SS Peter & Paul - The Mass
June 2008
I must say that for many years I found the Mass to be, lets say, not very exciting.
As a missionary priest, a parish had so many outstations, or mass centres, that I often found myself saying ten or twelve masses a week. I found that ‘saying’ Mass was the operative word rather than ‘celebrating’ Mass. A bit like attending two or three parties every day. It was something you struggled to get through.
The breakthrough, if that is the operative word, came for me when I gradually began to block out the surroundings and concentrate on the words I was saying and their meaning. This was, of course, a gradual development and required greater and greater concentration. This came easier on some days than on others and still does.
For me, to do this, it was essential that I completely ignore what was happening around me in the church. This required that I keep my eyes closed as much as possible.
If I do this I begin to realise that the words of the Mass and the words of the responses are very beautiful prayers and say everything I really want to say.
I must school myself to really mean the words I say. I must school myself to join in the words the priest is saying and really mean them.
Of course this can never happen if my whole attention is focused on what others are doing.