There are 12 wonderful places we visit at mass. How is this possible? A Catholic Church is a holy place. It is a living and breathing house built by humans and spirited by God — part earth, part heaven, and, in the earthly realm of Time, yesterday, today and tomorrow. When we enter a Catholic church for Mass, itself an event out of time, we visit surprising places that coexist there. And we are met by one that comes to visit us in a way not humanly imaginable.
In this mystery to which we are blinded and hope to see, which is true and not imaginary, what is expected of we who are the guests?
How to Be During the Visit
Here are two sets of verses that generally approach that question:
Then I said, “Here I am;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.
As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God.—Psalm 40:7-8,17
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.
—1 Timothy 3:14-15
Now, let’s see what we can learn from the 12 wonderful places that we visit at Mass.
Bethlehem
We don’t know if there was any type of gate at the entrance of the stable in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. If there was one, it would have been pretty humble, for animal control like a low wall keeps cows local. As we enter our church, it is often through a great set of doors, in some cases quite formidable. Yet, it may as well be a shepherd’s gate, easy to enter in order to reach the humblest of scenes, our infant God lying in a manger, a food trough. He is the Bread of Life. The Son of God wants the children of God to be unhindered for,
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. — John 6:51
In Hebrew, Bethlehem means “The House of Bread.”
And this is the simple, gentle, silent night image we have of the Christmas Nativity that blessedly fills our hearts with momentary serenity until the unwrapping begins.
But “Bethlehem” has a second meaning, one that King Herod knew.
Do you recall the Parable of the Tenants? A landowner planted his vineyard and rented it out to tenants. When he sent his servants to collect his share, the tenants abused them, beat them, and killed them. So the landowner sent his own son, to whom he expected the tenants to show the respect due to himself. But the tenants killed his son, expecting to take his inheritance.
“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” —Matt. 21:40
In Bethlehem, God has come to His vineyard where the sinful have rejected His messengers from the beginning. The war between holiness and sinfulness, Heaven and Hell, is no longer a “proxy war,” as we say today. The Lord has come to earth and stands on the battlefield to mete out justice, to defend His saints, and to begin the ultimate defeat of Satan. In Bethlehem, Heaven has invaded the realm of sin. The first counter-attack comes from Herod, who orders the execution of Bethlehem’s newborns, in an attempt to end God’s intervention and Heaven’s invasion.
Herod knew that “Bethlehem” also means “The House of War.” Think of what you are about to witness as you enter those formidable Church doors on your next visit. Where should your focus be? Will you pray for the grace to hold incredible joy and frightening gravity within your heart at the same time? Or will you sip coffee and chat?
This is not a new idea. After all, we begin the Mass with the Sign of the Cross.
