The Mass is one important aspect of Catholicism central to every Catholic both those who are far from the church, as well as those who are committed church goers. The Mass is the source and summit of the Catholic life. It brings people together; it is the language of love and unity which most Catholics understand wherever they go. The Mass is the most unifying spiritual reality in Catholicism. Every Catholic remembers with joy and nostalgia the day they received First Holy Communion. It is at Mass that most Catholics meet God and the community. The primary means through which most Catholics identify with Catholicism is the Mass in their respective parishes. Mass is indeed a symphony of creation for most Catholics because it is here that they find the unity between all creation and all humanity so visibly present in the rituals, the symbols of worship and the actions of the celebrants and the people.
At Mass, our differences melt away as all Catholics are unified in prayer, worship, and visible signs and expressions of love and community. The Mass is truly the most visible and real source of unity for Catholics. Catholics and most Christians believe that the Mass was given to Christianity and entire humanity as a symbol of love by the founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ. Most Catholics do not care how Jesus Christ is present in the elements. That argument is largely passé now because most Catholics believe intuitively that what they receive is the true body of Christ and that there is something divine and greater than the ordinary in the bread and wine which they receive at Mass. I think that the language of love and inclusion and the spiritual and symbolic gifts of the Mass can help renew Catholicism and bring healing in the Church.
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