Superbowl, Super-Mass?
We are a ritual people. That is, our lives both revolve around and are created by rituals. One of our favorite rituals is football! I’m from Pittsburgh, so I have a special interest in Super Bowl XLV. Two weeks ago, I watched the playoff game between Pittsburgh and New York with friends from home. We acknowledged how united we felt that night. The fact that we were watching the game together was a mere expression of what we already share in common: a hometown, ethnic heritage, cultural traditions, even a special language we call “Pittsburghese.” We, along with the more than 60-thousand fans gathered at Heinz Field sat on the edge of our seats in anticipation of the opening kickoff. Even though we were watching the game on television, we participated by raising our “Terrible Towels”, yelling, screaming and clapping our team to victory. Our hearts and souls were in it till the end!
As Catholics, we too are ritual people whose very lives revolve around and are created by the Eucharistic liturgy. We come to Mass as a people united by our common faith, history, traditions and prayer. Our liturgy both expresses and strengthens our unity.
We are called to participate with full hearts and voices, not with ‘Terrible Towels’, but with song, symbol and gesture. We are called to be in it till the end!! We don’t need to cheer a team to victory--Christ has already won the victory for us—a victory of life over death!! Now it’s our turn to give thanks and to celebrate!!!
What would happen if we approached the liturgy with the same anticipation as the big game? What would happen if we really paid attention to the readings, the prayers and sang the songs with strong voices? What would happen if we participated as if our lives depended on it?
What would happen if we stayed until the end?
Might we have a different church? Might we have a different world?
O Lord, give us the mindfulness to participate more actively in the liturgy, that we might participate in life more energized by your grace. Amen.
