The beauty of the Mass

Celebrating Sunday Mass at the parish church in Naxxar

I have to say that the biggest blessing since I returned to Malta was the opportunity to celebrate Mass in various churches and chapels. My assignment as chaplain at Hilltop Gardens has been nothing short of miraculous as more and more people are attending my Masses on weekends, but also the daily Mass which is always packed with residents and neighbors. They come once and keep coming on a regular basis, even parents with young children and teenagers, something which has become quite uncommon in many parish churches. A recent survey showed that church attendance has decreased overall, and much talk is being shared about how we can attract more people to our Masses. If I can share my humble opinion, the most effective way to attract people to church is to make things simple, prayerful and reverent, yet captivating, by innovative ideas which people can relate to, especially the younger generation. Besides my Mass at the Resurrection Chapel at Hilltop Gardens, I say a daily Mass at another nursing home in the same town of Naxxar, besides a regular Sunday 7 AM Mass at the parish, and an occasional daily Mass in my home parish where I was baptized and grew up in St. Julian’s. A daily brief homily is a must for me and parishioners truly enjoy my reflections, including lives of the saint of the day. A selection of votive Masses is available in the Missal for priests to use from time to time, which add a little flavor to each Mass. Moreover, I place a picture of the saint of the day in a frame on the altar between 2 candles, plus appropriate paintings according to the season and festivity. Of course, I play music at communion time which people enjoy, as well as background music as people are gathering, from Gregorian chant to meditative music, mostly baroque and inspirational. Occasionally I play a meditation on my flute after communion, which is always a surprise for many. After Communion, I also share a longer prayer or reflection connected to the theme of the day. As people are entering the chapel I am there to greet them, help them with confessions when needed, and wish them a good day as they leave, a few of them wanting to talk more about family issues. I just wish that more priests put their heart and soul when celebrating Mass, and not just go through it as if it was a robot at the altar. Yes, the Mass is beautiful, but we have to make it so.