On Ascension Sunday, I had a lunch meeting after church. The meeting took place at one of my favorite San José brew pubs, which also happens to be a place where sports fans hang out to watch the local teams. I am probably the only person in San José who is not currently caught up in “Sharks fever.” And so I didn’t realize the bar area would be packed with maniacal hockey fans, riveted to the playoff game.

I thought our table was far enough away from the bar that we could still have our meeting without disruption. However, about ten minutes after we sat down, a thundering roar shook the whole restaurant—an ecstatic reaction to a Shark’s score.

I looked at the hockey fans astonished and a little envious. I had just come from a ritual in which we not only celebrated the Ascension of Christ but also the combined sacraments of confirmation and first Communion. (I worship in a restored order parish.) Despite the fire hoses of grace being sprayed out upon us in what should have been a powerful three-for-one liturgy, the standing-room-only assembly seemed mostly distracted and bored. Individual families would spring to life, cameras flashing, at the moment their cherub was actually receiving the Body and Blood. But other than that, the liturgy seemed to hold no fascination for them.

A fascinating mystery

A very long time ago, I read a book by Rudolf Otto, an eminent German Lutheran theologian. In 1917, he wrote The Idea of the Holy, in which he describes the concept of the holy as numinous. He said that God, or “the numinous,” has two qualities: mysterium tremendum and mysterium fascinans. That is, God is both awe-filled mystery and fascinating, exhilarating mystery.

In an article that will appear in the September issue of Today’s Parish, David Delambo cites a study by The Hartford Institute for Religion Research that reports that 95 percent of respondents experience Sunday Mass as either “quite” reverent or “very” reverent. It seems like we’ve got the awe-filled part down.

On the other hand, only 33 percent think Mass is either “quite” or “very” exciting. Far from being fascinated, we’re bored to tears.

I’m sure most of the first Communion families in my parish returned home for a celebration party and probably also had the Sharks game going on in the background. And it makes me wonder—what will we need to do in our parishes and in our liturgies to make the mystery of faith more exciting than a hockey game?

3 Responses to “What if Mass were like a hockey game?”

1. Nick Wagner says:

   May 20, 2010 at 9:37 am

   Here is a terrific example of bringing the excitement back into liturgy.

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2. Vincent says:

   May 20, 2010 at 11:12 am

   Hello Nick,

   Thanks for the article! \”What will we need to do in our parishes and in our liturgies to make the mystery of faith more exciting than a hockey game?\”

   I am completing my 15th year as a priest. In my 15 years as a priest I have always been celebrating each Eucharist as if it were my only celebration. I celebrate the Eucharist with an uplifted spirit and with passion. I truly believe that it is the role of the presider and the liturgist to help the people celebrating the Eucharist, not attending or seeing some plain rituals.

   I do not think that the people want \”exiciting\” because I do think excitement does not last long. An uplifted spirit after the celebration will sustain.

   Peace,
   Vincent
3. Nick Wagner says:

   May 20, 2010 at 11:15 am

   Fr. Vincent, thanks so much for your dedication to the liturgy and celebrating it with passion. It is presiders like you that make Mass wonderful. Keep up the great work.