Author: Daniel Pizarro

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Why do we come to Mass on Sunday?

Although the third commandment says that God created the world in six “days” and after seeing that it was good, he blessed the seventh day, Saturday, and that day He rested. (Genesis 2:1-3), why do we go to mass on Sunday? The Church, by  a tradition handed down from the apostles, celebrates the Paschal Mystery on the first day (CCC 1166), Sunday; the same day of resurrection of our Lord. Because just as God started creation on the first day with “Let there be light…” (Genesis 1:3) and rested on the seventh day, Jesus Christ rests on the Saturday in the tomb and starts our redemption and salvation also the first day, since He is the light of the world (John 8:12) who comes to enlighten us so that we do not walk in the darkness that is sin.

Just as God rested and contemplated his work, seeing that it was good and blessed that day, we, by our call to holiness (Matthew 5:48), must bless Sunday, contemplate if our works have been good; and feed on the word of God, as well as the body and blood of our Lord to be able to be received at the end of times in the place in heaven that our Lord Jesus Christ has prepared for us (John 14:2).

So, let us come to Mass with joy, for the Lord awaits us with the prepared banquet that gives us eternal life; Mass not only begins when the priest enters the temple in procession, but also when each of us begins to get ready to attend the sacred meal on pilgrimage to the temple, because just as God brought the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 20: 2) towards the promised land, Jesus Christ takes us out of the darkness of sin towards eternal life with Him, because we are God’s chosen people by virtue of the new covenant in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:10, JPII Gen. Aud. Nov 6, 1991—1)

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Why do I have to confess to a priest?

“He is a sinful person just like me, so isn’t it better to confess my sins directly to Jesus?” this is sometimes our excuse for not complying with the sacrament of the Reconciliation, or as it is better known, the Confession. We must remember that it was Jesus Christ himself who gave authority to the apostles to forgive sins after having consecrated them (John 20:21-23), this authority is transmitted by apostolic succession to the bishops (Acts 1:21-26) and to those they designate (Matthew 18:18, CCC 1461). Although during the mass, through the penitential act, we confess our sins of “thoughts, words, what we have done and failed to do” and being truly sorry for said sins, we receive absolution from the priest, this absolution is only for venial sins (GIRM 51), thus making the sacrament of Reconciliation necessary for those mortal sins that we may have committed.

Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament of Reconciliation, because having been incarnated himself and having lived among us, he knows our human weakness and our inclination to fall into sin; He loves us so much that he gives us the opportunity to free ourselves from all sins and thus be able to recover the grace that was conferred unto us at the moment of our baptism (CCC 1446).

The Sacrament of Reconciliation implies a true repentance of the sins committed, humility to confess them, and the sincere intention not to fall back into said sins; it is then that, after confessing our sins, we turn our hearts towards the Lord and ask for His forgiveness, and it is through absolution, conferred by the priest “In Persona Christi” (Code of Cannon Law 1009§3) that we are reconciled with God and we are back in communion with the Church.

Let us not overlook then the great gift that Jesus Christ gave us in this sacrament, which through His love gives us the opportunity to once again enjoy His grace and be in communion with Him.

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Is Jesus Christ really present in the consecrated bread and wine?

“I still see a host and a little bit of wine…”, is the thought that comes to us many times when we see ourselves before the consecration of the gifts by the priest. In order to understand why us as Catholics believe that Jesus Christ is really present in the consecrated host and wine we must go to Jesus’ own words at the institution of the Mass, “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: «Take and eat; this is my body». Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying: «Drink from it, all of you, this is my blood…» (Matthew 26:26-28), Jesus did not say, “…this symbolizes my body…”, but “…this is my body…”, and then told us to repeat this formula in his memory (Luke 22:19).

Now, why is it important to recognize the real presence of Jesus Christ in the consecrated host? Because it is the means by which we will have eternal life! Only by eating his flesh and drinking his blood, through the consecrated bread and wine, can we attain the grace of eternal life (John 6:22-59).

That is why it is very important not only to attend Holy Mass but also to participate in the supper that our Lord has prepared for us. Who of you goes to a birthday party and leaves without having a piece of cake? Our Lord has prepared a banquet where the main dish He offers us is eternal life through His body. If we think that we are not ready to receive communion, let us remember that at the beginning of mass, during the penitential act, we all confess ourselves sinners and the priest gives us the absolution of those venial sins that we have committed (GIRM 51) by pronouncing the words: “May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life.”

Let us strip off the rags that are our sins (Matthew 22.1-14), let us get ready and share with Christ the great banquet that He offers us in the Holy Communion

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What happens when the priest lays his hands over the gifts?

This is one of the most significant moments during Mass. It receives the name of Epiclesis and it is the moment of the Mass, after we have all proclaimed the Holy, when the priest lays his hands on the offerings  (GIRM 79c).

“Epiclesis” comes from the Greek and means “to invoke upon”. Who do we call? To the Holy Spirit. What for? So that it may come on the bread and wine and transform them into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (CCC 1353). That is why we kneel down, because from this moment until the consecration is finished, the Miracle of miracles happens, God becomes present again in our midst. It is not a symbol! It is Jesus Christ who really appears on the altar (Mathew 26:26) and, just as in Bethlehem he seemed to hide his greatness and majesty in a small and humble child, here he hides under the guise of bread and wine.

Also… it’s not one, but two invocations! The first one, that we have just described, where the priest begins by saying:

“You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness. Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them…” (GIRM 226)

and the second invocation to the Holy Spirit occurs a few moments later, at the end of the words of the Institution. When the priest pronounces:

“…Humbly we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.” (GIRM 227)

Do we now understand the importance of being attentive when Holy Mass is celebrated? Each part has a deep meaning and each prayer we make, if we put our hearts into it, is a precious opportunity to receive the graces and blessings that God wants to give us.

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Why does the Mass starts with a procession?

The mass begins with a procession in which the celebrant goes to the sanctuary. Most commonly, it is the celebrant and ministers that approach the sanctuary in procession. However, we also walk spiritually with them. That is the meaning of the procession, to symbolize that Christians are a people that walks as pilgrims in life. If we fall, to get up, to continue our walk towards the Holy City. The procession is not a parade of those who will participate in the mass, so that we can see them closely. It is an allegory of the Christian walk towards God1.

When they have arrived at the sanctuary, the Priest, the Deacon, and the ministers reverence the altar with a profound bow. Moreover, as an expression of veneration, the Priest and Deacon then kiss the altar itself; the Priest, if appropriate, also incenses the cross and the altar. (General Instruction of the Roman Missal 49)

When the Entrance Chant is concluded, the Priest stands at the chair and, together with the whole gathering, signs himself with the Sign of the Cross. Then by means of the Greeting he signifies the presence of the Lord to the assembled community. By this greeting and the people’s response, the mystery of the Church gathered together is made manifest. (GIRM 50)

1 Liturgia Papal, “Vivir la Misa”, LiturgiaPapal.org, https://liturgiapapal.org/attachments/article/960/Iniciales1.pdf, accessed 20 september 2022