The "Taste" of the Mass

Which would you rather eat: something that tastes good, but is slowly going to kill you, or something that tastes bad and will save your life? The way you answer that reveals much about your spirit. Christ chose the latter for our sakes, and we all know it, but rarely do we apply it to our own lives.

Let us consider one way that it should be applied (though there are numerous ways). If you have a choice, and all other things were equal, would you rather attend a Mass that you enjoyed, but that you knew would harm your soul, or a Mass that you really did not like, but that you knew would lead to your salvation? It is not as easy as it may seem, because most people make choices in this area based on what is pleasing in the immediate moment rather than considering any future pleasure and joy.

No, I do not want you to have to endure a Mass that is agonizing to go through, but the question really needs to be asked: does it really matter if you "enjoy" the Mass? If that is a priority for you, then you might make the wrong decision. Our first question should be "is this truly good for me? will it lead to my salvation and the salvation of others?" Once that is asked, then we should try to tune our "likes" to what is actually good.

As your devotion to Christ grows through your appreciation of the Mass, make sure that you are "tuning" your heart to fit with those things that truly do glorify Him, and then you will find your faith, hope and charity growing. Let the Mass influence you; do not try to influence the Mass.