It has been almost five months since I began my first assignment as a priest here at St. Michael’s, and I would have to say that I am loving every minute of it. Ministering to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ at all stages of the Christian life has been a great source of joy for me. Today, though, I would like to focus on one source: celebrating Mass.
A relative of mine recently asked me what I do on my day off. I gave her a list of the common things that I do, such as visit my parents, hang out with friends, or simply spending some quiet time alone to recharge. I told her that regardless of what I plan for my day off, I always make sure that it revolves around Mass. Noticing that my relative was a bit surprised that I celebrate Mass even on my day off, I continued by explaining that, for me, being able to make Jesus present in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity at Mass is an awesome privilege that I hope to do every single day for the rest of my life.
At every Mass, I never cease to be humbled by the fact that a sinner like me can make present the source and summit of the Christian faith: Jesus Christ. All the more I pray that I may give myself totally to Christ so that it is He that the people see and hear…not me. However, in lieu of writing a long explanation of my thoughts on celebrating Mass, I think that it would be better if I point to two references instead.
The first reference is the book, What Happens at Mass, written by my favorite teacher, Fr. Jeremy Driscoll, OSB. On the back cover is written, “What Happens at Mass draws the reader to a deeper understanding of the Mystery of Faith. The Mass is the gift of and an encounter with Jesus Christ. What Happens at Mass is about God acting in our lives through tangible human actions and words. This book draws us closer to the ritual form of that Mass that is nothing less than the very event of our salvation.” It is a short but powerful book, and I highly recommend it. It is available through different sources online (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.)
The second reference also features Fr. Jeremy. It is a video about his thoughts on the liturgical reform of Vatican II, which, I think, is worth watching. Do you prefer the priest facing the congregation or do you prefer him facing east? Is one better than the other?
See you at Mass!
Fr. Lauro
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