As you put down your hymnal and gathered your things last Sunday, perhaps you looked around and noticed that there were fewer people in the pews than when Mass began. Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble writes about that, in today’s article, 5 Reasons to Stay Until the End of Mass:
Sometimes I want to run after the people I see walking briskly out of church straight from the Communion line and shake them and say, “You have Jesus inside of you! Take a minute to talk to him, to thank him, to love him!”
We have all seen people who leave directly from having received Holy Communion, and wonder if it’s really impossible for so many people to have such urgent business ahead of them that can’t wait an extra 5 minutes, for the final blessing and the recessional hymn. For crying out loud, it’s not Yankees stadium — the parking lot can’t be that bad!
When we have just received Jesus into ourselves, it is good to take some time to be with Him, rather than bustling about. A moment of thanksgiving is appropriate, and so is greeting those around us in the community of faith, as we exit together. Why move too fast for an enlightening moment?
And today we celebrate...