Aumentar en un 10 por ciento la asistencia a la misa dominical

Monday, January 6, 2014

*Fr. Eduardo Barrios, SJ

English Spanish

El Segundo Sínodo Arquidiocesano de Miami concluyó el pasado 26 de octubre con un evento multitudinario que deslumbró por su buen espíritu y eficiente organización. Ahora viene lo principal: implementar sus directrices.

El sínodo reta a los católicos a lograr que para la Cuaresma del 2016 la feligresía dominical haya crecido en un 10 por ciento.

Eso lo lograrán las parroquias que nutran bien la vida espiritual de sus feligreses.

El primer requisito para que los fieles se sientan a gusto en una celebración litúrgica es la acústica del edificio y los equipos de sonido. Decía San Pablo que la fe entra por el oído (cfr. Rom. 10:17). Se debe oír cómodamente.

Si la misa dominical se compara con un banquete, el primer plato es la Liturgia de la Palabra. Los que intervienen en esa primera parte del culto deben actuar bien, pero sin ser histriones. Nada puede ser fingido. Todo debe brotar de una fe profunda y una vida santa. Eso no quita que ayude la técnica vocal. Los lectores deben entrenarse para proclamar las lecturas con buen volumen y mejor dicción. Han de preparar las lecturas para leer con sentido y buena entonación, aunque sin caer en la declamación teatral.

Responsable principal de la celebración es el sacerdote; también el diácono, si lo hubiese. Les toca proclamar, no simplemente leer, el evangelio del día y pronunciar la homilía. Para ésta se puede llevar un esquema, pero salvo ocasiones muy formales, mejor no leer la homilía. Una cosa es leer y otra predicar. El tema lo ofrecen los textos litúrgicos del día. La prédica, sea breve y enjundiosa. A partir de una base doctrinal sólida, descienda a aplicaciones prácticas para el aquí y ahora de los presentes. Una buena homilía presupone mucha preparación próxima y remota. El predicador debe hablar con variedad de tonos e ilustrando la doctrina con imágenes y ejemplos, pero sin centrar televangelísticamente la atención sobre sí mismo, sino sobre el Señor.

También atrae a los feligreses la buena música. Para las misas es importante el ministerio de la música sagrada. Ésta debe ser música, que suene bien, y sagrada, que mueva a devoción. Que no sepa a discoteca.

El segundo plato y principal de la celebración es la Liturgia de la Eucaristía. Los sacerdotes se esmerarán en rezar las oraciones como aparecen en los misales. Las adiciones, substracciones y mutaciones suelen distraer a los orantes. El Ordinario de la Misa contiene variedad de ritos iniciales, prefacios y plegarias eucarísticas. Se debe aprovechar la diversidad, pero respetando textos tan venerables.

Después de la Comunión, haya unos momentos de silencio para la oración de acción de gracias, quizás apoyada en una pieza musical meditativa. Si hubiese avisos que dar, sean pocos, breves, y mayormente sobre las actividades apostólicas de los diferentes grupos, no sobre las finanzas. Si los fieles olvidasen que ya el maná no cae de lo alto, alguna vez habría que recordarles sus obligaciones monetarias, pero eso no puede ser frecuente. Además, el boletín parroquial se presta mejor para ese tipo de informaciones. Si fuere necesario, alguna vez podrían señalarse puntos prácticos, como la vestimenta para el culto. No van a una gran gala, pero tampoco a evento informal. Hay que inculcar reverencia. En el trato con Dios, confianza, sí; confiancitas, no.

En resumen, la asistencia a misa aumentará y en más de un 10 por ciento en la medida en que clérigos y laicos logren celebrarla devotamente.

