If you are a committed Catholic, you go to Mass at least once a week.
Perhaps you have been going to Mass since you were a child. Do you ever find yourself just "going through the motions"? Have you forgotten why you go to Mass? Have you forgotten why you do all the things you do from the time you walk through the church doors until the time you leave?
The Catholic Mass is rich in symbolism that, over the years, you may have taken for granted, forgotten its meaning or perhaps never knew to begin with. If that's the case, please keep reading.
Since God gave Moses the commandment "Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day," committed Christians honor and glorify God with their presence in church. But are we truly present? Our bodies are in church, but how about our minds? Do you find yourself distracted? If you do, perhaps this will help.
One of the first things you do when you enter the church is reach for the holy water. Did you know that holy water is a symbolic reminder of your baptism? The water used in baptism is likened to the waters surrounding the baby in the womb. When you are baptized you become reborn in Christ and become part of the Catholic family around the world. With the holy water you make the sign of the cross, which symbolically reaffirms two essential Christian doctrines: The holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and your salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ.
Finding a pew, you stop to genuflect. Do you know why? Entering the court of a king, it is customary to show honor and respect. By touching your right knee to the floor and making the sign of the cross, you are showing the ultimate form of respect for Christ our king who is present in the holy Eucharist.
In remaining quiet and bowed in silent prayer, you prepare your mind, heart and spirit for what is to come. You let go of all the things that weigh you down and separate yourself from that busyness and focus on spiritual matters. This may be the only place and time in your week that you can be truly quiet and alone before God. Your spirit connects with God's spirit and you become one with Him.
As you gaze up at the altar, you see a cross bearing an image of Jesus who became man although he was God. His suffering and death were very real and painful, the high price he paid for the redemption of man. You are reminded that He died for you!
In preparation for the Mass, the altar servers light candles symbolic of Christ, the light of the world. The Mass is the highest form of prayer and central to the Catholic faith.
After a greeting from the priest we acknowledge our need for repentance starting with "I confess to almighty God." In this way we prepare our hearts to receive Christ in the Blessed Sacrament by asking forgiveness of our sins. We seek God's divine mercy through the Kyrie and then pay homage to Him with the Gloria, a song of praise and adoration.
The readings of the Mass are taken from Psalms, which is usually sung, and from the Old and New Testament. The homily connects the Scripture readings to the daily lives of the people, the teachings of the Church, or a particular celebration at hand. Following the homily, the congregation stands and recites a profession of faith in the form of the Nicene Creed. This creed forms the mainstream definition of Christianity. It was adopted by the first ecumenical council which met in Nicaea in 325 AD. The second half of the Mass focuses on offerings. We offer up to God the first fruits of our labor, in the form of a tithe, in thanksgiving for what the Lord has done for us.
The priest receives the gifts of bread and wine and consecrates it in commemoration of the body and blood of Christ offered up at the Last Supper and through his death on the cross, an atonement for our sins. The ringing of the bells signifies the consecration, the holiest moments of the Mass. The priest lifts the bread and wine which becomes the body and blood of Christ. Just as Jesus taught his disciples, we pray the Our Father followed by a sign of peace showing solidarity as one family of faith. St. John the Baptist (John 1:29) gave Jesus the title, Lamb of God. In the Agnus Dei, we plead, "Lamb of God….have mercy on us."
Afterwards we, like the Centurion in Luke 7:6-7, seek healing by saying, "Lord I am not worthy to receive you, only say the word and my soul shall be healed." We acknowledge the Eucharist as spiritual food for spiritual healing. Presenting the Eucharist the priest or extraordinary minister says, "the Body of Christ." In saying, "Amen" we signify, "Yes, I do believe it is Jesus." Nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, we are commissioned to make Jesus present in the world by our thoughts, words, and deeds. When told to "Go, the Mass is ended," we are sent into the world to be the light to those around us, drawing them to Jesus. 1 Corinthian 13:11 says, "When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things."
Now, as an enlightened reader armed with a clear understanding, may you fully contemplate what the Mass is truly all about. .
