PETER

I’m watching a Roman Catholic Mass on TV. So far, a priest has bowed to a table and kissed something on the table. He’s reading something and people are saying things back to him. Now he is praying. Now a woman is reading from Isaiah. Singing. The woman is reading one of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians. Singing. The priest is reading from Matthew. Now he’s explaining the passage that he read which was about paying taxes. Give to Caesar what is Caesar and to God what is God’s. He bows to the table again. He reads something and the congregation responds. The woman reads something else. The woman leads in prayer. The congregation responds again at certain points in the prayer. The priest reads more. Music. The priest is at the table preparing a cup. More words and responses. Singing. More words from the priest. Talking about the last supper. Singing. Priest praying. Priest singing something over the cracker and wine. More singing. Praying the Our Father. More sing. More words from priest. He then eats the cracker and drinks the wine. More singing while the congregation comes to get their crackers. Moment of silence. Prayer. Priest dismisses congregation. Priest kisses something on the table again. Priest bows to table again. The end. My take: The gospel wasn’t preached. It was all ritual and very dry. I don’t see how anyone could come to faith in Jesus in that environment.