Suffering Through Mass

I was emailed this article from the Edmonton Sun today. In a nutshell, the author happily describes the atmosphere of what I refer to as the Burger King church, so named because they serve up Jesus "Your way, right away."

Sadly, this writer's only reflections on the Masses of his youth involve the hardships of sitting, kneeling, and boredom. This is an increasingly common opinion of those who leave the Church. It is a tragedy when one sits ignorant of the cosmic marriage of Heaven and Earth and the privilege of being mystically present at the sacrifice of the Cross.



Still, I must ask, is suffering really something that is so incompatible with worship? Consider, the description of cappuccinos, cushy seats, and rock bands. Then consider the idea of worship as sacrifice, which of course, it what true worship is:

Who is there among you, that will shut the doors, and will kindle the fire on my altar gratis? I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts: and I will not receive a gift of your hand. For from the rising of the sun even to the going down, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean oblation: for my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of hosts. Malachi 1:10-11


For then He ought to have suffered often from the beginning of the world. But now once, at the end of ages, He hath appeared for the destruction of sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Hebrews 9:26

And, of course, our admonition from The Master:

And calling the multitude together with his disciples, he said to them: If any man will follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Mark 8:34

Not even getting into the Apostles rejoicing in their sufferings for Christ, let us try to find something in the above that bears any concord with cushions and fancy coffee.