True Value

Central to the Catholic faith is the celebration of Holy Mass, the making present again and again of the self giving sacrifice of Jesus. For Catholics, the host, the sliver of bread, becomes nothing less than the body of Jesus, God Himself, really present and available. We literally consume God and, in the most tangible way, take Him into our very selves. Received bodily and through faith. But how many of us really believe? How many of us value the gift?

 
Why are

Our churches

So empty these days?

Masses

With standing room only,

Long past.

Imagine

If everytime

You went to Mass,

You got fifty quid –

And

No questions asked.

If

The priest gave you cash

Instead of the host,

Every time

You went up

For communion…

Just what

Kind of a church

Would we have?

Crowded, yes,

But

Would it be a better one?

I’m not

A betting man,

But picture the scenes:

Churches mobbed;

No doormen on duty

‘Cos they’d

Be swelling

The queues,

Desperate to get up there,

Fighting

For the front seats,

All eager to get paid.

The priest’s

Phone

Ringing constantly; endless

Queries

About the times

Of the next masses.

Parents pushing

Underage children

On ahead, with

Blatant

Rejoining of queues

For second passes.

Don’t

Get yourself excited,

My friend.

There’s

No cash handouts

At the altar.

And churches

Are rarely full

These days.

Just what might be

‘On offer’

From there?

The greatest

Gift

Of the greatest giver:

Life,

Salvation, mercy, meaning,

Fulfilment.

Your best friend

Coming to stay

With you.

Beyond price,

Given free,

In the sacrament.