Author: Daniel Pizarro

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What is the importance of the entrance procession?

The formal beginning of the Mass is the entrance procession. Even if, for some reason, ministers do not enter a large procession from the back of the church, a formal entrance must be made. This entry is usually accompanied by a song. This song opens us to the action of the Holy Spirit. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal points out that singing is a way of showing and intensifying our unity with one another (GIRM 47), that is why the choir or cantor leads the assembly so that all together they sing this song of praise.

The Mass begins with a procession in which the celebrant and assistants approach the presbytery in procession, the order of the participants in the procession is established as follows: The thurifer with the smoking censer, when incense is used; the ministers or altar servers who carry the lighted candles and in the midst of them the acolyte or a minister carrying the processional cross; acolytes and other ministers; the deacon or, in his absence, the assigned lector carrying the Book of the Gospels elevated; and finally the priest who is going to celebrate Mass (GIRM 210).

Once the procession reaches the presbytery, the priest and all the members of the procession bow to the altar, the Book of the Gospels is placed on the altar, the priest and deacon approach the altar and kiss it at the same time, and depending on the occasion, the priest incenses the altar. All this is done because during the Mass, the altar represents Jesus Christ, as it carries in its mensa five crosses, one for each of the five wounds of Jesus Christ bore on the cross; when a church and its altar are consecrated, the altar is anointed by the bishop with the same oil that is used to consecrate the hands of priests and the heads of bishops (Dedication of a Church and an Altar 16a ). This is why, during Mass, reverence is made towards the altar.

Let us spiritually accompany the priest and his ministers during the entrance procession, for this also means for each of us a procession from our earthly nature to the Kingdom of God, from whom we will hear during Mass and share the banquet that He Himself has prepared for us so that we may have eternal life.

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Why does the priest read from the book at the altar?

During Mass, the priest that presides is always reading from the book placed on the altar. Why is that? Shouldn’t he already know what is said at Mass? The book from which the priest reads is called the Roman Missal, which contains the structure and prayers that will be made during the Mass according to the liturgical season, as well as the Eucharistic prayers. This book also contains special indications for the celebrant called rubrics, where the rules according to which the liturgy is celebrated are indicated, they bear this name because they are written in red ink on the missal to distinguish them from the rest of the prayers.

The use of the missal is very important, since it means that Masses follow the same format in all the places where they are celebrated, thus forming a fundamental part of the unity and universality of the Church.

In the Roman Missal we can also find the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, which establishes the norms of how the Mass is to be celebrated, either with only the priest (GIRM 120-170), with the priest and a deacon (GIRM 171-186), or a concelebrated Mass (GIRM 199-251); what should be the order of the participants of the entrance procession (GIRM 120); at what times genuflection and bowing should be made (GIRM 274-275), what words should be said on certain occasions, for example, when distributing communion (GIRM 286-287).

Let us celebrate the Eucharistic sacrifice wherever we are, whether at home, visiting someone, or on vacation, for our Holy Mother Church has allowed us to feel at home every time we attend Mass, which we recognize by praying the Creed when we say the phrase “I believe in One,  Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church”

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What are the lay ministries?

“There are various ministries, but the Lord is the same. There are various functions, but it is the same God who works everything in everyone … This is done by the same and only Spirit, who distributes to each one his gifts as he wishes”, as Saint Paul explains to us (1 Corinthians 12: 5-6,11).

Therefore, in the People of God there are various services, various ministries. Some are the ministries that are conferred through the sacrament of Orders, such as the diaconate, the priesthood, and the episcopacy. Others, however, are not conferred through the sacrament and, therefore, the faithful who receives them do not leave their lay status.

The ministries destined to the liturgical service were considered as institutions prior to the reception of sacred orders, and were called “minor orders.” Among these were the ostiary, the lector, the exorcist and the acolyte.

After the Second Vatican Council, a revision of these functions was made, and they ceased to be called “minor orders”, and the “ministries” were transformed, preserving only the acolyte and the lector, although leaving to the episcopal conferences the possibility of creating others that were necessary for the region (Ministeria Quaedam).

On 2021, third lay ministry was added: that of the catechist (Antiquum ministerium).

Thus, there are three lay ministries: acolyte, lector and catechist, which can be entrusted to any member of the faithful, who meets the age and conditions established by the episcopal conference. To this end, they must be instituted through a liturgical rite.

This, however, does not mean that only instituted catechists can be the communicators of the truth of the faith, or that only instituted lectors can read the word of God in the liturgical assembly, or that only instituted acolytes can take charge of the altar service. These functions may also be performed by any other lay person, either de facto or through the temporary assignment of the parish priest. The existence of lay ministries only indicates that those who are instituted through the liturgical rite will do so in a stable way.

Let us consider whether in our condition as lay people we feel called to any of these ministries, to contribute with the gifts and charisms that the Holy Spirit has blessed us and to collaborate with our parish in the Holy Eucharist or sharing the faith as catechists.

Liturgia Papal, “Los ministerios laicales”, LiturgiaPapal.org, 12 February 2022, translated from https://liturgiapapal.org/index.php/manual-de-liturgia/ministerios/1155-los-ministerios-laicales.html

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Are we open to God’s call?

