Mass Archives - Amazing Catechists

On Being Ordinary

Freeimages.com/ HermanBrinkman

I love Ordinary Time. It is Mac-n-Cheese on a Friday night, comforting, predictable and filled with love. Unlike Advent or Lent, Ordinary time is neither a time of preparation nor a particularly penitential period. It is not a time of celebration like Christmas or Easter; it is, well, ordinary.

When you work in ministry, the other seasons of the liturgical year are often accompanied by a frenzied pace. As an RCIA Coordinator, I find Lent especially challenging. There are Rites to celebrate, paperwork to do and catechesis to finish before the Easter Vigil. Ordinary Time provides an opportunity to slow down and appreciate the everyday beauty of the Mass and the Gospel. I find it a time for reflection and a time to breathe in my faith…deeply.

As a wife and mother, I recognize that many of the moments I treasure most are not those that happen on vacations or holidays but those nestled into the most normal of days. When my adult son sends me a text in the morning to say he loves me or the older kids unexpectedly help the younger ones, those are the things that take my breath away. In the same way, I see and hear the Mass differently during Ordinary Time. Small nuggets of wisdom pop out of the readings and into my consciousness when it is not cluttered by the busyness of other seasons. I see the Consecration as if in slow motion, savoring each second. I do not feel rushed.

As the days of this period will pass by quickly, I will enjoy the blessings that are anything but ordinary.

“Go and Sin No More”

By Maureen Smith

As I reflected on this Sunday’s Gospel, the words of Jesus to the woman caught in adultery struck me. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

What must it have been like for this woman who was known for and identified by her sin? When Jesus forgives her she stands as a new creation, freed from her past.

Nevertheless, Jesus is aware that, while she is cleansed of her sin, she will encounter the same temptations, the same situations, and the same people and therefore cautions her and instructs her very clearly.

Jesus does not gloss over the fact that she has sinned. But he does look upon her with a gentle and merciful gaze because he wants to heal her from the harm wrought in her soul by sin. He desires to free her from the clutches of the evil one and give her the grace to follow the path God has for her.

We are given these same instructions every time we leave the confessional and after Mass to “go and sin no more.” In fact, they are of particular significance during our Lenten journey, a season of repentance and conversion of heart.

Jesus does not condemn us but he does take our sins seriously. He died for them, after all! He does not desire perfection for its own sake, but for our own freedom, that we might be restored to our original dignity and be drawn closer to His Sacred Heart.

But what if we don’t feel ready to change? What if we are not sorry? If you think you are the only person who struggles with these problems and questions, know that you have at least one other friend out there who finds herself in the midst of this struggle.

Fortunately, we don’t have to rely on ourselves to conquer our resistance to grace! The words of Jesus in today’s Gospel remind us that we are not bound by our past. Jesus’ redemptive and transformative grace is more powerful than if we had never sinned, because “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This kind of healing love is the answer to our feeble hearts.

Few people know that the Sacrament of Confession is a healing Sacrament. Only recently did I come to know this fact. So, sometimes when I approach the confessional, knowing that my heart is not “firmly resolved to sin no more” but willing it to be, I confess this state of my soul and ask for the healing necessary to be free from whatever is holding me back from doing the will of God and from letting go of my attachment to sin.

As we see in the image of the woman caught in adultery, the Lord comes to us, his children, as we are, knowing our sinfulness and our inability to choose the narrow path over what is easy. He not only forgives us but gives us a share in his power to resist temptation and choose life.

This invitation by Jesus to start anew reminded me of the following passage from the Old Testament that I encourage you to take to heart during your Lenten pilgrimage.

“I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him” (Deut 30: 19b, 20a).

The next time you enter the presence of the Blessed Sacrament or the Confessional, consider asking the Lord for this healing, to choose life.

When you leave Mass or exit the Confessional and hear those beautiful words of the priest, “go in peace,” remember the words of Jesus in the Gospel today and remember that his healing and grace is with you.

