18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
FROM THE DESK OF FATHER JACOB LIVECCHI YOUR PRIEST IN RESIDENCE AT EPIPHANY OF THE LORD PARISH
Greetings!
One of the common complaints is that I don’t get much out of the Mass. Yet, the Mass is the most perfect act of worship to God. It encompasses the whole mystery of salvation. The Mass is the greatest prayer and the most important thing we can do, yet if we’re being honest it doesn’t feel like that, we can get distracted and it feels more like an obligation than a moment of encountering the living God. I want to offer a few explanations and suggestions which can help you get more out of the Mass. A key thing to remember is that the Liturgy of the Mass is full of signs and symbols everything that we do signifies or points to a deeper mystery. To start with something as simple as processions within Mass.
The entrance procession has its roots in the ancient Church when they would process from one Church to another, now we just process from the back to the front of the church. While it has a practical aspect of moving to the sanctuary, there is a greater spiritual significance. First, the entrance procession represents preparing our hearts, we move from the “earthly things” to “spiritual things.” Secondly, it represents that we are on a pilgrimage to Heaven. Earth is not our final home and we are on a journey toward heaven. Our action of standing for the entrance is our symbolic action of moving on this pilgrimage.
Then there is the Gospel procession, which is when the Book of the Gospels is carried from the altar to the ambo (pulpit). This is done because as the Catechism teaches us, Christ is present in the proclamation of God’s Word. This procession reminds us that when the Gospel is proclaimed, Jesus Christ is truly present in the proclamation of his WORD. This is why we stand and turn towards the Gospel when its being read. This action is our acknowledgment of Jesus present in his WORD.
The next is the gift procession, while this sort of seems like an intermission as we prepare for the liturgy of the Eucharist, it is much more than that. Again it too has its ancient roots, the people would bring unleavened bread and wine that they made and give it to the priest, and they would also have a collection for the poor. The gifts of bread and wine symbolize all of creation since they are made from things of nature, but these gifts also symbolize us – the people – and our accomplishments. The priest says a prayer that describes these gifts as the “work of human hands,” these gifts represent an offering of mankind & work, thus all of creation and the world is symbolized in these gifts, which in turn are offered to God the Father. These gifts that are presented are transformed in the body and blood of Jesus. There is still more for there is also a spiritual significance within this action. When the gifts are being presented, it is an opportunity for us to join the offering in a spiritual way and place our own hearts on the altar, so that we might be transformed in a mystical way into the “body” of Christ. We make our own spiritual offering at this point, we offer our joys, pains, trials, or tears these our spiritual gifts which the priest offers to God the Father. Every Mass is offered for an intention by the priest, but the faithful can also offer the Mass for a spiritual intention as well; our intention can spiritually be offered at the procession of the gifts. Thus procession is a very important element at Mass for it is the presenting of all of creation and our spiritual offerings to God.
Lastly, the procession out signifies the “going forth” or “being sent out” to proclaim the Gospel. The celebration of the Mass is meant to strengthen us with spiritual food so that we can go out to proclaim the Gospel to all. So, the procession out is meant to symbolize our going out to preach the good news.
Hopefully, this information can help you better understand what is going on in Mass and enter more into the mysteries within.
In Christ,
Father Jay