The St Julian's parish church recently carried out an experiment aimed at making Mass more appealing. It joined other parishes in this attempt to give a new lease of life to Sunday Mass for both adults and children.

When it was time for the homily, children aged between five and 12 were “separated” from the adults they were with and taken to a different hall where the Liturgy of the Word was explained to them in terms they could understand better. The priest saying Mass could therefore explain the Gospel to the remaining adults in a more open way than the one he probably would have had to use, had the children remained in church.

It is clear that a homily cannot cater for everyone at the same time. It is understandable that, with people attending Mass coming from all walks of life and social backgrounds, it is difficult for any priest delivering the homily to reach one and all. Added to this, the priest’s difficulty lies in the fact that his congregation is made up of people he barely knows, and people whose level of education differs, apart from the differences in age.

We have all experienced homilies that have touched our hearts and set us thinking, while others were perhaps too boring (and long) and did not affect us in any way. Some subjects were interesting to hear about while others were irrelevant to our lives.

It largely depends on the priest giving the homily. Some priests have charisma, a way of talking that keeps their listeners there. Others, unfortunately, do not have the same talent, and what is even worse is that on most occasions these are the priests whose sermons last longer.

And, in church, one cannot do what one does at home while watching a programme on TV that is not interesting – zap onto another channel. In church, one just switches off if the homily is not appealing.

People tend to start fidgeting and talking among themselves, and practically lose interest if the subject being tackled is not something that really strikes a chord or if the preacher is taking too long to say what he has to say, or is saying it badly.

Figures released by the Church following the recent census that was carried out are not encouraging. The fact that there has practically been a one per cent drop each year in Mass attendance for the past 10 years is a clear indication that fulfilling one’s duties as a Catholic is no longer a must-do for nearly half the population – considering that 47 per cent no longer go to Sunday Mass.

Whether that 47 per cent of people are still living a Christian life, and whether the 53 per cent who do go to Mass are more Christian than the rest, is another matter, because there are people who have not been to church for years and still lead a truly Christian life in the way they treat others. One can “love one’s neighbour” in the real sense of the word, even if one does not go to Mass.

But the Church is doing well in trying to find ways and means of making Sunday Mass more attractive. The idea of explaining the Gospel to children in a different way to that in which it is being explained to the adults is just one step. In this way, priests would be free to deal with what could be controversial issues when they are speaking to a congregation comprised entirely of adults.

At the same time, the children are more likely to understand the message of the particular Gospel if it is explained to them in simple terms.