Daily Mass
When I was working, before I developed some health issues, I got to the office between 6:30AM and 7AM and often worked until 6PM. I wasn’t able to get to daily Mass, but my habit of prayer, rising around 4AM was centered upon the Mass, my daily Lectio taken from the readings of the day.
I grew accustomed to attending Mass at the church of St. Agnes in St. Paul because the Mass was always well celebrated, and I liked it that the priest faced the altar, communion was received kneeling, etc. By preference, I avoided Mass at more liberal parishes where they used altar girls, distributed communion standing and in the hand, etc. You get the picture.
Lately, I started going to daily Mass at my local parish in Minneapolis. There is a new pastor there since I last attended - he’s a good Catholic priest, and a former military chaplain. It’s a typical “Novus Ordo” parish - they pray the Our Father holding hands, greet each other at the sign of peace, but everything done is permitted and Mass is celebrated with the priest vested and conducted with dignity.
I realized how much I had been denying myself by not attending daily Mass in my own neighborhood, because I preferred a more traditional liturgy.
I sit off to the side, towards the back of the church, hence I see the faithful people who lived through a very liberal, somewhat tyrannical pastor, who broke all of the rules. (That’s when I stopped going there.) These people didn’t stop going to daily Mass. I marveled at their perseverance, their daily fidelity. Many look much older after 6 years, of course, they were pretty old when I knew them before. They are delighted with their new pastor.
I realized that the Mass is the Mass - Tridentine rite or Novus Ordo, to stop daily Mass because you are not happy with the way the rite is conducted, is an error I believe. It’s not a sin to miss daily Mass, yet one is depriving oneself of communicating intimately, “bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh” with Christ. Jesus says in the Gospel, “whoever feeds on me will have life because of me!” “Feeds” - these folks daily feed upon the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus…they came to him daily, despite any liturgical abuses, despite not liking the pastor, and maybe despite the fact they may have preferred the traditional Mass of their youth.
They recognized the gift of God. I’m so grateful to be able to attend daily Mass once again. I’m so grateful for the gift of the priesthood, making it possible for me to receive the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus. I am so going to try and keep my eyes fixed upon Jesus, not so much on how Mass is celebrated, or the lifestyle, behavior, or theology of the priest, but upon Jesus, who inspires and perfects our faith.
I know some trads who will no longer attend the Novus Ordo Mass, and insist upon only attending the indult Mass, even if it is just on Sunday. A few will not even stop to visit the Blessed Sacrament in a NO church, because they have a doubt as to whether or not the Eucharist was truly confect-ed at a NO Mass. That is just sad. I know of at least one person like this who has completely lost the faith, I believe in part, because of her prejudice.
Keep the faith, try to attend daily Mass, or at least visit the Blessed Sacrament when you can. The Devil is very seductive and will use any argument to dissuade people from attending Holy Mass.
“I am the living bread come down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.” - John 6
