Are you not entertained?

It was Russell Crowe's character, Maximus Decimus Meridius, in the film Gladiator who shouted this to the crowd in the Colosseum.  To our sensibilities, the question seems grotesque; can it ever be appropriate to be entertained by such a spectacle?

Which, because of the way that my mind works, led me to think about how we approach the celebration of holy Mass: on any level, conscious or unconscious, do we turn up expecting to be entertained?

Do we ever find ourselves judging whether the priest celebrated the Mass in a manner to our liking?  Or how well the organist or musicians played, how well the cantors or choir sang, and how well the readers read?  Do we leave church disappointed, because our favourite hymn wasn’t sung?

If we ever find ourselves guilty of any of these, then we may need reflect on our understanding of holy Mass.

“You either have an altar or a stage – it is either a sacrifice or it’s a show, it is either the Mass or it’s entertainment.” (Gavin Ashenden)

Ashenden's observation is a little narrow, because the point he is making correctly applies to the entire liturgy of the Mass, not just the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  But the general point is well made; the celebration of holy Mass is not for us to focus on ourselves and what we want, but on God, what he has done for us and what he continues to offer us.  And so we approach holy Mass having left behind our ego.    

This doesn’t mean that the liturgy cannot or should not be beautiful – in fact, we will reflect on the importance of beauty in future reflections.  But we do not appreciate that beauty in or of itself; we appreciate it in as much as it is a conduit through which we can love and see God, and through which God’s grace may flow to us.