I attended a parish where, at the end of the service, the priest did not say, "The Mass is ended; go in peace to love and serve the Lord." Instead, the entire assembly shouted, "The Mass never ends! Go in peace to love and serve the Lord."

The message was clear: Our faith is not a matter of church attendance but a way of life, of which the celebration of the Eucharist is one critical element.

In today's Gospel reading, the followers of Jesus are thrilled to be in Jerusalem at the great temple of the Jewish faith. They admire the finery of the beautiful building, and how the "temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings." Jesus responds: "All that you see here --- the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

The temple, beautiful and powerful as it is, is temporary. Places of worship will come and go. Worship, however, does not. The Mass never ends.

If you're like me, you need this reminder for your lifestyle, not just your views on religious institutions. I love to attend Mass and to reflect on the Scriptures and to celebrate the Eucharist. I find it nourishing and rewarding. But I don't always recognize that these activities are just one component of what it means to be a Catholic. Practicing our faith is not the same as living our faith.

Catholics, perhaps more than any other religious believers, love their buildings. We have gorgeous cathedrals throughout the world. Not to mention schools, hospitals, orphanages, shelters and social service agencies. It takes a great deal of dedication and ingenuity to organize our response to the call of God - to serve the poor and the sick, to teach children, and to worship God. Still we must remember that the spirit of God is not limited to the structures we create.

Our state has endured a great deal of threats to our buildings. Earthquakes, floods and, most recently, fires have threatened or destroyed homes, businesses and places of worship. Prior to the fires, there was much talk about the sub-prime lending crisis causing unprecedented foreclosures, displacing people from their homes. The devastation has been enormous and painful.

But we know that, even when we lose something we love, pain and suffering do not have the last word. Our lives do not consist of our possessions, and our faith does not consist of the institutions that nurture us. Buildings will come and go. The stock market and home values will go up and down.

The Mass never ends.

Bill Peatman writes from Napa.