Family Mass

By Deanna Bartalini

Photo, D Bartalini

The term “family Mass” probably conjures up all sorts of memories or ideas for people. I’m sure not all of these memories or ideas are positive ones either. Having been in ministry for as many years as I have, I’ve seen and participated in many Masses in the past that I would never consider appropriate now. But in the 70’s things happened. Fast forward and try to get rid of your thoughts, especially the ones against special Masses, and hear me out. Family Mass can be a good thing. Of course, Mass is always good and Mass should never be celebrated for one group to exclude another,

For many years in the parish where I currently work, families were not welcome. At all. There was one altar server. First penance was not celebrated; the confessions were heard in the hallway during class on a Sunday morning. Our goal in having a Family Mass was to invite families to return to their faith home. Once a month, at our regularly scheduled 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, we have children serve as lectors and ushers. At homily time, the children are called forward and sit on the steps in front of the altar; listening and responding to a homily just for them. A few of the children bring up the offertory gifts. Our children’s choir sings as usual. What are the benefits to doing this? Families come to Mass together, the children participate in serving the parish, and the parish is seen as caring for families. Another important point to note, no one has complained. I have instituted many programs at many parishes and never once have I received no complaints. Older adults, who are the majority of our parishioners, are thrilled to see the children and especially enjoy their participation. Some even comment that they prefer the homilies given for the children since they understand them better.

A family Mass may not work in your parish, but in ours it has been a positive addition. We hope that continued participation in this Mass will help families see the value and necessity of attending every week.

2014 Catholic App Roundup

By John Clem

2014 offered a number of new and updated Catholic Apps:

1) CRS Ricebowl App: this is a wonderful app for Lent – just updated for Lent 2015 (iOS & Droid)

Thoughtful daily reflections
Easy to use tool to set and measure your Lenten sacrifices
Delicious meatless recipes from around the world
Built-in feature to share your Lenten experience

Website: http://www.crs.org/ricebowl-app/

2) Black Friars Media App: Dominican prayers, music, and video from the Dominicans of St. Joseph Province (iOS, Droid, Windows)

Website: http://www.opeast.org/2014/02/06/new-dominican-app-blackfriars-media/

3) Catholic Social Teaching App: many documents on Catholic social teachings (iOS)

Website: http://catholicsocialteaching.eppc.org/

4) Peace Quest App: contemplative prayer in a 3-D World (iOS)

Website: http://peacequest.com/

5) Lentsanity App: assistance in the season of Advent by FOCUS Campus Ministry (iOS & Droid)

Prayers
Reflections
Meat Police: Meatless reminders
Videos

Website: http://www.focus.org/lentsanity/#meatpolice

6) Church of the Nativity App: Tour virtual 3-D areas of the Church of the Nativity in Jerusalem (iOS)

Website: http://jerusalem.com/tour/nativity_church_3D

7) The Mass Explained App: learn many aspects of the Mass with this interactive and educational app (iOS – iPad only) updated 2014

Website: http://www.calltoholiness.us/2014/09/29/the-mass-explained-app/

8) St. Francis App: app about St. Francis of Assisi with daily reflections prayers, history, and Franciscan Spirituality (iOS & Droid)

Website: http://peaceandallgood.org/2014/11/new-st-francis-app/

9) Franciscan Apps: a number of apps exploring Franciscan Spirituality

Website: http://peaceandallgood.org/2014/04/franciscan-apps/

More Catholic Apps and also previous Catholic App Roundups available at my blog Call To Holiness

Bilingual Spirituality

By Mary Lou Rosien

I was discussing the Mass with a Youth Minister friend, Carolyn Grassmick. I was gushing about how beautiful the Traditional Latin Mass is and how uplifting the Charismatic Life Teen Mass is. I told Carolyn that I loved both Masses so much and that I felt blessed to have a variety of ways to experience worship. She laughed and said, “You are spiritually bilingual! You speak traditional and charismatic Catholic fluently!”

Reflecting on this, I have recognized a disconcerting trend within our beautiful Catholic faith. A rift is brewing between traditionalists and charismatics.

