Planning the Sunday Drive of Your Life

BOOK CLUB 2 | WEEK 9: A Devotional Journey Into the Mass, Ch. 9

If you’d like to purchase a copy of Carstens’ book, you may do so here. If you’d like to access the Table of Contents for this series, click here.

Photo by Darwin Vegher on Unsplash

Here we are, my friends, at the end of the Mass.¹ This week’s reflection is short, in hopes that we can continue the conversation in the comments. It has been a blessing for me to journey with you these last two or three months. Over the last few weeks, we’ve “traveled” through the different steps and stages of the liturgy, each week calling our attention to a concept illustrated by a particular moment within the Mass:

At its best, the Mass offers landmark history lessons from salvation’s key figures, the patriarchs, Jesus, and the saints. Human ingenuity and art convey the heritage of our Faith in chant, polyphony, poetry, music, statuary, and stained glass. Nature combines with grace in the elements of water and oil, light and darkness, fire and wax. Our family of pilgrims passes through the city of man along a supernatural superhighway and ends in the City of God.

I hope that you have been able to approach the liturgy with the eyes of your heart illuminated, that your preparation has been more intentional and your participation more fruitful, that these physical and tangible touchpoints have become anchors that draw your mind and heart back to the work of the liturgy:

Like many of life’s skills—studying, playing sports, writing, balancing family finances—developing habits for prayerful liturgical participation comes with practice and patience. But prayerful practices come over time, and almost without notice, our whole being is shaped by the Mass into the image of Christ.

And yet, we are human. We will continue to need reminding and refreshing as our understanding deepens, as our seasons of consolation and desolation come and go. A grace I’ve received during rereading this book is the comfort that these beautiful truths aren’t going anywhere. Even when I am—for lack of attention or lack of fervor—not attentive to them, the Lord is still offering these moments, these opportunities for encounter and grace each and every time I go to Mass. What a consolation. Each time that my mind drifts, even just for a moment, to the themes discussed in the book, the Lord is inviting me “further up and further in”.² My role is merely to respond.

As we wrap up this discussion, I’d love to hear from you: What questions or comments do you have on the book as a whole, now that we’ve completed it? Which chapter most stood out to you? Have you picked up any new practices or prayers to help dispose yourself to grace within the Mass?

Finally, don’t forget! Our call will be hosted THIS MONDAY, March 11, at 7:30pm CST. (You can click here to add the event to your Google calendar, and I’ll include the log-in information on Monday’s post as well.) I am thrilled to share that Chris Carstens (the book’s author) is planning to join us! The call will be a chance for us to discuss the book more fully, to ask questions, and to share how these habits have been bearing fruit in our lives over this spring semester. If you have a moment, you can pop over to the chat thread and RSVP so I know how many friendly faces to expect.

1. “I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam.” -JRR Tolkein, the man, the myth, the legend.

2. Clive Staples Lewis, who I hope we’ll be hearing from more frequently this summer.