Mark,
I agree with your explanation. It is an expression of joy, and upon reflection, I think it was the way that this joy was expressed, in the middle of Sunday mass, that bothered me.
Your question about how we should worship God is an important one. When I think of the Mass, what comes to mind is the Upper Room and the Last Supper and the sacrifice that the Mass is intended to be. To my mind this is a Christ-centered occasion that calls for solemnity.
We are, after all, in the “real presence” of God.
But then, I think of all those Catholics around the world who express their love for God through song and dance, and spontaneous eruptions of joy. This is their way to worship and show love for God.
So maybe the method is not the issue, but the focus.
Let me start by saying that this post is not directed at you Ontheway.
“We are, after all, in the ‘real presence’ of God.” Yes, and I hear this all the time, and taken to its logical conclusion–we’d all fall down on our faces prostrate before the Lord and never get up, yet we don’t. Instead we start thread after thread lamenting that others aren’t as reverent as we are and how they are ruining our worship of God. It’s I kneel to receive, or I receive on the tongue, or I genuflect and I can’t understand how anyone could receive standing, or in the hand or with a bow.
Suffice it to say that any of these expressions of piety and reverence and respect are inadequate and it is silly to play the game of my expression is better than yours–especially when our outward expression is no guarantee of what is in our hearts–which is what truly matters.
Much has accreted to our celebration of the Mass over the centuries, and I think Christ would be disappointed with all of our infighting about it.
We are all called to see Christ in everyone, to be servants as Christ was a servant. If we fail to see Christ in, even, our fellow Mass attendees–are we not in someway failing to worship God and to follow his call? When we are so upset over kneeling or standing, over other GIRM related norms, over the dress of the person six pews infront of us, or that someone was applauded for–haven’t we lost our focus on God? Aren’t we focusing on our needs rather than God? Aren’t we focusing on what we perceive to be others short comings rather than God? Haven’t we let these things upset and distact us to the point that we have lost our focus and are failing to worship God? In some way doesn’t this make us guilty of what we are accusing others? We are responsible for our focus regardless of what others around us do. We are responsible for what we let upset and distract us.
None of this is to say that there are not things we should be concerned about, or issues that may need to be addressed but rather that we should be careful in what motives we assign, what interpretation we give, what disposition of heart we attribute to those whose expression of worship is different than what we would prefer. We should be charitable until proven wrong.
I can’t help but feel that if many members of CAF went to Mass with Justin Martyr–these boards would light up with complaints.
It is our example and our charity and our respectful work on various commitees that will restore the reverence many desire to see at Mass–not our complaints and condemnation.
The peace of Christ,
Mark
