What is the Catholic Mass and Why Go?

Fr. Fadie Gorgies

Let’s face it, Mass can be quite boring and confusing at times. Just think about it - a group of people gather inside of a church to watch a man dressed in a strange looking outfit as he says some ancient prayers over some bread and wine which he claims is the body and blood of Jesus Christ. And if that is not strange enough, we even pay for being there by putting our money in a basket that is passed around! No wonder why studies show that only 20% of Catholics in the United States today attend Mass on a weekly basis. If we do not truly understand the Mass, then we will be left with confusion, boredom, and a lack of interest. Therefore, there is a great need today for us to deepen our understanding of the Mass in order to participate more consciously. 

Understanding the Mass does not mean that we can ever fully comprehend what it means. One must realize that the Mass is, indeed, a mystery. The Aramaic word for Mass is Raza, which translates as “secret.” This does not mean that the Church is withholding some secret from the faithful, but it is to show that when dealing with what is Divine, our understanding will fall short and an element of the Mass will remain a mystery until we reach Heaven. Having the idea of ‘mystery’ in the background, let us explore the reality of the Mass.  

Two realities become present to us at Mass: first, the Crucifixion of Jesus; second, the Heavens. Calvary, where Jesus was crucified, becomes present upon the very altar. At every Mass that is celebrated, we represent Jesus’ crucifixion and death. The Mass begins with the bread and wine separated, and this is to symbolize the death of Jesus. When the blood is separated from the body, the body is dead. Now, does this mean Christ dies again? No! When Jesus was crucified, He looked into the future and saw all the Masses until the end of time. He united Himself, in that moment, to all of the Masses throughout time. Jesus on the Cross sees you at every Mass and you give Him the consolation that He needs. Next time you are at Mass and the priest lifts the Host, you may think of Jesus being lifted upon the Cross. 

Second, the reality of Heaven. As the priest says the words of Jesus at the Last Supper and calls down the Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine, the mysterious change of the elements happens. This change is called ‘transubstantiation.’ Transubstantiation is a change that affects the substance of the thing but not the appearance. The bread and wine still look like bread and wine, but what makes them bread and wine has changed to the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. 

This change is no easy matter to understand, but should we not consider His words? Jesus Himself said, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). If Jesus did not intend the bread to be His body, He would have said this is like my body or a symbol of my body. Rather, He says this is my body. Therefore, what we do cannot be less than what He intended it to be, because He asked us to do the same when He said, “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

Now, how do we fit in all this? When attending the Mass, the Church does not want us to be spectators. The faithful ought to reclaim their duties at Mass and see themselves as participants and a dynamic part of the celebration. 

There are a few things that we can do to participate in the Mass in a greater way: worship, offer, and receive. First, we are at the Mass to worship God. Often, we say that we do not get anything out of Mass, and, while this statement could be true on an experiential level, in reality, you have just encountered the Creator of the universe! The word “worship” comes from two words, “worth” and “ship,” referring to something that is of worth and has value to you. If God exists and He is the Creator of all being, would it not make sense to have Him as our highest value? Mass is the highest form of worship because God becomes truly present among us.

Second, we can offer Jesus and ourselves to God the Father. On Calvary, Jesus offered Himself out of love for us. At Mass, we come and take part in that offering by joining the priest in offering the sacrifice of Jesus. In a sense we are saying “Yes, we approve the offering of Jesus and we want to benefit from it.”  

After offering Jesus, the faithful on an individual level can offer him or herself to God the Father in unity with Jesus. One can say, “I, too, offer myself united with Jesus, I offer my life, my work, my pains and my sufferings, my blessings …etc. to you, Almighty Father.” A special emphasis can be given to our pains and sufferings, as Mass is marked by the sufferings of Jesus on the Cross, therefore any sufferings that are brought to Mass are united in a mystical way to the sufferings of Christ. 

Third, we can receive Jesus. The Church invites us to receive the Body of Our Savior and to be marked by His Blood. Jesus Himself says “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” (John 6:53) The Words of Jesus state this clearly: we need to go to Mass if we want to have the life of God in us and if we want to be part of His kingdom. 

Going to Mass should be a part of the big question we all must ask ourselves: “What is after this life?” As Catholics we believe in life after death, which is union with God. This union with God must be prepared for during this life. Mass is a part of that preparation. At every Mass, we do what we will continue to do in Heaven — be with God.