Mass Motivation

by Jacki Popadich

Bzzt bzzzzt bzzzt. Bzzzzt bzzzt bzzzt. Just twenty more minutes, please. Hit the snooze and drift back off to sleep.

Bzzzzt. It's not like I'm going to go to hell if I don't make it to mass this week.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt. All right, already. I'm up, I'm going. Honest! Is this as typical a Sunday morning scenario for you as it is for me? Sometimes we all just need a little motivation, or maybe a little new motivation.

Survey says?

Why go to mass? In a recent survey of one hundred young Catholics (okay, maybe it was more like fifteen) we asked them why they go to mass each Sunday. The answers: to feel closer to God, to save my soul, to hear the word of God, to celebrate the Eucharist, because I feel guilty if I don't.

And the number one answer to the question "Why go to mass?"
Out of obligation and habit. For many youth and young adults, going to mass is a habit that has been instilled in us by our parents fifty-two weeks a year for nearly eighteen years or so. And so we continue to show up at mass every weekend. Fair enough.

But what do you do when habit just isn't good enough anymore?

Are You the Weak Link

In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, he makes mention of the fact that we are all the body of Christ, each a different part. This is a point we should really keep in mind when we celebrate liturgy together every weekend.  Paul further argues, "So that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy."

Sounds like what we do at liturgy, right? Each of us comes separately each week to form one body to celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Christ. While doing that, we also offer up our prayers for ourselves and for our local and global communities. We form a chain -- a lattice -- a network built for support.  If I choose not to be present at the celebration, I make the community -- the body of Christ - weaker. And that's not too cool.

Privilege of Membership

So taking part in the liturgy isn't just an obligation. It's not just a responsibility, either. Being a part of the community is a privilege.

I think back to when I was a kid and I remember how jealous I was of everyone who got to receive communion. I felt left out. Then in eighth grade, I was really mad when they switched confirmation from eighth grade to ninth and tenth grade. I wanted to be able to participate in all the possibilities my faith community had available. But just like all the other adults, I had to wait my turn.

It is striking that, as a child, I knew these sacraments were privileges. At some level I understood how special it was to be a member of the Body of Christ.

And in the End, the Love You Take is Equal to the Love You Make

And to think, once I got to experience the community in full, I became really lazy. Sure, my butt was in the seat each week, but was I really giving my all? And if I'm not giving my all to the community, how can I expect to ever receive anything in return?

I have since learned that, in order to truly be a part of the community, I must be willing to share my prayers, my hopes, my dreams, my fears, my joys and my sorrows. Then the community will share the same with me.

So yeah, I do usually end up throwing my alarm clock across the room on Sunday mornings. Yeah, I still try to rationalize it. But then I remember the reasons why I go to liturgy, and it's worth every waking minute.

Life Applications:

How did you feel about mass when you were a child?
What makes it difficult to go to mass?
What are you doing to make your community stronger?

Copyright 2002-2008 by Jacki Popadich
All rights reserved.