With the entire Roman Catholic Missal being revamped, now is the time for us to give BSM’s Mass a slight face-lift. The most troubling portion of the Mass is the substantial emphasis on the Common Basket, and in turn, the upstaging of the Eucharist, which is meant to be the focal point of the Mass.

Of course, the Common Basket is rooted in the traditions of our La Sallian forefathers, and it undoubtedly reaches outside of our community to serve the less fortunate, while still connecting to the students, faculty, parents, and alumni of BSM. However, the weight of the Common Basket consistently interrupts Mass in a way that is not beneficial to a worshipping community.

Time and time again, the Common Basket theme outshines the gathering, readings, homily, artistic selections, and, even, Holy Days of Obligation. For example, on All Saints Day, instead of celebrating and remembering the Saints, the focal point of the homily was the fact that our donations would improve the lives of impoverished children, a message that had already been illuminated during the lengthy gathering.

The most recent Common Basket program was the Soles4Souls shoe drive that took place in the religion classes, successfully gathering 1456 pairs of shoes in collections. Does the solution not seem obvious? Harbor the Common Basket program over the course of an entire week in class rather than Mass.

This way, each department could still plan their event, but the success of the Common Basket would rely on the student and faculty’s responsibility and engagement in the classroom. The communal atmosphere, achieved during the preparation of the Gifts, could be carried over into the classroom, moreover removing the interruption from the Mass.

Would removing the Common Basket from the Mass uproot the traditions of our La Sallian forefathers? This is a valid concern, quite similar, in fact, to that of the new Roman Missal, which has come with its own opposition. The Church isn’t changing any traditions, but merely the manner in which these traditions are manifested. Furthermore, the fundamentals of the Common Basket aren’t changing, only its presentation.

Not only would our sponsored organizations benefit from these simple changes, but also it would allow the BSM community to deepen its commitment and reverence to the Mass. And with the introduction of the new Roman Missal into the Church, there is no better time to make these few alterations to our service at BSM.