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| Dear Parishioners, Below is the second part of the article on the Mass. As I said last week, it will help you come to the Eucharist for proper reasons. The ritual of the Mass involves many symbolic gestures. The priest marches in procession to indicate that we are pilgrim people moving in the present to a glorious future. We stand to show our basic dignity as children of the Father. We kneel to show our reverence and thanksgiving and to humbly adore our Lord. We eat and drink from the table of the Lord to show we are community. We pray together. We sing in celebration and praise the Lord. A common question asked about the Mass centers on the Sunday Obligation. In the early church celebrating the Eucharist was a privilege. But as the centuries progressed, the church had to pass a law to remind Catholics of their obligation to worship the Lord weekly in the Eucharist. This law of Sunday observance became universal in the 11th century. It is based on Jesus’ own mandate to break bread in His name. Weekly attendance at Sunday or Saturday evening Mass is now a fundamental aspect of Catholic life. But to see why this is so we must avoid the mentality which considers attendance at the Eucharist as simply another obligation. Going to Mass, even when it is difficult to do so or when we simply do not feel like going, is to show love to God and to our fellow Catholics. We add nothing to the community by our absence; we give by attending. We share ourselves and publicly proclaim that we want to worship and thank God for everything He has given us, especially our salvation through His Son Jesus. Sincerely, |
