Dear Friends,
With great reluctance I write this week’s letter to convey something that has been on my mind. Virtually every weekend I experience the same spiritual turmoil. My spirit gives way to discouragement as I hear the sound of the "clunk" of the front doors of the church while distributing Communion. In recent weeks I have discovered that there are many other parishioners experiencing the same thing! What is the source of our consternation? People leaving church during and after receiving Communion. If only these individuals realized how profoundly their departure affects the spiritual good of the rest of the congregation, perhaps they would rethink this decision.
I realize that there are very valid reasons why someone must leave church early, although these are few and far between. One reasonable occasion is when those whose work schedules necessitate rushing out to get to work on time. If such a person sincerely makes an effort to make the best use of their time and still finds him or herself unable to do otherwise, then their departure makes sense. But what of everyone else?
The problem isn't all that new. There is a story told about St. Philip Neri who came up with an interesting solution to this problem. According to the story, there was a gentleman who attended daily Mass and who got into the habit of leaving church after Communion. Noticing this, St. Philip instructed two altar servers carrying lighted candles, to accompany him through the church doors to his carriage.
After three days of this embarrassment, the man asked St. Philip for an explanation. St. Philip responded that since Christ was still present within him as he left the church, Christ's presence had to be honored by lighted candles. Needless to say, the man never left early again.
Stories like this give us pause and make us think why we would want to rush out of Mass so quickly? Jesus chooses to come to us and make his home within us. With such a special gift, why not stop and spend some time contemplating that great mystery? Imagine how privileged we are that God, in the person of Jesus Christ, communes with us in so august a Sacrament! What would we be saying to Jesus if so casually we were to make a dash for the parking lot after such a sacred moment? Avoiding the congestion of cars leaving the parking lot hardly seems that important in comparison to this. Especially in our small parking lot!
While we priests have a responsibility to avoid needless extension in the length of Mass, there are times when special seasons and circumstances may add a little time. We strive to keep the Mass at a reasonable length even though there is no rule as to what length the Mass should be. Interestingly enough, I have found that even when we succeed in finishing Mass in under an hour's time, the same amount of people depart early anyway. Therefore, it seems safe to conclude that the length of Mass makes little difference.
Having listened to several of our parishioners express their discouragement, I am convinced that leaving Mass early does harm to the Body of Christ. It brings a wound to a community that needs the health and support of all its members. The spiritual health of the community depends upon everyone doing their part and making the sacrifice. Let us encourage one another in the Faith of Jesus Christ to persevere until the end. God bless!
Fr. Paul