I’m not talking about traditionalists who don’t want to follow Rome (with a unique Pope currently in the seat of Peter) or charismatics who change the words of the Mass and add liturgical dancing; I’m referring to mainstream, truly Catholic groups who just worship differently.

The traditionalists often have little tolerance for contemporary Christian Mass, the music, or things like people ‘resting in the Spirit.’ They reject these experiences as not reverent enough to be valid.

The charismatic movement members, on the other hand, state that they are not moved by the Mass when it’s quiet and traditional. They mistakenly believe that if you cannot visibly see the fruits of the Spirit that you are just not open enough to experience them.

What? The Mass is the Mass!

Have we forgotten that Jesus is present in the Word and in the Eucharist? Whether the gifts of the Holy Spirit are running rampant or there is silent, intense Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, both are forms of Catholic worship. Equal members of the same Faith.

I have seen endless confession lines at the Sacrament of Reconciliation celebrated prior to a charismatic or Life Teen Mass and I have also witnessed incredibly devout traditional Catholics spending hours in Adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament! Neither group can claim the market on loving Christ and wanting to serve him. Who am I, who are we, to determine who has the deeper Catholic faith?

The Body of Christ is complex and diversified. It has many parts, many talents and many ways of expressing ‘authentic’ Catholic Faith. What it does not have is an appendix (an unnecessary or disposable part).

The goal is to move towards embracing and appreciating our differences as complimentary pieces of the same spiritual puzzle. God bless.

The Mass Explained App

By John Clem

The Mass Explained is a new app for that teaches the history, traditions, symbols, art, music, and spirit of the Mass. This app is currently only available for Apple’s iPad & iPad mini, and truly takes advantage of all the multimedia power of the iPad to bring the Mass to new light and understanding for the reader. This app may seem expensive at $24.99, but once you realize that it took years to develop with many resources that require royalty/copyright fees, this is quite a value that will be a worthwhile reference for years to come. Dan Gonzalez is the man behind the scenes who has assembled one of the finest Catholic Apps yet on the market. It is an amazing app that has the potential to get more people excited about “The Mass–the Source and Summit of our Catholic Faith”, offering over 300 multimedia pages:

23 Chapters offering deeper knowledge and understanding of The Mass
Writings from The New American Bible
Catechism of the Catholic Church
3-D Objects can be rotated with your finger
Interactive Maps
360 Panoramas of Holy Sites
Videos to enrich content
Audio of music and prayers
Artwork with scalable images

Educational Discount

I really think that the Mass Explained App offers a new chapter in catechesis. Schools and groups interested in learning about the Mass in RCIA, study groups, and schools should look into this opportunity for discounted app to make this more affordable. This App offers a great experience for the reader, learner, and teacher to learn many aspects of the Mass in Gospel and Liturgy. The app is available through Apple’s Volume Purchase Program (VPP) allowing your school, class, institution, parish or group to receive a 50% discount when purchasing the app in quantities of 20 or more. When purchased through Apple’s VPP, Mass Explained can be distributed to your students or group members through redeemable codes or installed over the air automatically without user interaction. VPP purchases may be made using purchase orders, credit cards or PayPal. For more information on Apple’s VPP, visit www.apple.com/education/it/vpp/

NOTE: The Mass Explained App is all self-contained and does not need internet connection for its content, so it can be used in any classroom. It is a large app and needs 299MB of memory space.

This is a nice introductory video offering a sampling of its content.

Take a look at the links below for more information, and to see the many endorsements and praises this app is receiving. The blog also offers printable kids crafts, and book & video resources. There is one book not mentioned that is one of the best books about The Mass: The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth by Dr. Scott Hahn. This app reminds me of this book that first sparked my awakening to the history, beauty, truth, and goodness of The Mass.

LINKS

Mass Explained App website

The Mass Explained Blog

John Clem, O.F.S.

Amazing Catechists welcomes guest blogger John Clem, O.F.S. who will be contributing reviews of technology that can aid in catechesis. John Clem, O.F.S is the Director and Media Minister at Catholic Web Services (http://catholicws.com/). John is a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order, and loves to share his talents in faith, technology, and journalism in service to the church. John also writes a blog entitled Call To Holiness (http://www.calltoholiness.us/).

