Go, the Mass has Ended

I was recently at Mass, during communion. Most were kneeling in prayer or in line to receive. But several were making their exit. Opening the transept door and letting in the bright sunlight literally spotlighted the families leaving early. Of course the old joke ran through my head: “Judas was the first to leave Mass early.”

As I watched more and more leave, it reminded me of a conversation I’d had with a man a few weeks ago—a devoted man who attends Mass and Bible studies—who, when talking about a Mass that might be going too long, said, “Well, people can just leave after they receive. Mass is over by then.”

Um, Mass is over by then? What does he think Mass is, if it’s over as Christ’s body is still lying on the altar, in the hands of ministers, on the tongues of the faithful? When does he think it ends? I thought these people leaving early just didn’t care, but now I thought that they might not even know what Mass is. I know there are a lot of poorly-catechized Catholics who love Jesus as best they know him yet have no clue what the Church actually believes.

How sad would it be to go every week to church and be in the very presence of God and not know it? To receive Jesus, transubstantiated, and think it was still just bread and a commemoration? To show up to get your prayers said and communion received and not recognize the communal nature of the Mass or respect the solemnity of that time and space? How many are there and don’t know what they’re part of?

Sometimes people need to leave early: uncompromising work schedules, rowdy children, illness. But when it’s dozens of people, I suspect most of the reasons are just apathy about the Mass and the desire to beat traffic to lunch. Are those extra 10 minutes really that important?

For the record: the Mass is ended when the priest or deacon announces, “The Mass is ended.” Even then, it’s polite to wait for the recessional before actually recessing. One doesn’t have to read the Summa to figure out when Mass ends.

And this isn’t to bash those leaving early. At least they’re there at all. Some part of them recognizes the importance of Mass. They care to some extent. But do they understand? If they did, how could they bounce like that?

Do any of us fully understand? If we did, how could our minds wander? Physically present but mentally checked out. How could we at times go through the motions or get distracted. If we fully understood, we would approach the altar on our knees, in awe every time. We would never want to leave.