Christians are used to Church service as encompassing singing, dancing and listening to sermons. The emphasis in many of these Churches on the reading of the Bible is very recent. The Catholic Church on the other hand has a veritable tradition of worship that dates back to the roots of Christianity.

This tradition that St. Paul says was handed on to him, has been celebrated in the Catholic Church ever after. I am recipient of that tradition and by the grace of God through sharing in the priesthood of Christ, I am also a custodian. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the mythical and mysterious nature of the Mass. There is never a dull moment at Mass as something spectacular unfolds before me. No wonder the Mass is central to Catholic life.

Lumen Gentium 11, and CCC 1324 say that "the Holy Eucharist is the font and summit of the Christian life", that is, it is the source of our life and as it is, the peak every Catholic is called to aspire to. The Holy Eucharist is our nourishment for life, without it, we lose life and are cut off from Christ.

The Mass, that is, the celebration of the Holy Eucharist is our encounter with God Himself, no wonder it is regarded as "Heaven on earth". The Mass is predictably simple, yet mysterious and mystical. In it, Christ offers Himself to God our father. In it, the Church offers anew the sacrifice that is always pleasing and acceptable to God, the sacrifice of Christ Himself. We are thus confident that our prayer and sacrifice will be accepted by God because it is the sacrifice of the Church, the Body of Christ, and Christ is the head.

The Mass is not a jamboree or carnival. It is not a feel-good socio-religious event. It is worship per excellent and its validity does not reside with us but is entirely due to what Christ has done. Christ is the one who prepares the table for us and invites us to "taste and see that the LORD is good." Because of the importance of this sacrifice, Christians are called to prepare themselves so that they can be admitted worthily to the banquet. Thus while there are two parts to the Mass, the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy of the Eucharist, the liturgy of the Word is an essential preparation for the liturgy of the Eucharist. In the liturgy of the Word, God Himself feeds us with 

His Word. The Word of God opens our hearts to see God, to understand his call and to respond to his invitation to be nourished in Holy Eucharist. If you truly prepare to participate at Mass, then, there will be no room for boredom or apathy. Each action is solemn and transformatively spiritual. Whether you are singing or meditating, you are made to know that something sacred is at work in you and that you are establishing a connection with the one who draws you to Himself. It is a dynamic encounter and one cannot remain the same.

While each Mass is the same as all other Masses, each is a special grace-filled moment that offers us new opportunity to encounter Christ. Having been nourished with the Word of God and the homily, we confess our faith in GOD when we recite the creed together. In the creed, we remind ourselves what our faith entails, we share with others the faith that binds us together and in professing, we once again submit ourselves, through obedience of faith to God who moves our hearts in the first place.

There can't be a dull moment in such undertaking. After the creed, we raise our voices in supplication for our needs and the needs of the Church. This is a moment many don't understand or appreciate enough. At this time, the Church prays as one, united in faith and love and full of hope that God will hear us. Here, it is not one person praying, it is all of us praying together as one.

Thus prepared, we enter into the Eucharistic banquet prepared by Christ and right there in front of us, bread is changed into the Body of Christ and wine is changed into the BLOOD of Jesus. What a spectacle to behold daily!

Now the stage is set for the most mysterious condensation when our Lord and God comes down to us and makes our heart his abode. As St. Paul said we are clay vessels holding treasure of inestimable value. We become like Mary, sheltering in our life, our Lord and God. This is truly heaven on earth and nothing compares with it. Let all mortal flesh keep silent and with fear and trembling adore the Lord who became flesh and deigned to live with us.

So, when I go to Church, I am not engaged in a play or going through the motion, I present myself to the One who comes to lift me up and transform my life by giving Himself to me. It is a celebration I am glad to be admitted to, it is an encounter that I am glad to be present so that I too may touch Him daily. Now, you know, are you still bored?

Truth be told, good music moves us and inspires us, good sermons uplift us and good environment disposes us, but these are not the reasons I go to Church. I am in Church for God, to worship Him, to praise Him, and in the process to be blessed by Him, if the music is good, I will enjoy it but lack of it will not drive me from the presence of God. It is necessary that the preacher opens my mind to God, but even if he does not warm my cold heart, I will still entrust myself to God because He alone heals the brokenhearted and melts the heart of stone. You see, when I focus on God, there is no need to be bored.