So, I often hear that our Masses are too long, sometimes an hour or a bit longer. Hmmm… let’s think about that for a moment. Let’s see… Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, walked the earth spreading His light and His love, and in the end, He brutally died for us…for ALL of us. So, we can’t give him an hour of our time each week? All He asks is that we keep holy the Sabbath day, meaning we attend Mass, which sometimes may last more than an hour, but should we really be focusing on the amount of time we are in church? Shouldn’t we be using this time, these precious moments, to thank God for all He has done for us and to reflect and focus on His unconditional love?

Think of what He gave us! Each and every time we attend Mass, we can receive His Body and His Blood! How amazing is that! If we truly think about this statement, what it truly means, great awe and sobering humility would fill every part of our being.

We are receiving Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, so we really shouldn’t care how long the Mass is! Mass is a time to give thanks, a time to worship our Lord and Savior and a time of prayerful meditation. It is not a time to be checking our watches or scrolling through our cell phones.

When we attend Mass, we should be rejoicing in the Lord for all the miracles and blessings He has bestowed upon us, and in the bad times of our lives, it is even more important to “show up” in His house to devoutly and humbly ask for help, healing and mercy.

Each moment of the Mass is precious…use them to glorify the One who created all of us instead of worrying about the time. I’m sure He wasn’t concerned about how long it took for Him to die for our sins. He suffered greatly on the cross for many hours out of overwhelming love for each and every one of us. So, the next time you become concerned about the length of the Mass, think how it would be if Jesus only gave us an hour of His attention every day! I think we would be a very sad and dysfunctional population without his constant love, protection and intercessions in our daily lives.

Think about it. Hey, maybe we can all give Him a couple of extra hours each week by attending daily Mass. Wouldn’t that be wonderful… just sayin’!

~Connie Pickles