No Mass is more special than another

Dear Editor, Am I alone in feeling irritated by the habit of some within the Church to use terms like ‘special Mass’ to try and add emphasis to a particular celebration of the Eucharist?

One can, perhaps, forgive the error if it is used by journalists in secular newspapers, but it’s very disappointing to see official Church press offices and other agencies adding the word ‘special’ before Mass.

The term is meaningless, silly and, I fear, betrays an appalling lack of catechesis around the Mass. No Mass is – or ever can be – more special than any other Mass.

What can be more special than the celebration of the Eucharist? The sacrifice of the Mass is an un-bloody representation in time of Christ’s once—and-for-all eternal sacrifice on the Cross and we do this at his own command (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:23-25).

Yours etc.,

Paul Daly

Belfast, Co. Antrim.