TTSNBSIM 1: "Jesus Wants to Remain With us in Spirit"

TTSNBSIM (Things That Should Never Be Said In Mass)

#1: "Jesus Wants to Remain With us in Spirit"

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This is a new series I'm planning on the subject of things that I've heard said at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which should, in reality, never be said there.  Often, it's because these things are incorrect, but occasionally, it's because the remark, as stated, is just not explained well enough, and will inevitably be misinterpreted.  In the latter case, the post will also contain an explanation of why this is, as well as proposed -alternatives,- which make the intended statement a bit more clear.

In this case, we have something which is not incorrect.  Jesus -does- want to remain with us in Spirit.  This language, however, is misleading in three ways.

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1. Without further explanation, it seems to imply that "remaining with us in spirit" is rather like "being remembered" or perhaps "watching from far off," or even "thinking about us fondly."  This is the way the culture currently understands the term.  Too often, I've heard a living, human being say to another, living human being "I'll be with you in spirit."

To be with someone in spirit means that your spirit is actually with them, and this can't be done while our spirits remain in our bodies.  It's something the dead can do, and angels, and God, but it's not something that a living person can do, without some special grace or miracle.

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2. Even if you understand the term properly, to mean "Jesus wants his Spirit to be with us," most people would assume that this just means that Jesus is always spiritually nearby and watching.  However, the Spirit of God is a separate person of the Holy Trinity; namely, the Holy Spirit.  When we speak of the Spirit of Jesus, or the Spirit of God being with us, this means -exactly- the same thing as "the Holy Spirit was with us."  So, why not just -say- "the Holy Spirit?"

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3. Perhaps most gravely, saying that Jesus wants to be with us "in spirit" seems to imply that he doesn't want to be with us in other ways.  As Catholics, we know that this is not the case.  Jesus wants to be with us; not just spiritually, but -physically,- in the Holy Eucharist.  This is one of the worst implications that one could make at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, since it's there that the Eucharist Himself is consecrated.

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Therefore, instead of "Jesus wants to remain with us in spirit," it would be better, at Mass, to say one of the following things...

"Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit, so that he could always be with us."

"Jesus wants to be with us, both physically -and- spiritually."

"Jesus wants to be with us -fully.-"

All of these are correct as well, and each is harder to misinterpret.