Nativity Catholic Church
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This is the Day the Lord has
Made!
While there are many who minimize the place and importance of Sunday Mass, and who offer any number of excuses and explanations to the contrary — the Eucharist is the heart and soul of the Catholic way of life — because within the celebration of the Mass, we share in the heart and soul of God by sharing the Body and Blood of Jesus. There are no substitutes for this! As part of our Nativity parish Lenten journey, we will spend the next several weeks looking at parts of the celebration of the Sunday Mass in order to help us better understand the mysteries we celebrate. In the limited amount of time and space we have, more will be left unsaid than will be said. Yet, we hope that we can touch upon some key actions and expectations for making the Sunday Eucharist come alive for us, so that indeed, as the Vatican Council II proclaims, the Eucharist will be for us, “the source and summit” of our Catholic way of life. In the coming four weeks, we will explore the four major “acts” of the Mass: 1) the Entrance of the Assembly — the Introductory Rites; 2) the Liturgy of the Word; 3) the Liturgy of the Eucharist; and 4) our Taking Leave — Communion and Sending. We will borrow ideas from a document published in 2000 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Roger Cardinal Mahoney, entitled Gather Faithfully Together: Guide for Sunday Mass. May these reflections, and our sharing in Sunday Mass throughout the Lenten journey call us to “gather faithfully” and to live what we receive! Part I - The Entrance of the Assembly—The Introductory Rites The Introductory Rites of the Mass include everything from the assembly’s first arriving at church through the end of the Opening Prayer. Thus we look at the manner in which we gather, the entrance hymn and procession, the sign of the cross, greeting and Act of Penitence, the Gloria (on Sundays in which it is used), and the Opening Prayer. Believe it or not, the quality of the Mass begins when we start getting ready to come to Mass! Our decision to “gather faithfully” and our whole preparation (or lack thereof) in coming to the Mass, already sets the tone for what may happen once we arrive at church. Those who lead and serve at the Mass (priest, choir, cantor, readers, servers, etc.) are not the only ones who need to “get ready”— we all do! Perhaps reading the Sunday scriptures before arriving at Mass will help in hearing and living the Word of God— then there will be no need to “read along” during Mass. We enter the church by marking ourselves with the sign of our faith in water, reminding us of our baptism — of who we are and to whom we belong. We may greet our fellow parishioners, sharing the joy of our being together, and we make our way to our seats, continuing to prepare for what we are about to celebrate. As the liturgical procession begins (which may vary according to the season and celebration), we join our voices (no matter what we think or others think of our singing ability!) in the Entrance Hymn. SINGING IS NOT AN “OPTIONAL” FORM OF PRAYER IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH! The Entrance song is what unites us from all the various places and situations from which we have come now to this one, common place. This is perhaps the greatest challenge we still face about the Sunday Mass: Mass is the community’s prayer, it is our prayer — not my personal prayer time. Personal prayer time needs to precede or follow Mass. Jesus gathered his apostles together around the Table of the Last Supper (as he did before then and even after his resurrection)—he did not feed them one at a time! As hard as it may sometimes be, celebrating Sunday Mass means setting aside our personal agendas, needs, likes, and dislikes—and offering our attention to the community’s agendas and needs as we come to meet God and the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit! We sign ourselves with the sign of the cross, we are greeted in the Lord, who so desires us to be here today, and we give thanks to God for the mercy God always offers to us. The “Act of Penitence” (“Lord Have Mercy…” or “I confess…”) is not a mini-confession, nor does it absolve us from our sins as when we celebrate the Sacrament of Penance. Rather these prayers (spoken or sung) are recognition that as we come from our many ways of living in the past week, we are joyful at the mercy God offers us so that we might enter more fully into these “sacred mysteries.” On many Sundays of the year (although not in Advent or Lent), we give “Glory to God”—after all, that’s why we are here! Not for our needs first...but first for the glory of God. When the Presider (the priest) calls us to prayer with the words, “Let us pray,” there is a pause, a silence before there are spoken words. As we will do so many times during the celebration of the Mass, at the conclusion of this Opening Prayer, we give a RESOUNDING “AMEN” (“Yes! I Believe!”)! “Amen” is never meant to be mumbled or forgotten—it is the sign of whether we believe what we have just said, heard, or done! Part II: “Words, Words…WORD”: The Liturgy of the Word While visiting some parishioners one week, I witnessed a beautiful sight. Before bedtime, the children crawled up into their parent’s lap for their regular STORY TIME. My memory was stirred to recreate the images of my own experiences of much loved storytelling. Parents read stories to children with such conviction and spirit. The story is really told through their words, tone and enthusiasm. As we grow up, we stop having people read to us with any frequency; what a shame that is. As “independent” adults, we read for ourselves (if, in fact, we read at all). But oh, what a difference between “reading” a story and “telling” (or being told) a story. When we gather on Sunday around the Word of God, it is more than just “reading” Scripture. If that were all there were to it, we could do that for ourselves: “OK now folks, at the sound of the tone, everyone pick up your missalette and begin reading; when you are finished, please put your head down on the pew.” The proclamation of God’s Word