Jesus Christ offers himself for us, as he offered on the Cross. Hence, we say that Mass is the same sacrifice of Jesus Christ, offered on the altar in an unbloody manner.
Just like Jesus offered his body and blood on the Cross, he offers for us on the altar. The difference is that Jesus offered himself visibly on the Cross but on our altar, He offers himself invisibly and in an unbloody manner, hidden under the appearance of bread and wine.
To love the Mass does not mean just being present and nothing more; it means to be present with faith and devotion and to take part actively in the Mass realizing that it is the Sacrifice of the Cross being renewed on the altar. Participation in the Mass involves basically our faith. Without faith, all that one would see on the altar is just bread and wine; just gestures, symbols and nothing more.
It is only through faith, we acknowledge that at the consecration of the bread and wine, they are changed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. If one would come for Mass without faith, the person would easily feel bored or get distracted. Hence Faith is the most required disposition when we come to participate in the Mass. On June 4th, Pentecost Sunday, I started explaining the Holy Mass for your benefit and for the benefit of your children.
Through my simple effort, I would like that you may be enlightened so as to understand the value of the Holy Mass. This week I want to explain to you about the purposes of the Mass.
The purposes of the Mass are similar to the purposes for which Jesus offered Himself on the Cross. They are:. The first purpose is to give glory to God, our creator, on whom we depend for everything. Therefore, it is good to thank God for all the natural and supernatural gifts. The Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ, though he was without sin, he died like a sinner because he took upon himself our sins and made reparation for them on the Cross.
Hence, the third purpose of the Mass is to make up for our sins and those of the deceased. When we come to Mass with real sorrow for our personal sins, we. The fourth purpose is to make petitions for our needs. God is the giver of all gifts. Being the most loving Father, he gives us the best. Just as Jesus has taught us to ask, so that we will receive, we make prayerful petition for our various needs.
The celebration of the Mass can be divided into four parts:. The purpose of this part is to assemble or gather together, in order to bring the people of God into one body, to listen to His Word and to share the Body of Christ together.
The Ushers, who are also called greeters are our volunteers, who do this great job in the vestibule, as you enter the Church.
Use of Holy Water: One of the first things, Catholics do when they enter the Church, is to dip their right hand in the Holy water and make the sign of the Cross. This ritual is a reminder of your Baptism; we were baptized with water and signed with the cross. Genuflection: It has been a custom in the medieval time to go down on one knee or genuflect before a king or a person of high rank. This secular practice of honor has gradually entered the Catholic Church, in order to honor the presence of Jesus Christ present in the Tabernacle.
Today many people express their reverence by bowing as an accepted practice. Entrance song: When the Mass begins, everyone stands up and sings. Donate now! And today we celebrate Prayer for this morning. Daily meditation. Prayer for this evening. Top Get Aleteia delivered to your inbox. Responding to Protestant sects who denied that the Eucharist is anything more than a memorial, the Council of Trent declared that "The same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross, is present and offered in an unbloody manner" in the Mass.
This does not mean, as some critics of Catholicism claim, that the Church teaches that, in the Mass, we sacrifice Christ again. Rather, the original sacrifice of Christ on the Cross is presented to us once more — or, to put it another way, when we take part in the Mass we are spiritually present at the foot of the Cross on Calvary.
This representation, as Fr. John Hardon notes in his Pocket Catholic Dictionary , "means that because Christ is really present in his humanity, in heaven, and on the altar, he is capable now as he was on Good Friday of freely offering himself to the Father. When the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, Christ is truly present on the altar. If the bread and wine remained merely symbols, the Mass could still be a memorial of the Last Supper, but not a representation of the Crucifixion.
While the Church teaches that the Mass is more than a memorial, she also acknowledges that the Mass is still a memorial as well as a sacrifice. While it is not necessary to receive Communion in order to fulfill our Sunday obligation , the Church recommends frequent reception, along with sacramental Confession , in order to join with our fellow Catholics in fulfilling Christ's command. In addition, Catholics who are unable to attend Mass due to illness, bad weather, or other reasons beyond their control can still make an Act of Spiritual Communion.
In order for us to see the effects of that reversal, however, we must accept Christ's offer of salvation and grow in sanctification.
Our participation in the Mass and our frequent reception of Holy Communion brings us the grace that Christ merited for the world through His unselfish Sacrifice on the Cross. In this part of the prayer, the priest joins the offering of this Mass to the perfect sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. The priest offers this sacrifice back to God the Father in thanksgiving for God's abundant gifts, particularly the gift of salvation in Christ.
The priest also prays that the Holy Spirit may come upon the faithful and by receiving the body and blood of Christ, they themselves may become a living offering to God.
The intercessions follow. Confident in God's loving care, the gathered assembly makes this sacrifice on behalf of the living and the dead, for the leaders of the Church and for all the faithful. The Eucharistic Prayer concludes with the Final Doxology.
The celebrant makes the prayer through, in, and with Jesus, in union with the Holy Spirit, and presents it to God the Father. The people respond with the Great Amen a joyous affirmation of their faith and participation in this great sacrifice of praise. The rite begins with the Lord's Prayer. Jesus taught this prayer to his disciples when they asked how to pray cf.
Mt , Lk In this prayer, the people join their voices to pray for the coming of God's kingdom and to ask God to provide for our needs, forgive our sins, and bring us to the joy of heaven. The Rite of Peace follows. The celebrant prays that the peace of Christ will fill our hearts, our families, our Church, our communities, and our world.
As a sign of hope, the people extend to those around them a sign of peace, typically by shaking hands. The action of breaking the bread recalls the actions of Jesus at the Last Supper, when he broke the bread before giving it to his disciples.
One of the earliest names for the Eucharistic celebration is the breaking of the bread. Before receiving Communion, the celebrant and assembly acknowledge that we are unworthy to receive so great a gift. The celebrant receives Communion first and then the people come forward. Those who receive Communion should be prepared to receive so great a gift. They should fast except for medicines for one hour before receiving the Eucharist and should not be conscious of having committed serious sin.
Because sharing at the Eucharistic Table is a sign of unity in the Body of Christ, only Catholics may receive Communion. To invite all present to receive Communion implies a unity which does not exist. Those who do not receive Communion still participate in this rite by praying for unity with Christ and with each other.
The people approach the altar and, bowing with reverence, receive Communion.
0コメント