Why Does Fr. Hardesty Do That ?! Part 3

After my homily for this evening's Mass I gave a brief third installment in my "Why Does Fr. Hardesty Do That?!" series.

Question: "Why does Fr. Hardesty never look at us during the Mass, does he not like us?"

Answer: I'm hearing in my head a whole flurry of answers to that question from a priest-friend of mine, but I won't go there!  I keep my eyes downcast throughout the Mass, except of course during those parts where I address the faithful, in order that I may better pray the Mass.  The Mass is one extended prayer to the Father, and keeping my eyes downcast in prayer helps me to offer it as a prayer.  Also, there is a desire for me to decrease so that Christ may increase.  As the representative of Christ at the altar, recollecting myself in prayer helps me to lay aside all of my own personality quirks, eccentricities, mannerisms, etc. that might draw attention to me and away from Christ and the sacred action.  My hope is that you will be edified by this and that it will help you to pray the Mass as well.  Plus, you can ask any of the staff who will tell you that I am eminently distractable so "custody of the eyes", as they used to call it, practically speaking, helps me to focus.  True, when a teacher addresses a class or when someone gives a speech to a group, eye contact is crucial.  But in the liturgy, eye contact with the people during the prayers to the Father creates a closed circle rather than a movement forward and up to the Father.  So when I don't look up often, it is not because I dislike you or don't love you... I very much love you.  And it is out of that love that I celebrate Mass as reverently as possible.