The Beauty of the Mass | The Church Doors | Understanding Our Worship

The Mass is a central aspect of our lives as Catholics. The more we can understand the Mass, the better we can engage in the beautiful mysteries of our faith. These reflections will hopefully offer some opportunity to learn about the various parts of the Mass and the meaning behind what we do every week or even every day.

Our experience of the Mass actually begins before the Mass even starts. It starts at the doors of the Church. Yes, it would be ideal to have some remote preparation for Mass, such as reading the Mass readings beforehand, quieting one’s heart and preparing for the liturgical celebration, etc. I would argue that we do indeed need more of this. However, as things stand right now, for most people’s lived experience, there is plenty of chaos before even entering the church building - getting children to settle down, finding a parking spot, and figuring out the schedule of the day, just to name a few. With all of this, entering the doors of the Church is already the beginning of a spiritual and mystical experience.

The reason we have physical church buildings is because we recognize the need to have space set aside to worship God. Yes, it is true that we can experience God in many ways, but there is something irreplaceable about designating a place that is exclusively for God. It is in this sacred space that you find what you will not find anywhere else. It is in this sacred place that people from anywhere can gather together in common assembly. In a very real way, by having a physical space that is unlike any other, we are able to have a small taste of heaven. We get to be in God’s house. So, entering the doors of the Church is symbolic of our entering into heaven. Many churches have at their doorways or on the outside some representation of the saints or Jesus Himself to drive home this point - you are entering the heavenly realm.

What is even better about this is that this physical church is not just something we build for ourselves. God truly resides there. We know that Jesus becomes truly and substantially present in the Eucharist. That means that in the tabernacle, God truly resides in this house. Every time we go to Church (or a chapel, shrine, etc.), we are going to meet God Himself and have an encounter with the King of the Universe. The Mass is not just a thing we do, but a true encounter with the living God. That experience starts when we enter those doors - the threshold to heavenly life.

This delineation of space also means there is a difference between what goes on outside and what goes on inside. Outside the church, I could be concerned about many different things - worries, fears, anxieties. But inside the church, I can experience the peace of bringing these things to God and realizing that I am not experiencing these things alone. My problems don’t get erased, but they do take on a new light because of God’s presence. I can feel safe and at peace in God’s house. It can be a refuge for me when I experience the storms of life.

The door of the Church represents for me this amazing entryway into something entirely different. It is not an obstacle to overcome, but an invitation to experience something better than I can imagine. And this is all before the Mass even starts! Here, before the Mass starts, I can take the time to pray and prepare my heart to meet and receive Jesus in the Mass. I won’t get this anywhere else.

At Saint John’s Seminary, we experience this in a unique way. We have not just a church, but an entire multi-purpose building that is set aside for God. The chapel, the classrooms, the office spaces, the bedrooms - everything is set apart for the formation of seminarians in the heart of Jesus Christ. As people enter the doors of Saint John’s, they can tell that there is something different about this place. This is even more true of the chapel. Something is special. This is truly God’s house and we want to respect it as such. The seminarians will make frequent visits to our chapel spaces to pray because they want to have this encounter and relationship with Jesus Christ. All it takes to start is walking through the doors.

Some of Jesus’s first words in Scripture are “Come and see” (John 1:39). There is much for us to experience just by walking through those doors of the Church. Jesus is there. Come and see what is different about this place.