The Mass Dilemma

A few weeks ago, I was part of a panel that was exploring the theology of the priesthood.  When it came time for questions one of the audience members asked what he should say to his granddaughters to encourage them to go to Mass.  The question was really directed to the question of women in ministry – I stumbled through a response and if I had been more thoughtful, this is what I wish I had said!

Each week I wonder why it is that that the beauty of the ritual I see unfolding seems to no longer capture the imagination of so many of our Catholic people – not just the young.  And wonder if the question for reflection is really ‘how are we to be Catholic in the contemporary world?’. 

I grew up in a family of weekly Mass attendees, I recall mum being a little critical of those who attended Mass on a Sunday night ‘seems like a bit of an afterthought’, she would observe.  Mass was a habit and a routine – the first thing we would do when we went on holiday was check out the weekend Mass times!  Then there was the time my sister observed that seeing it was holidays, maybe we could have a holiday from Mass.  I have a vivid image of mum turning to gaze at us crammed in the back seat … the gaze was enough! 

But life is different now.  Shops are open, sport is played, more of us work outside the home and the weekends are short.  And our memories play tricks – while certainly Mass attendance has dropped – the national church life survey data would suggest that attendance has never been practiced by the majority.  Certainly, the data indicates a steep decline in the 60s and 70s (https://www.ncls.org.au/articles/religious-service-attendance/).  And perhaps a question to ponder is whether Mass attendance is a reliable measure of Catholicity. 

I think being Catholic is a journey of the imagination.  It’s about cultivating a habit to see the grace in the world.  It’s being part of what the American sociologist Andrew Greeley, famously described as ‘an enchanted world, a world of statues and holy water, stained glass and votive candles, saints and religious medals, rosary beads and holy pictures. (The Catholic Imagination, Introduction I).  The eyes of these hearts have the capacity for sacramental imagination – an imagination that can see God and feel the presence of God in our daily lives. 

Explore religious art and choose a painting that speaks to your soul.  From the earliest times people have used artistic mediums (music, iconography, painting, sculpture) to give form to the unexplained, to make the invisible visible and to bring life to the imaginary – to make sense of their understanding of God and God’s relationship with humanity. 

If the written word touches your heart – read the works of some of the great spiritual writers of our times who through their craft think deeply about what a world filled with the presence of God looks like.  If you learn through the life-experience of others explore the lives of the saints and choose a favourite one.  If music speaks to the heart listen to some music and hymnody from different periods in the liturgical life of the church and see if any of the words resonate.  Keep the words in your heart!  So often the theology the Church is transmitted faithfully through the texts of a well-known hymn. 

Lean into the journeys of the earliest believers and learn about how they prayed, cared for each other and the poor.  Listen for the words of inspiration from Jesus, the teacher, preacher and healer and see if there is an echo that sparks the imagination of the contemporary heart.  Think about how the work of God in the world is always about restoring people to their rightful place a citizen of the world – work for inclusion, for the eradication of poverty, a greener planet.  Read the psalms and join the journey of the earliest peoples as they tried to make sense of their joys and struggles in the presence of God. 

Think about what it means to be a good human.  Be kind, generous, thoughtful. 

Accept that there is a restlessness in the human heart and that we live in a complicated wonderful world.  Think about what it means to believe in something.  Charles Taylor, the contemporary philosopher argues that we are not really settled into ‘unbelief, that people still feel a sense of the other and still look for a sense of the ‘religious’: Great numbers of people feel it: in moments of reflection about their life; in moments of relaxation in nature; in moments of bereavement and loss; and quite wildly and unpredictably.  Our age is very far from settling into comfortable unbelief. (The Secular Age, p. 727).

Pay attention to your heart, seek to discover the mystery of God that surrounds in the midst of the chaos.  What is it that stirs your heart and mind?  Perhaps the whisper of God can be found there. 

And, if one day you find yourself walking past a church, pop in.  Sit in a seat and think about all the believers who have sat there before you.  Think about all the prayers that have risen like incense to the God of all kindness and add yours.  Gaze at the cross and think about what it means to struggle and to suffer and remember that the resurrection means that there is always new life.  Think about God, wonder about Jesus. 

And maybe, one day, you may decide that another way to participate in the world of faith is by being with a community, listening to the stories of our ancestors, and participating in the ancient ritual of communion.  The struggles of the church mean that the church is filled with struggling humans! We know from our own lives that change can be slow, that we can hang on to things for too long, that it takes courage to lean into the unknown. 

But most of all remember that in this world of faith there is always room for you – no matter how you may be feeling about the Church and the world – there is room for you, your questions, your hopes, your dreams.  The love of God is big enough to encircle all of us.  The model of Jesus’ life transcends all ages.  The inspiration of the Holy Spirit continues to breathe life.  This is the imagination of faith. 

By Cathy Jenkins

Published: 21 June 2024