Growing up, I participated in Vacation Bible School camps. The crafts, skits, and snacks (graham cracker boat with marshmallow Jesus walking on frosting water anyone?) made for an exciting week with other kids. But the best part was the music. Although my childhood self was shy, you could always find me in the back singing along. Honestly, I could still do all the motions to a few songs.
Once my mom realized how much I loved energetic church music, she started bringing me to the Life Teen Mass she helped run as a youth minister. From the minute the drums started banging, I was captivated. This was radically different from the quiet morning Mass I attended; the Life Teen Mass was loud, chaotic, and casual. It was so crowded that people sat on the floor. The readings and the skits performed during the homily were all led by high school students. It fostered a love for praise and worship music, but it also inspired me to seek out community and be involved in the Church as a young person.
When I got to BC over three years ago, I hopped from Mass to Mass each weekend. While I have grown to love and appreciate the silence and calm of church (shoutout to Candlelight Mass), I still found myself searching for a lively Mass. A girl in my CLC group recommended the 10:15 Mass in the Heights Room. The following Sunday, my lonely freshman self poked my head inside a room filled with folding chairs and chatting students. I sat alone in the back, jealous of all the people there with friends. Mass started, and we were invited to talk about our highs and lows with the people around us. Suddenly, I knew the name of the girls in front of me! The celebration continued surprising me: during the Our Father the congregation linked throughout the aisles holding hands, the Eucharistic hymn was “Fix You” by Coldplay, which I had never before thought of in a religious context, and at the end, we sang Happy Birthday to those who had birthdays that week. After Mass, people hung around chatting. I felt welcomed, I felt joyful, I felt home.
I have been attending 10:15 Mass weekly ever since. I’ve met some of my best friends there, and, with them, I have grown tremendously in my faith. Walking into 10:15 is like taking a deep breath. I instantly feel all my anxieties suffocated by the outpouring of love seeping out of the sacristans and other participants. You matter, you are loved, you belong—these are the messages of this Mass. It has taught me that God is everywhere; He is found in late night stressful studying, the mediocre class when struggling to stay awake, the fun night out with friends, and the ugly issues in our world. I learned that even after a week where I am angry, frustrated, and pulling away from God, God loves and forgives me. Most of all, I realized the power of community, and how important it is to have people in the Church that seek out and ask how you are, expecting a real answer rather than an “I’m good.”
10:15 also helped me grow confident in my faith. Before BC, my faith was private, but throughout my time at BC, I’ve been much more open about my faith life. Seeing people be so open about faith at Mass inspired me to be open about my faith in my daily life. My love for God and my love for people became a part of my conversations, and I began to invite people to come to Mass with me. And they kept coming! 10:15 captured the hearts of many of my friends, because there is acceptance of all people no matter your background, no matter where you are in your faith journey, no matter your gender, sexuality, race, religion, or socioeconomic status. No Mass or community achieves it quite like 10:15.
I was extremely disappointed to hear that the 10:15 Mass was canceled this fall due to the pandemic; however, I have faith that the community will come together and hopefully resume where we left off when this craziness ends. It has been one of my biggest blessings at BC, as it gave me new friendships, served as a weekly reminder of God’s abounding love, and inspired me to be joyful and confident about my love for Jesus. If you haven’t attended, I encourage you to try it out when it comes back because walking into that room is like getting a hug from God. With the music, clapping, and community, it brings me back to those Vacation Bible School days. All it’s missing is some marshmallow Jesuses.
Featured image courtesy of Jeremiah Leslie via The Preacher Pollard Vlog
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