Operating from a point of Convenience

The manner in which we conduct our lives usually comes from a reference point, and in most circumstances, we are free to choose the reference point from which we make our decisions. For instance, when choosing what to eat at a coffee shop, we have a choice to take reference from the point of our cravings, from our dietary needs, or even from our budget. Every decision that we make should be made with reference to something. 

This topic came up during one of my conversations with a mentor priest last week, where it came to light how sad it is that many of our parishes seem to operate from a point of convenience. 

Many of our Catholics seem to have adopted the mindset that our faith is not all about following the rituals. And while I fully agree that it is not, I can't help but wonder if the way that this is pitched from the pulpit may have something to do with the fact that many of our Catholics don't seem to see the importance of understanding what we celebrate. Understanding the faith is of little importance to a good number of our Catholics, who seek to be understood, rather than to understand. 

For those of you who follow my blog on a regular basis, you'd know that I am passionate about Liturgy. The Liturgy forms a significant part of my spiritual life, and I make haste to speak out against liturgical abuse when I see it. I also hasten to share with all my readers the beauty of the Liturgy, in the spirit of Vatican II, and I'm always happy to have a discussion about these things when any of my readers disagree, or would like further clarification. 

To me, it's important that we understand the spirit of the Liturgy, because the point of any Liturgy is for us, the people of God, to be drawn into the sacrificial love of our God. It aids us to enter deeply into the mystery of salvation, and it is not for us to do with as we like, as it does not belong to us. Period. 

To me, it's really unfortunate that the constitutions of the Liturgy is not something studied by many Catholics. Most of the things that our lay people know about the Liturgy are part of some poor catechises that has been passed down through the generations, and are nothing more than private interpretations. The problem with that is that private interpretations are meant to be just that, private. They are not meant for the Church as a whole, and many of these interpretations do not belong in the Liturgy, the public prayer of the Church. 

What saddens me is that rather than sharing the beauty of the Liturgy and how it encapsulates our faith, many parishes have chosen to play into the consumeristic mindset that our Catholics seem to possess in this day and age. Not many of our parishes delay the collection for it to be brought up with the Bread and Wine at offertory. Not many of our clergy remember to chant or recite the antiphons when they are not sung by the Choir. In fact, many of our parishes allow the secular into the Liturgy even when it is inappropriate. For instance, most parishes still allow for eulogies within funeral Masses, where grieving families (unintentionally of course) seem to think that they are at liberty to canonise their deceased loved ones. Our parishes in general, operate from a point of convenience, rather than from a point of Liturgy. 

However, as much as it saddens me that the state of our parishes is as such, to me, what is even more unfortunate is that we as laity also choose to operate our lives from a point of convenience, rather from a point of Liturgy. Not many lay people pray the Liturgy of the Hours, and plan their day around prayer. Not many of us see the importance of arriving in Church early on Sundays, so as to compose ourselves and to give God our best during the celebration of the Liturgy. In fact, for many of us, when we are unable to get a slot to attend Mass in Church (given the pandemic), we browse the internet for the shortest celebration of the Liturgy, and we wait till the wee hours of the night on Sunday before we set aside some time to pray with Mother Church. Our social lives come first. 

I know that many of you might be starting to think that I'm being rather judgmental in today's musing. Perhaps I am. And while I do not intend to judge the hearts of anybody, it would be morally repugnant for me to see these issues and not speak out against them. It's quite akin to the need for calling out a driver who is driving recklessly, even though, for all we know, he may be rushing for an emergency and may be stressed enough as it is. 

My dear friends, make no mistake, I too am struggling to operate my personal life from a point of Liturgy. There are days where I miss one of the hours in the Liturgy of the Hours simply because I'm tired or lazy. However, as brothers and sisters on this journey towards the new and eternal Jerusalem, we need to support one another and remind each other when we are not living up to the mark of true discipleship. And my blog is simply one of the ways I do so, and I do hope that if any of my friends reading this musing, notices that at some point down the road, I am not living up to the mark, that he or she would tell me, and do so from a point of great care. 

Today, we have a choice to live our lives from a point of Liturgy, or from a point of convenience. From a point of discipleship, or from a point of secularism. Which will we choose?