Opinion

Reverence at Mass

November 29, 2023
James Markis
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Mass is a staple for many students at Boston College and in the greater Catholic community at large. There are a variety of services offered at BC every day including at St. Joseph’s, St. Mary’s, St. Ignatius, and even in the Heights Room. As someone who is Greek Orthodox (otherwise known as an “OrthoBro”), I rarely attended these Masses coming to BC. People of the Orthodox faith are technically allowed to receive the Eucharist in the Catholic Church after the declarations of Vatican II, but I always felt uneasy about the situation. I would often use this awkwardness of not receiving the Eucharist as an excuse to not attend Mass, when in actuality it was largely about having better things to do or not wanting to wake up in the morning. 

Over the last year, however, I have become extremely involved in the Sons of St. Patrick, a group of young Catholic men seeking to exemplify the true ideals of brotherhood and gentlemanliness. At the insistence of certain members of Sons and the sister-club, Gratia Plena (GP), I attended a few Candlelight Masses early in the semester at St. Joe’s. Entering St. Joe’s for the first time was an extremely different experience. I had attended Catholic Mass before, as my mother is Catholic, but it was often in a large setting with stained glass windows and a more revered space, similar to that of St. Mary’s. After attending Mass at St. Joe’s, St. Mary’s, and St. Ignatius, I still struggled to find a connection to God. Maybe it was my decision to not receive the Eucharist or the general plain setting that was St. Joe’s Chapel, but it was not until a few Sundays back where I truly felt God’s presence.

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At the insistence of the same few members of Sons as well as one person from GP, I made the journey to the St. John’s Seminary for morning Mass. Immediately upon entering the Church, it was clear there was a different aura than I had experienced at any of the previous Masses on campus. The inclusion of Latin, the angling of the pews, and the reverence that people showed had a profound effect on my experience. Growing up in the Orthodox Church, people always wore suits and appropriate clothing to Divine Liturgy (our version of Mass). Seeing people, including myself, attend Candlelight Mass or 8:00 AM at St. Mary’s in workout clothes, didn’t conform with my view of reverence for God’s House of Worship. Upon entering St. John’s, however, it was clear that everyone there shared the same reverence for the transubstantiation that was about to occur. I am not arguing that people must wear certain clothing to praise God, but I truly believe that proper respect must be shown to God in His House. Every Mass provides the same miracle of the Eucharist, and thus it does not make certain Masses better than other Masses, but as someone who is not part of the Catholic Church, St. John’s Seminary provoked the greatest reaction in my own relationship with God. Mass is supposed to be a celebration of God’s great miracle and the sacrifice that Jesus Christ gave for us on the Cross, and thus the service should be elaborate: with chanting, processions, and especially great reverence for the place of worship. Overall, St. John’s Seminary exemplifies all of these virtues and should be promoted as such for Catholics and non-Catholics who seek to deepen their relationship with Christ among like-minded individuals who share that same reverence for Apostolic Tradition, Church History, and ultimately the future success of Christianity.

James Markis
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