By Padre Fernández
Imagine if the President of the United States invited a group of people for dinner in his home. They arrived late, were untidy, and chewing gum. Their children were shouting and no one corrected them. They sat however they wanted, were distracted, and when the food was served, they didn’t eat. What would you think? Probably not anything good. You would consider that they were uneducated, without any sense of common courtesy, or manners. No one would dare behave this way. And if someone invited you to an important party you would be prepared, learn the rules you must follow, and dress properly.
And what if the host was the greatest one of all, the absolute, the almighty God Himself? Should we not show great exhilaration and gratitude for the invitation and try to behave properly?
On Sundays we see, that as the hour of Mass approaches, which is the banquet offered to us by the Almighty God himself, who is infinite love, there are many empty pews. Mass begins and people rush in, talking amongst themselves. Some still have food, water, and even toys for their children. They greet friends, are distracted, and are not focused on what is happening…
There are youth who think they can take advantage of this time to text, talk on the phone or read other things while the Mass is being celebrated. And one has to ask, why did they even bother to attend?
During Mass, we celebrate the greatest and most awe-inspiring event in history: that God Himself, Creator of the Universe, the Almighty and Most High, would want to come and live with us, become bread so He can stay in us and change our lives, and save our humanity. This should excite us so much that we consider there is nothing greater in all life than to celebrate this great mystery and this wonderful grace of being invited to share with him.
What are the practices we should observe when attending Mass?
Why is all this important? Well because it is truly the only thing that can change our lives. What we celebrate on Sunday is our salvation and it is also our mission. As we are leaving we are told to share the Gospel with others. That is, Monday, Tuesday, and for the rest of the week, we should bring, and be, Good News for others. We must take the bread of the Eucharist that we have become to everyone in our surroundings. We must live in a manner that demonstrates how great, worthy, and completely grateful we are, because God has invited us to share his table. Could there be anything greater?