A few thoughts after attending Mass on All Saints Day. First of all, the pews were mostly empty, fourteen present by my count. Granted, it fell on a Monday this year, so it was not a Holy Day of Obligation, but it was still a Holy Day. Had we been obligated to attend Mass, I’m sure many more would have come. This is the downside of obligated Mass attendance. People tend to lose sense of the real reason we go to Mass. We should go because we want to, not because we have to.
Some priests foster this mentality by getting lackadaisical in the celebration of the solemnities. The Mass had no music or singing, no servers, nothing beyond a regular weekday Mass except for reciting the Gloria and a second scripture reading. We learn to celebrate a Holy Day falling on a Monday by being able to stay home. It’s the same mentality we had as children when snow prevented us from going to school. Somehow, our motivations have become skewed. It just makes me wonder how many would stay home on Sundays too if the Mass obligation was relaxed.
Those who did come were mostly the older members of the parish. A few of them were daily Mass goers who would normally go on Mondays anyway. On a positive note, one mother brought her three young children. I happen to know they traveled a considerable distance. If only more parents understood the importance of instilling this behavior in their children.
Tomorrow is All Souls Day. When I was growing up, a priest was permitted to say three Masses on All Souls Day. We had two priests in our parish, so there were six Masses in a row, one right after another. It was not a Holy Day of Obligation, but most Catholics went to at least one or two Masses. Our parish will have only one Mass, and it will not be well attended, I am sure. In full disclosure, I won’t be going either. I too get lackadaisical in the practice of my faith. It’s contagious. The toned-down liturgies, the scandals, the confusion over the Church’s apparent tolerance of pro-abortion Catholic politicians, all these things have an effect on the temperature of our faith commitment. We need to stay positive. We need to celebrate!
