Cute Shoes and Great Bags at Mass

faith, discipleship
Or, Critiquing Fashions When I should Be Focusing on the Mass

If we really understood the Mass, we would die of joy ( St. Jean Vianney).

Yesterday I was talking with a friend about our intended New Year’s resolutions and the effort to stay sane in the coming year.  I recalled that last January I committed myself to a number of self-improvement goals.

One was to pay better attention during Mass.
How’d that work out?  Let’s just say it’s my resolution again this New Year.
It seems within seconds of nudging myself to stay focused, I find myself noticing a woman’s jacket a few seats over.  That’s so cute! I say to myself.  I take a look at her shoes.  Oh, they go great together, I think. Two young adults enter a pew a few rows up and I immediately think, Wow, wish I could get my sons to Mass, and I’d even be thrilled if they look like they needed a shower and wore shredded jeans with dingy-looking t-shirts.  A young woman sitting in the pew in front of us catches my eye with an extremely “loud” (my mother’s word, as negative as she ever got) blouse on. I mentally slapped myself back to attention as I thought, “What was she thinking? It’s way too bright and busy!”  Oh, but what a great bag she has!

It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do without Holy Mass (St. Padre Pio).

Yikes.  What was the first reading?  I missed it.  To top it off, a number of times I’ve told myself I’d look up the first reading, or the sermon or whatever I missed, later and didn’t get around to it.
I’ve been distracted by what people are wearing, flowers around the altar, stained glass, or even the ceiling (especially when I’m in a church I haven’t been to before, perfume, even small children – not because they’re acting up but just because they’re so cute.  I catch myself wondering about someone new with a family I know – is that her mother-in-law? son visiting from out of state? a widowed man’s new girlfriend?  Oh, so-and-so is being wheeled in a wheelchair – what happened?!  The young mom around the corner got up and almost ran out before Communion…what was that about?

I believe that were it not for the Holy Mass, as of this moment the world would be in the abyss (St. Leonard of Port Maurice).

It seems I need some kind of zapper (a quiet one of course) to alert me when my mind wanders which is constantly.  My friend wants to work on maintaining better focus at Mass too.   She can get distracted by seeing people she knows, or sometimes the music that can be less-than-beautiful.
Tips on How to Focus at Mass
No one can be perfectly focused at every Mass, no matter what.  Sometimes someone drops something, a child starts crying or laughing,  it’s too hot or cold where we’re sitting, we see someone we’ve been trying to talk to for weeks but we can ask for the grace to be less distracted and for the desire to want to fully participate.

No human tongue can enumerate the favors that trace back to the Sacrifice of the Mass. The sinner is reconciled with God; the just man becomes more upright; sins are wiped away; vices are uprooted; virtue and merit increases; and the devil’s schemes are frustrated (St. Lawrence Justinian).

Here are a few ideas to motivate and reinforce our desire to keep our New Year’s resolution.
1)  If I’m constantly distracted by seeing people I know at church, maybe I should consider another church a bit further away from where I’m less likely to know so many people.
2)  We must keep in mind that participating in the Mass is the absolute best prayer we can offer to God. The sacrifice of the Mass and the Eucharist are the “source and summit” of the Catholic faith (CCC 1324).
The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” “The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch.
3)  Receiving the Sacraments has to be our priority if we wish to attain any level of holiness.  The Sacraments are “efficacious,” that is, they have effects on our soul.
4)  No Mass, or any part of it, is a waste of time unless we choose to tune out and be distracted by the trivial and mundane.  One Holy Mass heard during your life will be of more benefit to you than many heard for you after your death.
My weak will is strengthened by that beautiful thought alone!

Know, O Christian, that the Mass is the holiest act of religion. You cannot do anything to glorify God more, nor profit your soul more, than by devoutly assisting at it, and assisting as often as possible (St. Peter Julian Eymard).

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Patty Knap

Patty Knap is a Catholic revert who lives on Long Island where she continues to discover beautiful new beaches. She's a certified pregnancy counselor, working with young women and men in unplanned pregnancies, and a faith formation teacher. The mother of two young adult sons, she's written about conversions, adoption, saints, autism, pornography, abortion and more. Her articles have appeared at the National Catholic Register, OnePeterFive, and Aleteia.
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3 thoughts on “Cute Shoes and Great Bags at Mass”

  1. Pingback: VVEDNESDAY EDITION – Big Pulpit

  2. Mary Beth Krumel

    I really enjoyed your column today. It certainly hit the spot as I too often feel what you are experiencing. Thanks for making my day!

    Reply

  3. Pingback: Cute Shoes and Great Bags at Mass - Catholic Feed

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