on Sunday is not reading, but telling the story of God’s love for us. Some of you may remember or perhaps have been told that, at one time, as long as a Catholic arrived in time for the “offertory” of the Mass, it was not a mortal sin—your attendance at Mass was still “legal.” This was due to the fact that people considered everything after the offertory to be the real part of the Mass. All those years we Catholics shortchanged ourselves—the Word of God is very real too! Although the Bible is becoming increasingly more important in the lives of Catholics, we still have some of our former attitudes. Notice the difference in atmosphere during the Scripture readings and the “consecration.” The presence of the Lord is just as real in the Word as it is under the form of bread and wine. It may take awhile for this reality to sink into our bones…but it is true. We must admit that often the readings are very, very heavy, and they are taken out of context. We too may encounter lectors who are difficult to understand or names that get mispronounced, but…it takes two to make the Word of God come alive. The Word of God needs one to speak and one to listen. The reader proclaiming and the listener listening are really both ministers of the Word. All the responsibility does not rest on the lector, deacon, or priest proclaiming the Scripture. You must admit that we can communicate much better when we know someone is listening to us. We get frustrated if we sense that someone really isn’t listening to us—and we all know when someone isn’t paying attention to us. How can we better do our part in making the Word of God come alive for us? Consider putting down the missalette! (I know…for some, this is a blasphemous statement). Unless you have a major difficulty in hearing, maybe you can use the printed reading before Mass begins, or re-read them after Mass. It may be troublesome, but good listening takes practice. I believe this is particularly true in our culture where we certainly “hear” many, many words every day, but this inundation with words seems to be dulling our ability to LISTEN to what we hear. Concentrate on the words you hear. The Scripture proclamation is not the time to comment on the lector’s clothing, his/her voice, the bags under his eyes, or the amount of makeup she’s wearing. The pause between the readings isn’t there just to give time to turn the page, or for the lector to get up enough courage to step to the ambo, or for the musicians to prepare the Psalm response. During the pause, maybe we can ask a simple, yet pointed question: “Lord, what are you saying to me in this Word?” The Homily is also part of the Liturgy of the Word. It is not time to make an audible yawn, read the bulletin, look into your bag or pocket for the collection money, or shake your wristwatch from time to time. It’s also not time for a bathroom run (my our parishioners of all ages seem to have weak bladders in church)! The attention given to the homilist, like that given to the lectors, encourages and supports. Think about using the homily as a source of conversation during the drive home, at Sunday lunch or dinner. Maybe we can capture some of that child-like enthusiasm during the Liturgy of the Word. For in reality, we are saying to our heavenly Father: “Tell me a story!” Part III: The Gifts We Present and That "Long Prayer" - Bread, Wine, Ourselves Sherlock Holmes, Mickey Spillane’s “Mike Hammer,” Miss Marple, and Columbo all enjoyed one thing: they loved solving mysteries. Although I do not consider myself to be a great detective (despite the fact that at 7 years old I was the proud owner of a “007 Secret Agent Attaché Case,” which shot missiles out of its sides), I am fascinated by certain mysteries. One of them is friendship. Friendship, with all of its potential for pain and possibility, is a treasured possession, something we cannot plan or purchase. Have you ever stopped to think about how some of your friendships began? It seems that I can trace some friendships back to strange and seemingly insignificant beginnings. Sometimes it was a smile, a handshake, a kind word, a favor, having to work on a class project with another person, or the chance fact that a particular person was assigned a dorm room across from my apartment. From these simple encounters, friendship would not have become possible unless sharing time, ideas and thoughts deepened it. Once trust had been built, even weaknesses and frustrations were open to sharing. As hard as it may be to uncover the beginnings of friendship, it is that much easier to see why they fall apart. The moment we stop giving ourselves, when a smile becomes too much effort, a kind word is a dreaded routine, a favor slides into inconvenience, or a thousand-plus miles are excuses for personal distance—friendship is on the wane. When we celebrate Mass, the gifts of bread and wine, and the gifts of our treasure (placed in the offering baskets), are not the only tangible signs we present. In our effort to strengthen our relationship, our friendship with God, we present ourselves. As the bread and wine and monetary gifts are brought forward in the Mass, try to visualize yourself coming with them (by the way, in a few parishes, as we do here at Nativity only on “special” occasions, the gift of treasure is brought forward in procession by all those sharing in the Mass)! It is for this reason that we invite members of the Assembly to walk the gifts forward—they symbolize the whole community sharing the Eucharist. Both the beauty and the challenge of this vision rests in the reality that in whatever frame of mind and heart we happen to be, this is the mind and heart we bring to the table of the Lord! The Eucharistic Prayer (there are a total of 4 for regular use, 2 for Masses when “Reconciliation and Forgiveness” are prominent themes at Mass, and 3 “Prayers for Masses with Children”), although prayed aloud for us by the priest, is also our prayer. It is not only the priest’s property or territory. The Eucharistic Prayer voices our praise and thanksgiving to God as we remember God’s saving love, especially in the dying and rising of Jesus the Christ. The “Holy, Holy,” the proclamations of the “mystery of faith,” and the “Great Amen” are three times when the assembly of believers strongly SINGS (or states) our agreement with the words spoken by the priest. These are important responses—these are our opportunities to give in the give-and-take of the Eucharistic Prayer. While the priest is praying aloud, perhaps we are at a loss as to our role in the pew. One thing we can do is give our full and undivided attention to the storytelling of God’s work by keeping our eyes and ears and bodies fixed on the action at the altar. If we really listen to the words of the Eucharistic Prayers that are used, they proclaim a story about God’s activity in our lives and in the life of the world. The Eucharistic Prayer is a chance for us to recall the mystery of God’s love, God’s invitation to friendship. The Eucharistic Prayer helps us uncover the how and why of our relationship with God. Yet, like the friendships we cherish around us in our personal lives, the moment we stop giving ourselves to each other signals the decline of our relationship with the Lord. Let’s keep the mystery alive! Part IV: “Thanks for the Meal —Can I Go Now?” There’s something impressive about dining out at a big, fancy restaurant. I especially get goose bumps when I hear my name announced over the PA system: Berinti…party of four. I assume my most dignified gait when walking to the table while all eyes in the place are trying to catch a glimpse of “Berinti” and his party of four! While hearing my name over the PA is a real ego-booster, I cannot help but chuckle when I hear them announce: Smith…party of one! While I am no stranger to dining alone, what kind of “party” can you have with one person? As we approach the Table of the Lord at Sunday Eucharist, where Christ offers himself as food and drink for the journey, how many are in your party? Do you approach with the idea that it is just “me and Jesus,” or just the people who rode in the car with me? Do you approach with the idea that all those gathered in the assembly with you are somehow part of Holy Communion? Contrary to some of our misguided impressions, Holy Communion, sharing the Body and Blood of Christ, is not merely a private act of devotion or union between the individual and Jesus. Communion is a public sign of our intention to be united with one another in the worshiping assembly, with people everywhere, and with God. We share the Body and Blood of Christ; we do not keep it for ourselves. The AMEN we proclaim before sharing the Eucharist is not the “password” that makes it OK to receive. Our AMEN declares: a) we believe this wafer and this sip of wine are the living Body and Blood of Christ, and b) we are Church, the Body of Christ. A small, but potent word, our AMEN is important, but too many people approach the table either mumbling it, or not saying it at all because they are too anxious to stick out their tongues or to thrust their hands forward—almost a “gimme” attitude. Occasionally, someone will merely mutter a “thank you”! Thank you?! You miss the point! The communion song, at least joining in the refrain or chorus, is one way by which the members of the assembly give a public response to the unity we profess. Communion refers to something more than the host or cup we receive; it is the whole experience of approaching the Table of the Lord as God’s holy people. But what happens next for God’s people? Is it time to “dine and dash,” as far too many in the church seem to do each Sunday? There can be no denying that the actions of the Mass rise to a peak and then begin to taper off at various points in the celebration. The pause after Holy Communion is a pause for prayerful relaxation after the intense activity of receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. The Prayer After Communion, Blessing and Dismissal follow one another rather quickly in order to accomplish why we came to Mass in the first place—to be SENT OUT to continue to proclaim Jesus’ message and to “become what we have just received” for a hungry and thirsty world. So yes, we are meant to scatter. HOWEVER, when we scatter immediately after receiving communion or once the communion line forms (if one is not receiving communion), we may be revealing a different reason for coming to Mass. A quick departure can communicate that I got what I came for! Such a statement, whether intended or not (remember, our actions speak louder than words…or excuses), emphasizes receiving, but misses the sending forth where we continue to share in the mission of Jesus. When we depart alone or in a small group, we tend to communicate that we’re in this “faith business” on our own. We gather at the beginning of Mass as a community to say, “We’re in this together!’ And we absolutely are meant to end the Mass in the same way in which we began it—as a COMMUNITY, joined together in a common purpose. On occasions, the community invites others into our midst or raises up those in the community for a special purpose or word of “Good News”—events taking place in the life of the community. This is part of our “Communion” too—not something “extra” or something to be ignored because “I can’t be bothered.” When the assembly hears from visitors beyond the parish community, if we demonstrate our ignorance and lack of hospitality by standing up and leaving even before they open their mouths, we are clearly rejecting the communion Christ offers and expects—and that is to be in solidarity with one another and to recognize that the real work of Holy Communion has now begun—to nourish a hungry and thirsty world. When we decide to go about our “own business” in a hurry, it’s no wonder each of us is more than a little skeptical about the “support” we can count on in the coming week from those who have just worshipped with us. Our awareness of the Lord’s presence in our busy lives is already strained—and that’s a great understatement! Let us spend those few extra minutes after Holy Communion lingering in God’s presence, and then take a few minutes in our departing to recognize the Body of Christ who exits the church with us. “THE MASS IS ENDED”…but our Eucharistic response is not!
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