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MAKING THE MOST OUT OF THE HOLY MASS
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am writing again this week to offer my prayers of Thanksgiving to God for protecting us from this insidious virus and to wish you God’s choicest blessings for the weeks and months ahead. The question that naturally comes to mind is how best can we thank the Lord for his goodness to us? The Words of God tells us how, “I will raise the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people” (Psalm 116:13-14). In other words, we thank the Lord best in the context of the Holy Mass. This is because the Mass itself is an offering of Thanks to the Father by the Son of God. It is the Lord’s supreme act of thanksgiving in the Holy Spirit on behalf of us and all of creation. In the Mass we unite our hearts and voices with that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. In it, we worship the Father in Spirit and Truth. The Mass and the sacrifice of the Son of God on the cross is one and the same. Because in each of them, Christ is both the Priest and the Victim. On the cross, the sacrifice is bloody and on the altar it is unbloody. Being the sacrifice of our redemption, it is the highest form of worship. It is the fountain and source of our spiritual life.
What can we do to make our experience of Mass enriching? There are many devotions and best practices that can be of great help in this regard. Some of these are the following:
- Attend the Mass with a spirit of prayer, praying as the Church teaches us to pray, avoiding distraction. Be one with the words, actions and gestures of the celebrant, who acts in the person of Christ.
- Listen, respond, acclaim, sing, or keep opportune silence in order to facilitate union with God and to deepen your reflection on the word of God.
- Follow the directions to stand, sit, and kneel - and be serene - even if you see someone who does not do so.
- Be punctual. This is a considerate detail for Christ our Lord, himself, and for others who are attending Mass. Arrive before the priest goes to the altar. Leave only after the priest has left.
- Dress properly as for an important meeting and not, for instance, as if you were going to participate in a sport. Your dress ought to convey respect, solemnity, and joy of the Mass. Do not forget that the Mass is heaven on earth. The Holy Spirit says this through the letter to the Hebrews: “What you have come to is Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where the millions of angels have gathered for the festival, with the whole Church in which everyone is a ‘first born son’ and a citizen of heaven. You have come to God himself, the supreme Judge” (Hebrews 12:22-23)
- Make excellent use of the Missal; the Missal is a treasure to have. It helps you to experience the Holy Mass intimately. If you have a Missal and use it, you can testify to this. If you do not have a Missal, it is a worthy investment. “It is a book for the home as well as the Church.” It opens up the treasures of God’s word lavishly that all may be nourished. “It is the best book of prayers. It contains the experience of the Church , the teacher of prayer. Which one can converse with God in Christ through the Holy Spirit, whether in the liturgical synaxis or in the intimacy of one’s heart.”
Next week, we shall continue the reflection on the interior aspect of our preparation for the Mass.
DIAL-IN MASS DEBUT
Last Sunday was the first time we tried this on a Sunday. If you used it, please give me some feedback. Is it clear or muddled?
For those of you not familiar with this feature, you can now access our Masses by dialing 15033006862. When prompted then dial 114429#. If you want to be the host, the Code is 4128. Remember that the Mass times are: Noon, Wednesday - Friday, Saturday (vigil Mass) 4:00 p.m Sunday: 8;00 am and 11:00 am. First Saturdays 9.00 am until further notice.
PASTORAL COUNCIL : We had a pastoral council via conference call last Saturday. Monte Flowers Esq conducted the meeting marvellously well. He is very competent like our past Chairmen!
PARISH FEAST DAY: The pastoral council agrees that the Evangelization Committee oversees its ground work, logistics and more.
THE LORD IS RAISING US HIGH! HENRY SNOWDEN AND CLIFF CHRISTY: Our two brothers are entering into the Diaconate Program for our Diocese. Please lift them up to our Lord in thanksgiving and love!
May you have a glorious weekend.
