How St. Hubert Overcame His Habit of Skipping Mass on Sunday

Let me tell you a story. I'm sure most of my readers are familiar with the picture to the right. It is, of course, the logo of a liqueur called 'Jägermeister'. But it has a backstory.

Many years ago, a friend and I were in a pub one afternoon, sipping on a few pints. A fellow sitting next to me ordered a 'Jäger'. I had never heard of it, so when the barman took the bottle from the cooler to pour the shot, I looked at the bottle. The logo caught my eye and I asked if I could see the bottle. 
 
I then turned to my friend and said, 'Let me show you something'. I pulled my 'medal chain' from my shirt and showed him a medal with the logo and a man kneeling in front of it. It was a medal of St Hubert, Patron Saint of Hunters. The logo is based on the iconography of St Hubert. Fitting, because in German, 'Jägermeister' means 'Master Hunter'.

Since I had never heard of the drink, my friend proceeded to buy me a shot, with the result that ever since, Jäger has been my favourite liqueur.

St Hubert's Feast Day was yesterday, 3 November.

From Aleteia

By Philip Koslowski

St. Hubert loved to hunt, and initially he didn’t want a “boring” Mass to get in the way of his Sunday adventures. 

For many Catholics Sunday Mass is boring. At the surface level nothing really “happens” and it’s not very entertaining. For many years St. Hubert heartily agreed with that statement, and when given the choice between going to Mass and bagging a deer, he thought it was a no brainer and chose to go hunting.

Hubert was so addicted to hunting that he even went out on Good Friday! When everyone else was in church mournfully remembering the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, St. Hubert was looking for his next prize.

Here is what happened next, as related in the Good Words magazine.

It happened that he was hunting one Good Friday in the forest, when all at once he saw a fine stag bearing between its horns a golden crucifix. For an instant Hubert paused, struck with wonder at the strange vision, then, believing it to be some delusion, he urged his horse towards the stag; but, instead of turning to fly, the [deer] stood confronting him with mild, imploring eyes, and a voice sounded in the huntsman’s ears, “Hubert, Hubert! how long will this idle passion for the chase tempt you to forget your salvation?” Conscience-stricken, Hubert dismounted, and, falling on his face, he cried out, “ Lord, what shall I do?”

Afterwards Hubert sought the instruction of the local bishop and began a new chapter in his life. He never missed Sunday Mass for the rest of his life, no longer seeing it as something boring, but viewing it as an essential part of his salvation.

We may not always understand what happens at Mass, but we should at least understand that God instituted it for our spiritual well-being. The Mass can change us in ways we may not recognize at first, but over time its effects can be felt in our lives.

As the saying goes, “The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.” If you think Mass is boring, maybe you need to think differently about it, putting more effort in understanding it and opening your heart to God each Sunday.

Whatever your situation might be, pray to St. Hubert and ask him to help you see the beauty in Mass that eyes do not always see.