Epiclesis

By Christian LeBlanc

Up until I was eight years old I belonged to St. Francis de Sales parish in Houma, La., whose church is a lovely Gothic revival structure completed in 1938. My Catholic imagination was well-nurtured by its elegant proportions; the Bible stories vividly presented in the stained glass windows; and a dove whose wings overshadowed the crucifix, tabernacle and altar. The dove was painted on the green underside of a gracefully arched canopy which was cantilevered from the wall just above the crucifix.

Of course I knew the dove represented the Holy Spirit. But the canopy made the point, not the bird. It emphasized and protected Jesus on the cross; and also in his little house, the Tabernacle. It was clear to a kid: what’s under the canopy is more worthy of attention and protection than what’s not under it. I didn’t understand until decades later that the canopy was yet another expression of Biblical-liturgical overshadowing; and that the little canopy was properly called a baldacchino.

At Mass, I’m frequently reminded of that green canopy during the Epiclesis:

Roman Missal 3rd Edition, Eucharistic Prayer II: “Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.”

Roman Missal 2nd Edition, Eucharistic Prayer II: “Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.”

I remember the canopy not so much because of the words, but because of the gesture which accompanies those words:

Is the priest making a little canopy over the gifts? I think it’s implicit in the gesture. More specifically, I think he’s overshadowing the gifts. I know, the prayer doesn’t say that. I’m conflating “Let your Spirit come upon these gifts…” with this bit of Luke 1: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” But I like the overshadowing gesture; and if I had been in charge of the New Translation, that bit would be something like “Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy; and let your power overshadow them, that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.” But I can’t find any Mass in Latin that mentions overshadowing even once; so it’d be going beyond the Latin to include any explicit mention of it.

But Christianity is bigger than the Latin Church. And the Eastern Christians usually embrace mystery with an enthusiasm that often escapes the rational West. Are any of them explicit about overshadowing in their Divine Liturgies?

At least one is, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. In the opening prayer of its Divine Liturgy we hear, “How awful is this day and how marvellous this hour wherein the Holy Spirit will descend from heaven and overshadow and hallow this sacrifice. In quietness and in fear, arise and pray that the peace of God be with me and with all of you.” I like that.

And at the epiclesis the priest says, “We pray thee and beseech thee Lord, that thou wouldest send the Holy Spirit and power upon this bread and upon this cup.” I think the couplet of ‘Holy Spirit and power’ alludes to Luke 1 as well, but a bit more explicitly than Masses in the West do.

So in April of next year, when we are discussing the Epiclesis in Catechism class, I’ll make the same gesture as the priest. And then I’ll get the kids to figure out what it means, and connect it to other overshadowings they’re already familiar with. Time permitting, I’ll draw the old canopy at St. Francis and a baldacchino; and have the children tell me how they relate to the priest’s overshadowing hands.

Rediscovering Sunday as the Day of Joy

By Pat Gohn

Sometimes, the joy busters of life get the better of me. But not lately.When I delve into the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I really get a sense of the joie de vivre of Catholic life. Something that has had a real and practical application for my life is finding the joy of Sundays. After all, Sunday was the day that Jesus was raised from the death… and in so many ways, a thoughtful observance of Sunday can breathe life back into the other days of the week for me.

Tucked in the middle of a longer summary about Sundays, I came across this tiny, yet powerful phrase: the day of joy. I was immediately struck by how often I have revered Sunday as an obligation and a day of rest, but have not always consciously entered into it as a day of joy, save for major feast days. As it turns out, that is just one aspect of a bigger idea that describes Christian joy as proper to Sundays.

Let’s look at the full text of CCC 1193:

Sunday, the “Lord’s Day,” is the principal day for the celebration of the Eucharist because it is the day of the Resurrection. It is the pre-eminent day of the liturgical assembly, the day of the Christian family, and the day of joy and rest from work. [Emphasis mine.]

