End Mass Boredom

Quick question. Be honest, but remember Jesus is listening...and watching. Here it is: Have you ever been bored at church?  
 
Odds are 100% of people who read this and think about the question answered: “Yes, 1,000x YES.” And, that number includes even weekly Mass goers!  
 
     Why is church – or going to Mass – boring? One thing to keep in mind: God, the Creator of the Universe, the One who sustains all things and invented the platypus, the Almighty, All-knowing, Trinity who sent the Son of God to became Incarnate, who knows all the possible colors in the known Universe and then kept some secret for Himself, the God beyond all comprehension who, when present in the Old Testament, caused awesome fear to fall upon a bowing people, yeah, THAT God isn’t boring. God isn’t boring. This means that boredom is a summons, a call, a heartbreaking invitation to ask the Holy Trinity to grant us greater revelation about Himself and what’s happening at Mass. We are being summoned to both desire and expect more of God’s presence and power in our life through Jesus Christ with boredom. 
       Jesus often meets people at the limits of their expectation, i.e., their level of faith. When he began his ministry in Nazareth, we read in Mark’s Gospel: “And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief” (Mark 6:5-6). Jesus wanted to give amazing gifts to his hometown, but instead of see their Savior in Jesus, all they saw was their local handyman. Their low-expectation kept the gate closed for mighty deeds. In Matthew’s Gospel we have an account of a Centurion so sure of Jesus’ Lordship and Mercy that he believes and expects that Jesus will heal his dying servant by a simple command-from-a-distance. How does Jesus respond: “When Jesus heard him, he marveled,...And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.’ And the servant was healed at that very moment” (Matthew 8:10a, 13). Jesus meets the expectations of those around him...what does that make of our boredom?  
       Here’s some questions for us: When we attend Mass (church) do we expect mighty deeds, miracles, healing, deliverance, and the deepening grace of salvation to take place? Do we tremble – even a little bit – when receiving the Real Presence of Jesus in Holy Communion or would we rather receive a “blessed” Oreo? Do we go with a heart that would be scandalized, freaked out, and scared to return next Sunday if something mighty and miraculous happened? If having a neat, tidy, controllable experience of worship is more important than witnessing Jesus do mighty deeds when we gather together, well, then, there you have it: boredom. We can start pleading, in trust and hope and not from discouraged fatigue, to our Heavenly Father for a greater share of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and to grant us wisdom with revelation about Jesus Christ. In fact, this is exactly what Paul asks of the Father for the Church (Ephesians 1:16-23; 3:14-21). Is this our prayer?  
       I for one would enjoy a holy trepidation as I walked up the aisle to start Mass. “What will Jesus do this time?!” That would be an awesome way to worship through the Word of God and the Sacrament of Communion. Join me in praying for MORE using Paul’s Holy Spirit inspired desires and prayers from Ephesians. Use these texts as an inspiration for praying in your own words: Ephesians 1:3-14, 1:16-23, and 3:14-21. But that’s not all, I want to put this desire into action. 
       Set these times and dates in your calendar to attend Jesus Nights where we will be praying for more of the Holy Spirit and for healing. We will have a time of praise and worship, Eucharistic adoration, teaching from the Word of God, and then praying for MORE. Please Note: THIS IS NOT A MASS AND IT IS NOT ANOINTING OF THE SICK. What does that mean: You can invite your friends even if they’re not practicing their faith and/or if their non-Catholic. It’s a night of prayer with and for one another to the Father’s glory, in Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. YOU are the invitation for people – be a bold, tenacious evangelist. So, mark the times and days, spread the word, and invite your loved ones and friends. It’s a Catholic BYOB event: Bring Your Own Bible! 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19TH from 6:30PM to 8:30PM (ST. EDWARD) 
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH from 6:30PM to 8:30PM (ST. LUCY) 
THURSDAY, MARCH 16TH from 6:30PM to 8:30PM (ST. EDWARD) 
THURSDAY, MAY 18TH from 6:30PM to 8:30PM (ST. LUCY)