresses women by only letting men take on major roles.” “I could
deliver a better homily than that guy.” “He’s so boring and monotone he needs
to be more charismatic.” “the music is so old fashioned it needs to have more
of a beat to it and a better performance.” “saint images wearing poor clothes,
bleeding, stabbed, holding eyeballs etc that’s just weird.”
We don’t go to mass with the goal of getting something out
of it or to be entertained. If we do, we lose sight of WHO we are celebrating
in the liturgy. This vision of a church I had in my dream was a picture of what
the church would look like if it “kept up with our culture, the times.” With
the service (not going to call it a mass) no longer centered on the Eucharist,
the focus turns selfishly on us, our entertainment, and satisfaction. Its all
about what we want, not God’s love for us or trying to imitate Christ. No, that
would be “too hard” for us. Once that happens anything goes. We wouldn’t remember
our saints for who they were as people who gave up everything to follow Christ
or became martyrs who died for their faith. I guess that way of life is too
hard for us to attempt so we replace them with “nice” things to look at, people
playing and running wearing nice clothes just having fun. We’d lose our
traditional old familiar hymns that sang of the mystery of the church, of God’s
love and sacrifice, to modern contemporary versions of them that completely
drown out the meaning behind the song with all the drums and such. Our
attention is now being kept by a dancing choir. No longer would we meditate on
Christ’s sacrifice, I guess the crucifix would be too gruesome and a party
killer in this version of the church and would be replaced by a cross that
danced along to the music. Since we lose
our sense of Who we’re going for nothing really matters. We don’t feel a need
to look our best, silence our phones, or to be reverent. We diminish the role
of the priest. We say why can’t we do what the priest does, hierarchy is “oppressing”
we are all “equals.” So then the congregation takes over the priest’s role and
he sadly becomes just a nice thing to look at all dressed up at the front.
This is not the Church Christ shed His blood for and is not
what we really want either. If we’re not being entertained by the mass, feeling
connected, or don’t feel as if we are getting anything out of it, then go
deeper! Seek a better understanding of what is truly going on with each
sacrifice of the mass. Dress up knowing that you are going to be in the
presence of our King! Disconnect from the business of the world and connect
whole heartedly with God. Sing the songs for God’s greater glory as our goal not
for the entertainment of the congregation. Be inspired by the saints and follow
their model of leading a Christ like life for others. Use that kneeler! Listen
to the words Christ speaks to us through our imperfect priests who humble
themselves at His service. Pray each prayer with purpose and seek to know the
meaning of what you pray. Meditate on what wondrous love God has for us
portrayed in the crucifix. Know that in each mass, heaven meets earth and we’re
in communion with all saints. Christ gives us His body in the Eucharist as He
gave it to us on the cross to save our souls. “Do not seek the food of the
earth that will perish, seek the bread of eternal life!”
Thank you Lord for the Catholic Church! Thank you for a
church who does not conform who holds fast to the truth of the teachings and
traditions instituted by Christ with His agony and shedding of His blood on the
Cross. Please keep this church strong and faithful and may it never fall to the
whims and wishes of our modern culture.
