Monday, August 20, 2012

Parts of the Mass-Liturgy of the Word


             Reading from new missal translation

               Hey Catholic teens! Sorry I’m a day late in posting this, I ran out of time yesterday!  So in continuing my effort to shed some light on why the mass is exciting, I’d like to write today about the entrance and the Liturgy of the Word.  The Liturgy of the Word is the first part of the mass that begins with the penitential rite where we say the Confiteor and ends with the Nicene Creed.  That’s a big part of the mass, and it includes the Confiteor, Kyrie, Gloria, opening prayer, 2 readings from the Bible (on Sundays), the reading from the Gospels, the homily, and the Nicene Creed. 
                The entrance procession is an important part of the mass.  The priest acts at mass “in persona Christi” which just means “in the person of Christ.”  When the priest is walking forward toward the alter at the very start of the mass, he is reenacting Christ’s journey to Calvary.  I read once that during the middle ages, priests would actually carry a cross up to the alter during the entrance procession. Then the priest genuflects and goes forward to kiss the alter.  As far as symbols go, the cross and the alter are interchangeable-it is on the wood of the cross that Christ died for our sins and it is on the wood of the alter that that same Christ becomes present as we celebrate the mystery. 
                If you have prepared yourself for the mass then you will probably be at least a little familiar with the readings for that day.  We do something very significant when the priest or deacon reads from the gospels-we stand up!  Why do we do that?  Is it because by that time we are all falling asleep and we need to get the circulation going again?  No!  By standing up, we are acknowledging that God is present in the reading.  The first chapter of John explains this concept pretty well.  John 1:1 says,” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  The same God who is present in the Eucharist is also present in the scriptures. 
                When we hear the readings at mass and listen to the homily, we have to remember that the stories we hear in the Bible are not just historical. Scripture is God’s way of speaking very directly to us.  We need to try to find ourselves in the scripture readings.  There is a method of reflecting and contemplating scripture called Lectio Divina that I would like to just briefly touch on. Obviously Lectio Divina is not something we can really do at mass, but it is all about finding yourself in scripture, and the daily mass readings are a good place to start.  Lectio Divina has 4 basic steps-read, meditate, pray, and contemplate.  When we read a passage, we should do so slowly and carefully, letting every word sink in.  Then we meditate on what we have read, and I think it is particularly helpful to find out who we are most like in the passage.  We can discover very surprising things when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable enough to take only what God wants to give us from scripture.  In the third step we allow ourselves to speak to God directly from our hearts.  These prayers don’t have to be beautifully worded or artistic, you just have to mean them!  In the final step, we rest and allow ourselves to be transformed by the things the Holy Spirit is telling us.  Lectio Divina isn’t quite as mysterious as it sounds, and at first it can be difficult but it opens up a whole new world of interesting Bible discoveries!
                In a typical homily, the priest will probably try to do a sort of “condensed Lectio Divina” with the congregation.  The priest will try to give some historical background to the readings if it is necessary, and then he will talk about how we can take the words and make changes in our life with them.  Homilies are absolutely necessary, however a priest can only make general statements whereas when you meditate for yourself, you can be more personal.  For example, a priest might say in his homily that through the readings for that day, God is telling us that we need to be charitable and generous toward people.  But through further meditation and contemplation, you find that God is calling you to be charitable and generous by volunteering at a soup kitchen.  As Catholics we tend to be very Eucharist centered, which is not at all a bad thing, but sometimes we forget that we have to pay attention to the readings at mass too!
                That’s it for today!  I challenge you to take time once or twice a week and try to practice Lectio Divina with the mass readings for that day.  This is a very silent and meditative kind of prayer and you might find that it takes a long time to do, especially if you don’t try it often.  Trust in the Holy Spirit, He will guide you! I’m praying for you all and I will talk to you again soon!
Through Christ who strengthens me,
Emily

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Parts of the Mass-Preparation


              Hey Catholic teens!  I decided that over the next few weeks I am going to write about different parts of the mass and why they’re important.  I think a lot of Catholics think mass is boring, but I say that if we really understood the kind of mystery we are taking part in at mass there’s no way we could be bored!  In order to kick of this series of posts, I’m going to talk about how we can properly prepare ourselves for mass.  I think that preparing for mass is something that is kind of overlooked today, but it’s a really important step if we are going to fully take part in the sacrament.
                Before we go to mass, we should look up the readings for that day and spend a few minutes thinking about how the readings reflect on each other.  Is there a message from the first reading that applies to the second one as well?  What is Jesus telling us in the gospel?  Then we should think about how we can bring these messages into our day.  We don’t just go to mass, we have to pray the mass.  The Catechism says “By the Eucharistic celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all.” (CCC 1326). By reflecting on the readings before mass and then listening to the priest’s homily during the celebration, we take an active part in our personal transformation that comes from receiving the Eucharist. 
                Another important component to preparing ourselves for mass is silence.  Before we go to mass we should always try to put ourselves in a prayerful and quiet disposition, but this is most important when we are in the church getting ready for mass to start. When we are waiting for mass to start, we should not be talking to the people around us or reading the bulletin.  We need to try to be silent and reflective because in silence we find out a lot about ourselves.  Just ask anyone who has ever been on a silent retreat, they will probably say that they learned more about themselves than ever before!  When we contemplate who we are, we are also reflecting on who God is because we are made in His image and likeness and we are the body of Christ! 
                We know as Catholics that we have an obligation to go to mass every Sunday, but that is the minimum requirement!  If our school and work schedule permits, we should go to mass as often as possible.  Why?  The Catechism says “The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’ The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch.” (CCC 1324). 
                St. Josemaria Escriva said that he would divide up each day into 2 parts.  After mass in the morning he would spend the first part of the day giving thanks to God for the Holy Communion he had received, and the other half of the day he would spend preparing himself for the mass he would celebrate the next day.  He said,” We have to do all we can to make the Mass devout, for ourselves and for other people. We can’t – and please don’t – waste all that infinite, centripetal force that sums up all of God’s gifts in this one supreme Sacrifice.”
                Over the next few weeks, challenge yourself to have discipline and go to mass as often as your schedule permits.  Reflect on the readings and allow yourself to be silent so that you can enter into the mystery more profoundly.  I’m praying for all of you and I will talk to you again in 2 weeks!
Through Christ who strengthens me,
Emily