Thanks Be To God

It seemed when I was growing up that our Catholic masses ended oddly.

Priest: The mass is ended.

All: Thanks be to God.

Was everyone to be thankful to God that the mass had just ended?

That didn’t seem very complimentary to the celebrant, nor very respectful to the services themselves – everyone saying thanks be to God that the mass was over.  It seemed like we were all saying “Geez, it’s about time!  It seemed to be dragging on forever.  And the game is about to come on!”

It just seemed that it would have been better if the mass ended differently.

Thanks be to God, the masses can end differently now .. and better.

In fact, now there are a few options to choose from.  Here are the options:

Deacon (or Priest): Go forth, the Mass is ended.
or  Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
or  Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
or  Go in peace.

I prefer the “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord” or “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life” options.  Aren’t those closings more inspiring to the Christian leaving mass and going out into the world to bring the light of Christ into it than merely, “The mass is ended”?

Fortunately, for us, there were no changes to what we say, and we all still say:

All: Thanks be to God!

 

So now, go forth, my blog story is ended.

(No one better say: Thanks be to God!)