Quick is the most important thing

By Domenico Bettinelli, Jr. ( articles - email ) | Apr 14, 2003

In Sunday's Boston Herald there was an article about the renovations to Boston's St. Anthony's Shrine, a Franciscan chapel serving the downtown area. (I don't have an online link to it.) It has long been a popular place for working folks to attend lunchtime Masses or go to Confession. The Franciscans also provide social services to the city poor.

Well, there have been changes made to the Shrine to update it for the times (never a good sign). Among the roll of virtues of the Shrine was this:

With a mix of white- and blue-collar workers flocking to the shrine for weekday Masses, the Franciscans have redoubled efforts to improve preaching while maintaining another longstanding shrine tradition: the quick Mass. ...

The Franciscan are "accommodating," he said, and the short Mass "is always a pleasure, because you don't want to stay there for an hour and a half. ... We're all in a hurry and all running around."

Gee, so glad you could fit in your worship of the Lord and partaking in the sacrifice of Calvary between your bagel and picking up the dry cleaning.

Okay, at least these people are making an effort to get to daily Mass, but doesn't it seem a bit like they're throwing their pearls before the swine as they look to make going as inconvenient as possible? If you're going to worship God in the first place, shouldn't it be done right?

What would they say about a husband who tells his wife that they're stopping by McDonald's for their anniversary dinner because he has to fit her in between his work and his tee time? Is this any different?