Understanding the mass through the Prophet Isaiah

I have been going to church ever since I was a kid and it became more of a habit as I didn't really understand what was happening during the mass. I would stand when the congregation stood, sit when they sat, I wouldn't utter a single prayer, grumble when the sermon was too long and wait for the mass to end. However, it all changed after I read Isaiah 6 which describes the 'call of Isaiah'. When I first read the passage, it didn't really affect me, but standing there during mass, the verses just shot out at me. I began to realize that what Isaiah described in the Old Testament foreshadowed the Eucharist that we celebrate today. Going to church had a whole new meaning for me ever since...

What should we look forward to at mass?
Isaiah went to the Temple of Jerusalem in 742 BC where he saw a vision of God on a high throne and he felt the glory of God fill the temple. There he saw the Seraphim, meaning 'fiery beings' attending to the one on the throne and saying something rather significant.

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory."

Sounds familiar? We sing it in church during every mass. It is the Sanctus, meaning hymn of victory, which we sing just before we ask the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. When we sing this hymn, we must remember that we are joining in chorus with the angels in heaven, singing the victory song to the one on heavens throne. The word 'Holy' is purposely repeated three times to stress the superlative degree in Hebrew, meaning 'most holy'. However, the hymn we sing in church has one more verse which is "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna to GOD in the highest." This verse is from Luke 19:38 describing Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

How should our attitude be during mass?
As Isaiah became more aware of the presence of God all around him, he began to experience a transformation within himself. He realized that he did nothing to merit this honor and he felt unworthy. Humility seems to be a common quality in those whom God chose to reveal himself to. Jeremiah said he is only a boy, Moses hesitated to speak before Pharaoh, even Mary said she is a virgin. It is only when we realize our limitations that we depend on God. When we realize that we can do nothing without him, he transforms our lives and does something special through us.

Christ didn't deserve to die, yet he offered his life willingly out of love. We did nothing to merit such great a sacrifice and thus we express our unworthiness during mass when we say, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." It is a response of utmost faith, spoken my the Roman centurion in the gospel of Matthew 8:8, where he begs Jesus to heal his servant by his word.

What we receive during the Eucharist?
As Isaiah was overcome with guilt the Seraph touched his mouth with a burning coal from the altar, which was a symbol of cleansing. God is often depicted with images of fire, but it is not the fire that burns but that cleanses and purifies. When the coal touched his mouth, Isaiah experienced cleansing, it is because of this personal experience of God's forgiveness that he can go out and tell others that even though their sins are many, God will cleanse them through a purifying fire.

If a coal from the altar can cleanse Isaiah's sins, how much more are we purified when the Body of Christ from heaven's altar touches our mouth? Isaiah would envy what we are able to experience, yet we often take it for granted. Our encounter with God is more intimate than any prophet ever experienced.

What are we called to do after the Eucharist?
Soon after Isaiah's guilt was blotted out, he heard the voice of God saying " Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? It seems like the great Lord, didn't have any volunteers to send out on his mission. However, Isaiah was so fired up after his encounter, he willingly shouted out "Here am I; send me!" not knowing what the mission was and how he would go about it, but completely trusting in the one who saved him.

The final part of the mass has an important message for us as well, but we often miss it, many times people walk out of church after communion thinking it isn't important. Imagine if the disciples enjoyed the company of Jesus, yet ignored the mission he sent them out to do, what would happen to the faith? The priest ends the mass saying, "Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord." God is sending us out on the mission for which he created us, yet we pay no heed.

What I find striking in the call of Isaiah is that, there is no way Isaiah was alone in the temple as it was a crowded place, filled with commotion, animal sacrifices and what not. Yet in the midst of it all, Isaiah's focus was only on the one who sat on the throne. His focus allowed him to have an experience that no one else in the temple had that day. God is ready to reveal himself to us during the Eucharist but are we focusing on him or on the commotion around us and the chaos within us.