If people only knew …
For two days running, circumstances led me to miss Mass. This is very unusual for me and accustomed as I am to daily Mass, its absence was very noticeable.
I suppose some reading this might consider my going to Mass daily as some kind of zealous pious dutifulness. If they only knew …
And of course, the Church Herself only declares as obligatory Sunday Mass and Holy Days.
Why do I go to Mass daily, then? It is not because of pious duty I confess, but more pure self -interest. Wont as I am to daily Mass – it hurts not to go.
These two days had a certain pain. As though I had been severed from a subtle but sustaining current of joy that I have become accustomed to all the time. Missing Mass two days in a row produced a heightened sense of loss.
And then was heightened my sense of gratitude and joy when I felt re-united with Christ and His Church.
Now I want to add something to this brief personal webburst, which may strike some as even stranger than the above.
Much of the time, I also suffer going to daily Mass. I suffer because of the frequent inanity of the Novus Ordo. I confess with the Novus Ordo, I want a quick twenty-five minute Mass.
The Tridentine Mass by contrast is a joy.
But as I am not in a position to get to a Mass daily that is Fully Reverent, I endure the Novus Ordo frequently. It would hurt me too much not to. Even suffering the worst Novus Ordo still yields joy.
If people only knew … this sustaining joy.
What would our world be like?
2 Comments
your faith is strong .you are in my prayers.god bless you and god bless the pope. philip.
Philip, thank you for this unexpected kind encouragement again and prayers! After finding your comment yesterday, I found myself last night in the Holy Hour praying for you as well and will continue. And I join you in your prayer for the Pope, this lonely, heroic figure, so misunderstood, often so reviled by a tunnel-visioned world, so in need of all our prayers for his mission …