Comments from readers

Charles - 01/12/2014 02:20 PM: I think I would like to respond to this article. Much has to be done in order to win back the hearts of those who left our Church. In order to increase Mass attendance, like Keith said, its not an easy one. What can I suggest? First, I would start off by having priests being encouraged to transition all Masses to the Tridentine Liturgy in time and take the bold risk of gaining and losing people. Why? The Mass is much more reverent when the congregation is involved and in prayer and is the primary source of prayer. We have no time to waste. Second, that priests need to reflect their sermons on defending human life and start saying in the pulpit of the reality of the final judgment, purgatory, heaven and hell and the reality of the need of penance. How many of us do not hear about praying for the souls in purgatory at Masses? Third, I would recommend that priests aggressively talk about the culture and that is fallen; we live in a 'dictatorship of relativism' and that priests should explain that it is necessary to understand the differences between moral absolutism and what is relativism, subjectivism, egalitarianism, the Enlightenment and other ways of thought that hurt our souls and how we can change the way we live. Also, that its necessary to tell Catholics that we need to change the society and get involved; the marketplace, technology, business and government; for example writing to politicians, do not eat out or shop on Sundays, questioning technological inventions and whether they hurt or benefit society, etc. I think if priests could say these things, no doubt that will get us In the congregation to bring more souls back. That will bring me to my final suggestion. I seriously recommend that the Eucharist be treated with the utmost respect; that the Eucharist is a Sacred Host and that all Catholics must receive the Eucharist on the tongue and by priests only. This may be all actions internally, but if our Lord can see that Masses are to be most reverent, I think He will return the lost sheep back to us.

Keith Koenig - 01/12/2014 08:32 AM: Increasing Mass attendance by 10% is a SMART goal, but not an easy one.
If we keep doing what we have been doing, we will keep getting what we have been getting.
The Church needs effective marketing - a term not often used - to attract those fallen away or inactive Catholics, along with the many searching for God. Jesus was the best all time marketer and story teller. He used the marketing media of the time - speaking live in the local square - to get His message to the people.
We need to use the marketing media of our time, TV and digital media, and we need to use them effectively to tell Jesus's message.
Yes this will cost money, but which parish in the ADM would not contribute to an effective plan to grow church attendance by 10% or more?
This is evangelization in 2014.

Antonio Fernandez - 01/08/2014 11:35 AM: Please allow me to answer to a previous reader that asked: Why would a parish be overloaded with priest that have English as a 2nd language? There is a very simp,e answer, because we don't have the necessary vocations in our midst. The problem is not with a priest with English as a second language because there are many priests and professionals in this Country that although English is their second language they are quite proficient in expressing themselves in English quite well, and at the same time they render a valuable service in reaching the faithful of many other languages that are also part of our Church. We should be very thankful and apreciative to those priests and religious men and women that have left their original countries and are now serving us in the Church of the United States.

Robert G Cabello - St Gregory Parish - 01/07/2014 09:59 AM: Father Barrios identifies many good Points needed to increase attendance at Liturgical Celebrations (The Mass). However equally important in seeking attendance increases is the Sermon (The Message) we receive during the celebration. I am very lucky in that My Pastor is a very good Homilist
(My Opinion) and sends us out with an original,practical and applicable Gospel message,which can carry you spiritually through the week. If we are looking for a permanent increase in attendance, we must implement a mutual strategy where the Clergy creatively provides and parishioners personally accept the Gospel Message and consequently bring it into our various communities.

William VanderWyden - 01/07/2014 08:09 AM: Thank you for your comments about Mass attendance. I feel that we need to educate Catholics about the treasure of the Mass. If everyone understood the Mass--the Word and the Eucharist--folks would never stop coming. I have been to Mass in countless churches around the world. Sure, the externals are important and must be uplifting rather than distracting, but the Eucharist is what attracts me--that's all that matters in the end. Folks need to understand what it is they are missing should they ever miss an opportunity to participate in the liturgy. Daily Mass is essential to my existence, and Sunday uplifts me as well since the Community gathers to make the Lord present. We have a hidden treasure that most Catholics don't appreciate!

Barbara Howard - 01/07/2014 03:55 AM: Our priest does an excellent job of thanking everyone who listens to God's call to attend Mass. He's the first priest I've ever had offer that at Mass. Also, I would recommend that priests be more effectively trained on teaching. There is no doubt that they are very educated, but for many, teaching does not come naturally. Matthew Kelly has been conducting research on re-energizing the church. Check out Dynamic Catholic.

George Tabor - 01/06/2014 01:33 PM: Another essential element in the Mass is understanding what is being said during the Mass especially the readings, the Gospel and the homily. Our parish has priest that speak English with heavy accents making it very difficult to understand what is being said. On top of that, the sound system is in and out. Sometimes it works well and sometimes it doesn't. Why would a parish be overloaded with priest that have English as a 2nd language?