Guest Column / Richard Etienne

When we gather for Mass, let us become one with our fellow believers

When arriving for Mass at your local parish, what thoughts do you have when first arriving?

Do you truly take notice of all of the little ideas that shoot through your head? This process is called mindfulness.

For example, take a brief moment to think about each of the following questions: Are you more focused on what people wear to Mass than the fact that they are there? Are you focused on the type of music chosen, or even the lack of any music? Do you prefer that more incense is used?

Do you prefer Mass in Latin or the common language of the local community? Are you pleased to see young members participating, as well as babies and toddlers sitting among the pews?

How does one keep the mind focused on the central intent of this sacred celebration: the praise and worship of our triune God?

In late October, we heard proclaimed the Gospel about the Pharisee and the tax collector (Lk 18:9-14). And in early November, we heard St. Paul, in his First Letter to the Corinthians, say that a believer’s body is a temple of God (1 Cor 6:19-20).

My understanding is that this “temple” applies to every person who has gathered to give glory to God—not just those with similar theology, dress, physical appearance or liturgical preferences as ours.

How can we be so judgmental in our thoughts, especially with others who already believe and still hope to be united as Jesus prayed in the Gospel of John, “so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me” (Jn 17:21).

In January, in St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, he writes, “… that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose” (1 Cor 1:10).

And lastly, as we pray at Mass, “… in my thoughts and in my words.”

The next time that you enter a church, pay close attention to the very thoughts that swirl in your mind (like those of the Pharisee) and see what you learn.

Can we as a faith community strive to move ever closer to becoming one with our fellow believers?
 

(Richard Etienne has a degree in theology from Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad and resides in Newburgh, Ind.) †