The Mass and Theology of the Body

One of the many things that I love about the Catholic Mass is the way that it uses our whole bodies. It is such a multi-sensory experience.

Touch. We walk into the church and bless ourselves with the holy water, reminding ourselves of our baptism. We shake hands with our neighbor during the sign of peace.

Smell. The sweet smell of incense reminds us of Jesus. The smoke and smell rise to heaven as do our prayers.

Sight. We see Jesus on the crucifix, reminding us that He died for our sins. We see the beauty of the stain glass, icons, and statuary.

Hearing. We listen to the Word. We hear the entire Bible during the Mass (with the exception of some of the genealogies) for every 3-year cycle.

Speech. We praise God with our voices through prayer and song.

Taste. The Eucharist. Just as Jesus commands us in John 6, we eat His Body and drink His Blood.

The Church, in its infinite wisdom, shows us through the Mass how to praise God through our bodies. Radically cool.