Are you ready for Lent? Have you considered Daily Mass?

BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY

I hope that most of the readers of this column and most of the Catholics in our Diocese are aware that we are currently responding to an invitation from Pope Francis, given to the whole Church, to participate in the Synod on Synodality. I know that many parish delegates and others have been trained (prepared) to help us in this “Synodal process” of encounter, listening, and discernment and there is a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm for the Synod here in our local Church of Paterson.

In addition to the Synod, our Diocese is participating in a special Year of the Eucharist with the goal of deepening our appreciation and understanding of the gift of the Real Presence of Jesus, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity given to us in the gift of the Eucharist. We also hope to help one another appreciate more deeply what it means to receive his Body and Blood in Holy Communion.

I am hopeful that the Synod, the Year of the Eucharist, and, please God, the ongoing diminishment of the threat of COVID-19 could potentially lead to a Lent of wonderful graces and spiritual nourishment, leading to an “especially holy” Holy Week, and an even more Joy-filled celebration of the Resurrection at Easter and throughout the Easter season. The season of Lent is a wonderful gift given to us by the Church, beginning on Ash Wednesday, when all Christians can be united in prayer and penance, fasting, and “giving alms.”

“What will I give up for Lent?” is a question that many (most) of us ask at this time of year. We are now less than two weeks away from Ash Wednesday (March 2 this year), so I wanted to offer this friendly reminder to spend some time in prayer and reflection, thinking about or asking the Lord to help you know what you might do and/or give up to make this coming Lent spiritually fruitful? Personally, I have found that it is helpful for me to choose two things each Lent: one that involves giving something up and other that is more active, either a commitment to some form of daily prayer or something to do with giving alms, assisting those who are in need.

A suggestion that I would like to offer to those who may be thinking about what they can do (or what they can give up) this Lent is to consider the possibility of attending daily Mass. For those who already attend daily Mass, I am almost certain that they would join me in this recommendation. I am very aware that, on a practical level, for some it would be almost impossible to be able to attend Mass every day. I would ask both those for whom it would be possible and those for whom it would be difficult, to take a moment to daily participation in Mass as a personal challenge to accept Lent as an invitation from the Lord for renewed openness to grace through union with him in the Eucharist. It can also be a goal for Lent; you may not be able to get to Mass every day, but you might be able to make it three, four, or five days from Monday through Saturday?

In the past, the practice of attending daily Mass during Lent was somewhat common for many Catholics. While the commitment may be less popular in recent decades, most parishes still see some increase in attendance at daily Mass during Lent. Some parishes add either an early morning or evening Mass to give parishioners the opportunity to make the commitment and be able to get to daily Mass during Lent.

I am making this suggestion for two main reasons. First, it is my personal belief that attending daily Mass (and receiving Holy Communion daily) is one of the most underrated or under-appreciated secrets of the spiritual life. I am not sure why we don’t encourage it more for those who are striving to grow and mature in Faith? Obviously, priests are able to have Mass and most do celebrate Mass every day, whether or not they are assigned to celebrate a Mass in a parish or somewhere else on any given day. I found that one of the great blessings of being a parish priest was not only the ability to celebrate Mass each day in the parish, but also to be part of a particular community of believers. Among some priests and in many parishes, that particular community is (affectionately) referred to as, “the daily Mass crowd.” Most, but not all, of those “daily Mass crowds” have an average age above 65 or 70. I believe that the impact of the prayers of those who attend daily Mass may only be realized in eternity, yet I also believe that those prayers are literally working miracles and helping families, young people, the sick, and the suffering in ways that are beyond measure. Those “daily Mass crowds” are always happy when, often very quietly, maybe in a back or corner pew, a new member or members join their ranks. Please accept these words as a personal invitation.

The second reason that I am recommending daily Mass during this season of Lent in 2022 is because I believe it is and can be one of the most effective tools for a “Eucharistic revival” in the Church. One of the ways that we can see the sad reality of Catholics losing an appreciation for the Real Presence, for the gift of receiving Jesus in Holy Commu­nion, is the decline in attendance at Sunday Mass. Studies can point to many reasons why large numbers, especially youth and young adults are disaffiliating, deciding to leave the Church, and no longer practicing their faith. I recently saw some very strong evidence, in a book called Endgame: The Church’s Strategic Move to Save Faith and Family in America, that points to the breakdown of traditional marriage — family life, two parent households — as one of the main indicators that leads to disaffiliation and the lack of attendance at Mass. Surely, the clergy sexual abuse scandal, especially during the past 20 years, has been the cause of many choosing to no longer attend Mass. Apparently, Sunday morning soccer and other sports and activities is another significant reason.

Despite all the challenges, Jesus continues to invite us, day-by-day, to “Do this in memory of me;” to come together as his body, his family; to listen to his Word; to witness the “miracle of the Eucharist” as the bread and wine become his Body and Blood; and to receive his Body and Blood in Holy Communion. Some statistics say that 1 percent of Catholics attend daily Mass. According to Google, there are 1.3 billion Catholics in the world, which would mean that, every day there are 13 million people attending daily Mass, responding to his invitation. I would not call that a “small crowd.”

I am fairly certain that the vast majority of those who are blessed with the opportunity to attend (celebrate) daily Mass are aware that not everyone has that same opportunity. I like the phrase that, “with every blessing, comes responsibility and the greater the blessing, the greater the responsibility,” If you are able to join the “daily Mass crowd,” even for a time during Lent, I believe that you will see it as a wonderful blessing through which the added “responsibility” becomes a joy rather than a burden.

I mentioned that each Lent, I try to give something up and choose something that is more active. If you consider giving up 30 minutes (more or less) of your day to attend daily Mass, I believe that it will lead you, not only to action, but also closer to Jesus and his love, on many levels. I will conclude with the words of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who knew and taught so well the meaning of the Real Presence. She said, “We cannot say that we love Jesus only in the Eucharist — naturally, we want to put that love into action. We cannot separate the Eucharist and the poor.”