The austerity of the current Mass

I did a great interview with John Harper on Morning Air Radio this morning, and as soon as the recording is up, I will include a link.

I came across an article by a fellow Catholic Stand writer named Alicia Connoly-Lohr, called, “The Pared-Down Mass is Better.” I saw the headline and though, how interesting! That is exactly what I have been thinking!

Admittedly, it is because I did not realize how much I dislike the music during Mass. Many people make fun of hymns and I used to come to the defense of said songs, but now I realize - eh, they are a rather lukewarm distraction much of the time. Sorry! Just calling it like it is!

Alicia has a better point, though. Like me, she was at first disturbed by how unrecognizable Mass had become (to the point where I thought, ugh, I’ll stick with the livestreams - which is kind of saying a lot). The caution tape, the masks, the distance between people and pews - it’s like an obstacle course to holiness.

She makes comparisons, though, to other times when Mass has not had its usual shape, like during war, and in prison camps. She makes the excellent point that in simplicity, or even anguish, we can find beauty, as in Michaelangelo’s representation of the Pieta.

Her point is that without the frills, the Mass becomes more innate and internal. I think that can be said for much of this year’s experience. When the external is taken away, one must look inward at what lasts.

So anyway, I recommend her article. Here is is again: The Pared Down Mass is Better.

Other things I have been thinking of: waiting, in general, and especially on God. Patience. The need to work with God, and not force one’s own will. Being the water that flows with him, not against him. Accepting that God gives, and he takes away. And as always, blessed be the name of the Lord.

Next radio appearance: Thursday, July 23, 7:30 am ET

Hi all! I’ll be talking about my latest article, Ecclesiastes and Turning Politics Over to God, on Relevant Radio’s Morning Air program this Thursday, 7/23 at 7:30 am eastern. You can listen live on your browser/device in the live player here. You can also check which local radio station plays it here, or search for and download the Relevant Radio app.

The main things I will want to emphasize are how obsession with politics betrays a lack of trust in God and His plan, and also that it is easy to forget we are where God wants us, when we begin to believe things are not the way they should be. Both are sort of tough love takes, but there you have it.

Happy listening!

How to have a better Sunday

I used to really dislike the phrase “Sunday scaries,” because it conjures up images of monsters waiting under the bed, or a hideous feeling of being out of control. It’s like the week is so bad, we allow ourselves to be paralyzed with anxiety about what’s coming. Shouldn’t we, as adults, be able to handle those feelings? Or at least our schedules, or the things causing the “scaries?”

But, whatever. The phrase itself is kind of dumb, but I get the sentiment. The experiences of this strange year have also made me care less about what I can and cannot control - or what other people can or cannot control.

The Sunday scaries have taken on a whole new meaning for many people this year, as some dread each day that passes and brings the first of the month and a possible eviction closer. Or, Monday is the renewed job search, or the juggle to work from home and provide activities for the kids at the same time. So, yes. The scaries are real.

I wrote an article about this a year ago called 4 Steps to a Better Sunday, which I was thinking about today. The four steps for a better Sunday that I lay out are to make extra time for prayer, enjoy wholesome Sunday-appropriate content, practice hospitality, and do something for someone else.

These days, practicing hospitality is a little more difficult, even if you have a nice, open back yard. And the last thing you may want to do is watch any more TV or listen to any more podcasts after these months of quarantine. But I do still think prayer and doing for others are incredibly important right now for mental health, and fighting those scaries.

Prayer, because it centers you and connects you to God. It reminds you of your place in the universe and the unbreakable bond you have with God, who is always present for you. It provides a place and a way to put your concerns into His hands, and know that He has them. Perhaps start with the Our Lady, Undoer of Knots prayer.

Doing for others: this is always the best way to get out of a funk. Give someone a call, make a donation online, drop off food or clothes at a shelter, ask your church and your favorite charities what they need. Reach out, outside of yourself.

I will also add that I think walking and prayer are extremely compatible. Remember that you can offer just about anything up to God, including, for example, a strenuous hike or the mid-day heat. Let your movement be fused with prayer.

For me, today I will be writing a few letters. There are birthdays and babies coming (a good reminder that life goes on, even in a pandemic). Letter-writing is personally therapeutic for me, and I see it as an act of service to the other, as well, and a perfect way to both be creative and reach outside oneself. I may still feel a little of that dread unique to 2020 - what will this week bring us? - but I have, at the very least, tended to my own little corner of the world, and I suppose that is the most we can ask of ourselves this year.