Let’s break that down by looking at how joy might be better nurtured in our Sundays.

There are four elements that characterize the celebration of the Lord’s day: the celebration of Mass, the day of Christian family, the day of joy, and rest from work.

For Catholics, the first element of attending Mass on Sundays is obvious. It’s not only a Precept of the Church (see CCC 2041) but it also follows the Third Commandment to “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Ex. 20:8.)

Sunday Eucharist is the great tradition handed down to us from the Apostles. There we gather for the handing on of the Word of God and for the sharing in Holy Communion. It is there that “the whole community of the faithful encounters the risen Lord who invites them to his banquet.” (CCC 1166).

We go to meet the Lord! To prepare to attend Mass on Sunday with the appropriate joy, it helps me to visualize my personal meeting with Jesus. Recall the resurrection accounts of Mary Magdalene and the Apostles upon meeting the Risen Jesus for the first time since Good Friday. What joy must have flooded their souls! The One Whom they longed for is now right in their midst!

How might I prepare to meet Christ in the Eucharist? Like I would meet my beloved one, by preparing with loving anticipation. When my thoughts long for this meeting, when I finally encounter “Him” – who invites me to “his banquet” – well, that’s deep, sweet, joy!

The second element of Sunday is the experience of Christian family. St. John Chrysostom (4^th century bishop and Doctor of Church) had this to say about Mass attendance:

You cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more: the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of the priests.

Not only is Sunday Mass a precious meeting with the Lord, it is “something more”: a coming together in unity with the other members of our local church. This aids our understanding of “the day of the Christian family”. It not only refers to our nuclear families, but it also extends to the family of God into which we are baptized. We have a responsibility to them as well. Our participation in Sunday worship is “a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church.” (CCC 2182).

In an age when the idea of “Christian family” is under attack, Sundays are an opportunity to renew our commitment to that ideal. In our own homes, we can work toward not only worshipping together, but also praying together at times outside of Mass, and learning and sharing the faith together. The old adage that “the family that prays together stays together” is of great value.

Yet, as mentioned, we are also to embrace the family of God at large beyond our household. We cannot live the Christian life in a vacuum, cocooning away from the larger Body of Christ. We must maintain contact and connection… “a testimony of belonging.” Making friendly connections and getting involved in parish life makes what we do on Sundays more fruitful.

This brings us to the third element of Sunday as a day of joy. To further explore this idea, a search of the Catechism brings us to CCC 2185:

On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body. Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health. [Emphasis mine.]

Our joy is tied up in worship and in merciful service and in relaxation! We’ve already covered the idea of worship at Mass, and we’ll take up the question of relaxation next. But take note: here we see Sunday recommended for works of mercy. Now, when was the last time you heard that? (Need a refresher on the spiritual and corporal works of mercy? See CCC 2447.)

For many Christians, works of mercy may already be incorporated into weekly activities. But, for those with demanding familial and professional schedules, Sundays seems to be held out as a day to find time for such joy. I wonder what our world would be like if more of us, myself included, intentionally performed a work of mercy each Sunday, or a few Sundays a month?

The fourth element is the day of rest… harkening from the model of God who entered into rest after six days of Creation. (Gen. 2:2.)

In CCC 2184 and 2194, we read that the institution of Sunday rest helps all “to be allowed sufficient rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives.”

What a gift rest is! What joy we have when we truly enter it in meaningful ways!

Unfortunately, despite all the so-called conveniences and advances of modern society, there exists acute pressure to make Sunday just another day of the week to work, shop, exercise, pay bills, etc., and, in general, to catch up!

But when we follow the Lord’s ways, we find joy. It takes deliberate action to try to live this way. Sunday observances become a necessary discipline of disciples of Jesus. Such discipline brings joy.

As we approach this Sunday, may we enjoy a day of grace and rest, and may we joyfully sing with the psalmist:

“This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Ps. 118: 24.)

The article was adapted for Amazing Catechists from a previous series that the author created and featured on CatholicExchange.com.