Reverence

Today, it's two posts for the price of one! I've been meaning to post this thought for a while, but after my daily dose of Catholic.com, I posted the previous thought first. Oh, well I guess the mind wanders..........

I spend most of Mass with my eyes closed. Why? It's a fault of mine that I am (possibly) over-critical of how others are "worshipping", and it is a distraction to watch what I perceive as irreverence or disrespect for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and especially the Eucharist. Keeping my eyes closed is one tactic I've come up with to keep me from possibly misjudging others and (more likely) to keep from having to look at the 'plank in my own eye'. I've written before about the disrespect one shows when they enter God's house and neglect to genuflect or bow to the Altar and acknowledge His presence, then carry on with conversations as if He is not there. You know the people I am talking about...those who are at Mass because it's an obligation, not out of love for God, and the gifts He has given us. I think most of us at Mass are there to give thanks to Jesus for His sacrifice at Calvary (as if we could ever thank Him enough!) and worship Him and give Him due reverence. But there are always one or two who (forgive me, Jesus, if my assessment is wrong) have no idea why they are there. Then they present themselves to recieve our Lord in a manner as if the Sacrament were just a symbol, rather than the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ Himself, under the 'appearance' of bread and wine. Some will "take" the Host, rather than "recieve" Him, some will wait until they are back at the pew before consuming Him, some will talk in the procession line! I read somewhere a writing of an early church father about the reverence one should have when receiving the Eucharist. (Yes, in the early days of the church, the Sacrament was received in the hand--it's not new, since Vatican II). The father said when you present your hands for the reception of the Host, form a "throne" out of the left hand for the priest to place the King of the Universe upon, gaze upon the King, then, with reverence, and a prayer, consume Him. I think if more people thought of recieving with this sort of image in mind, I could open my eyes again during Mass. God forgive me for judging others without really knowing what is in their hearts, but it's my perception, and I hope I'm wrong.