Before Step 1 - I hope to give a daily explanation of parts of the Mass in the following weeks which I hope will bring about a review for all, as well as a better understanding to the changes in words at Mass (All the actions are the same, just changes in wording have taken place for more precision).
The Eucharist at Mass is the "Source and Summit" of Christian life (Catechism of Catholic Church #1325). Our unity is best observed and strengthened when we are united in prayer. Mass is even more than this! To attend Mass is: to observe the commandment, "Keep Holy the Sabbath", to enter into communion with Christ and neighbor, to be humbled before God, to enter into the sacrifice of Christ, to bless and be blessed by God, to listen to the Word of God, to be challenged for the week ahead by the ordained minister of God in his homily, who has given his life over to Christ in a visible sacrificial way in order to serve others as Christ has served him, to pray for all the needs of the community and of the universal church, to be reinforced and strengthened in our faith, to look upon and be a part of the greatest of miracles in our life as the bread and wine is truly changed into the body and blood of Christ, to receive Jesus in the Eucharist if we are in full communion of the Church, or to receive Jesus in a true spiritual form in our hearts if we cannot receive communion, to be united in one mind and heart as did occur for the early disciples in ACTS 2:4, "And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them". WOW!!! We live in a world today where husbands and wives are seldom of one heart and one mind and yet this is what occurred with the early disciples of Christ and continues today at Mass, for where Christ is, man cannot be divided because there is no division in Christ for we are many parts but all one body. Think about that, yes I know we have differences of opinions, but when we follow our call to holiness and humility, then our opinions give way to what is truly important, loving God and loving our neighbor as ourself. Thus, this is precisely why husbands and wives NEED to go to church, bring their children and join together as one local parish family who joins the whole world of Catholics and other Christians. So, think again about there being no division in Christ, think about the human body for a moment. If our body was divided against itself, even in the smallest of ways and even for a short time, we would find ourself racked with pain and suffering beyond belief and we would have no relief. If, as St. Paul writes, in 12:21 "the eye can't say to the hand, 'I don't need you'", then we can't either if we want a true body of Christ on either that is functional, alive, vibrant, healthy, growing and not mangled or suffocating because of division. Yet, this where we seem to be today half the time, racked with unnecessary pain and suffering due to pride and arrogance and then even deeper internal suffering of the soul due to our insidious welcome mat to sin of every sort under the sun. Yes, knowing that we are all sinners, we need a weekly cleansing from our sins, a shower in Christ's blood, shed on the cross and made present in the Eucharist to wash us clean of the smaller venial sins and an occasional super soaker of a shower in the confessional under the Sacrament of Reconciliation to welcome, in humility, a cleansing from those graver, more serious and even mortal sins we have committed against God. In my opinion, having seen firsthand the destructive powers of sin (and Satan) which has destroyed the lives of so many individuals, it seems to me that there is indisputable evidence that attending Mass every Sunday is an undeniably necessity to be able to: grow in the image and likeness of God, break from the powers of sin and Satan, grow in faith, hope and love, grow in humility, grow in relationship with Christ and His bride, the Church, grow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit; in wisdom, understanding, knowledge, wisdom, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord, grow in the fruits of the Holy Spirit: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, long suffering, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, and chastity.
In short, Jesus never said we are our own boss or that we can do as we please, rather he pointed us to himself, he pointed us to the Last Supper and said "Do this in memory of me", he pointed us to his suffering, death and resurrection, he pointed us to his Bride, the Church and he put Peter and his successors in charge of it saying that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it", and through the guidance of his Catholic Church, Jesus points us to the way of holiness and eternal salvation. Knowing all this, I truly don't want to miss Mass, EVER! I want to be one with Jesus and that summit of life that happens at Mass, with his people, in His Word, through the priest that presides the Mass, and in the Eucharist!
Okay, I already feel better! Let's start talking about the various parts of the Mass tomorrow.
In Christ,
Fr. Kyle
