From the Desk of Deacon Jim

People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed – Dr Samuel Johnson

We have been blessed as a community with 17 persons who received the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil Mass. It is wonderful to see the excitement and joy with which they participate in the Eucharistic celebration. I thought that this would be a good time for those of us who have been doing this for a while to ask ourselves, “Why do I go to Mass?”

Since Jesus was God as well as human, death could not hold him and was conquered by his Resurrection. Jesus lives forever as Lord and Savior, joining us to himself in his Church, which continues his visible presence on earth. Jesus invites all to be one with him, to accept the power of divine love which can bring us through every trial, even death, to eternal happiness.

This is where the Mass comes in. The death and Resurrection of Jesus are not just historical events. They touch us today through the Eucharist. This is the one thing that Jesus asked us to do for him. The rest of what Jesus taught was how we were to love and care for each other. How we were to relate to each other and to the Father. At his Passover meal, the Last Supper, Jesus commanded that we share this communal meal, this gathering; He commanded that we do it in memory of him. On the night before he died, Jesus gathered his apostles around a table where he took bread and said,

“Take and eat, this is my body. Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, drink from it all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for he forgiveness of sins.” (Mt 26:26-27), see also (Mk 14:22-24). In Jesus command his followers to Luke 22: 17-20“…Do this in memory of me.” From earliest times Christians have understood that these words unite us to Christ’s death and resurrection. Saint Paul writes, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor 11:26).

Why do we go to Mass? Because as Christians we follow Christ and that is what he told us we are to do.

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Over the next several weeks we are going to explore more about the Mass. We will examine, briefly, the signs, symbols, and actions that take place around and during our Eucharistic celebration. First we will explore the environment.

Just as any event such as a baseball or football game needs a field that is properly prepared, or a symphony needs a proper hall to be fully appreciated so too does the Mass require a proper setting.

Click on image for larger view.

Catholic Churches come in a variety of shapes and sizes. In this Diocese the preferred design is the cruciform style. That is to say the church resembles the cross with the Altar set at the intersection of the arm and the tree of the cross. The area where the congregation gathers before mass at the door of the church is called the narthex. When we enter the church we dip the fingers of our right hands into the Holy Water in the containers by the door and make the Sign of the Cross as we enter. This blessed water reminds us of our baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Those who are not Catholic are welcome to make the Sign of the Cross and join in the other actions, prayers, and postures involved in Catholic worship, with the exception of receiving Communion. The congregation sits in the nave. The term nave is Latin for ship. Within the Nave is an area for the choir which leads the community in song. We are all encouraged to sing for according to St. Augustine “he who sings prays twice.”

Our church contains statues of Saints that are visible signs to us that our prayers are joined to those of the saints as we worship God. On the walls we see the Stations of the Cross, which remind us of Christ’s suffering which is made present at every Mass. Stained-glass windows may portray scenes from the life of Jesus, saints, scenes from the Gospels, or other images which represent the sacraments and other signs of God’s grace and presence. In older times when people were largely illiterate, these were valuable teaching tools for the faithful. All of these physical symbols can aid us today in our meditations and prayers.

To be continued………..

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