I was at a breakfast gathering earlier where we discussed people’s expectations regarding the practicality and applicability of the Mass, its homily, and even theological lectures.

I remember sharing the same sentiment years ago when I was still a lukewarm Catholic. Although I was raised Catholic and attended Sunday Mass, I studied in a Protestant school. Looking back, that environment shaped many of my expectations. At one point, I seriously considered converting because I found the Protestant service more engaging, and the practicality of the sermon was what attracted me most.

Years later, my perspective changed. I cannot remember who first said it, but the idea stayed with me: the Mass is not primarily a lecture where you come to take something away. It is a banquet to which you have been invited, and the gift you bring is your presence.

That changed how I received the homily. Rather than treating it as information or self-help hack, I took is as a source of transformation. I started asking what does God want me to do? What is He trying to communicate?

Of course, practical insights are good, and a well-prepared homily should help illuminate the Christian life. But the primary purpose of the liturgy is not self-improvement. It is communion with God. The Word is proclaimed not simply to inform our minds but to convert our hearts, reshape our desires, and conform us more closely to Christ.