During our daily lives we sometimes ask ourselves, what is the mission that the Lord has for us? But we would really have to reflect if we are attentive to the call that the Lord makes to us. Have we fed the homeless person who begs at the supermarket door? Do we donate clothes in good condition that we no longer wear? Do we collaborate with the offering during mass? Do we donate our time to any of our parish ministries or in the community? Am I willing to form a new ministry that is needed? Do I accept my neighbor as an image of Jesus Christ?

And if we have heard the call, are we willing to follow it unconditionally as were Andrew and John (John 1:35-39), Simon-Peter and James (Luke 5:1-11), Matthew (Matthew 9:9-13) or Paul (Acts 9:1-22)?

Our Lord will come to meet us no matter what path we are taking. The important thing is that when He calls us, we make the decision to follow Him, because He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6), and through Him we can know the Father, because He is in the Father and the Father is in Him (John 14:11).

As Catholics we must be willing to listen to the call of our Lord with an open heart, and even more be willing to answer said call with our actions following his teachings, commemorating the Paschal sacrifice, and above all participating in said sacrifice that is the Sacred Communion.

Let us be attentive to the call of our Lord, and let us respond like the prophet Samuel, who after many times hearing the call of the Lord, finally said: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:1-10)

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What does Epiphany mean for us Catholics?

The word Epiphany comes from Greek, whose meaning is ‘revelation’, which in these Christmas times alludes to the revelation that the wise men of the East received about the birth of the King among the Jews. We must emphasize that the wise men of the East not only recognize Jesus Christ as King but as prophet and high priest, due to the nature of the offerings presented when they arrived at the place where the baby Jesus was (Matthew 2:11).

The wise men from the east made the pilgrimage to Judea to worship the King following the light of the star that appeared in the sky (Matthew 2:1-2). Likewise, we make the pilgrimage from our homes to the new Jerusalem, the temple of God, following the light of Jesus Christ; to worship Him, recognize Him as King, Priest and Prophet, and enter in communion with Him.

But we must ask ourselves, why do we do it? Have we really had the revelation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the one who takes away the sin of the world? Do we truly believe that the consecrated bread and wine are now His Body and Blood?

Let us take advantage of this time to meditate on these questions, and ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of understanding and just as the light of a star revealed the birth and royal lineage of our Lord, so also, may the light of the Gospel reveal in us the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, to be able to receive Him in body, blood, soul and divinity in Holy Communion.

Just as the wise men of the East recognized in Jesus Christ the promised Messiah, God’s new alliance with the whole world, let us also recognize the body and blood of Jesus in the consecrated bread and wine, source of eternal life, which was offered as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins so we can achieve eternal life.

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Why do we celebrate the Solemnity of the Holy Family?

The Son of God has come into the world from the Virgin whose name was Mary; He was born in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth under the protection of a righteous man named Joseph.

Jesus was from the beginning the center of his great love, full of concern and affection; It was his great vocation; was his inspiration; It was the great mystery of his life. In the house of Nazareth: He “grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). He was obedient and submissive, as a son should be with his parents. This Nazarene obedience of Jesus to Mary and Joseph occupies almost all the years that He lived on earth, and constitutes, therefore, the longest period of that total and uninterrupted obedience that He has paid to the heavenly Father. There are not many years that Jesus dedicated to the service of the Good News and finally to the Sacrifice of the Cross.

Thus, an important part of that divine mystery belongs to the Holy Family, the fruit of which is the redemption of the world.

On the solemnity of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the Church, through the liturgy of the day, expresses the best and most fervent wishes to all the families of the world. Let us remember from Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians only these two phrases so rich in meaning: “the peace of Christ reign in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15).

Indeed, peace is a sign of love, it is its confirmation in the life of the family. Peace is the joy of hearts; It is consolation in daily fatigue. Peace is the support you offer. wife and husband reciprocally, and that children find in their parents and parents in their children.

All families in the world welcome the wish for this peace.

Also accept another desire, which is spoken of below in the same Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians: “the word of Christ may dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16).

The Word is a manifestation of thought and a means of reciprocal understanding. Parents begin their educational work by teaching their child the words. They reveal understanding and soul, and open before the new man the paths of knowledge of the world, of men and of God.

The Word is a fundamental means of education and development for every man.

Today, let all the families of the world welcome the desires for good and peace that spring from the richness of the Word of Christ, so that, through faith in it, the children of men may find that force of life that He has transmitted to them with His birth. 

John Paul II, “Angelus”, Castelgandolfo, Vatican City, 30 December 1979, translated from https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/es/angelus/1979/documents/hf_jp-ii_ang_19791230.html

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How should we receive Christmas?

The first coming of Jesus Christ into the world is that one prophesied from the beginning of time (Genesis 3:15) to save mankind from death from sin, because God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Our Lord Jesus Christ was to come into this world as a man, because, just as Adam’s trespass brought condemnation for people, so also through the obedience of Jesus Christ makes all men righteous that they may have life (Romans 5:18-19).

The evangelist tells us that Mary “gave birth to her firstborn, wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). The Son of God, coming into this world, finds a place where the animals feed. Hay became the first bed for the One who will reveal Himself as “the bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:41). Saint Augustine, with other Church Fathers, was impressed by this symbolism: “Laid in a manger, he became our food” (Sermon 189:4). 1

Jesus through his ministry tells us that we are to be prepared for his second coming. The season of Advent gives us an example of how we can prepare.

During Advent we prepare the nativity scene, cleaning the dust accumulated in each figurine because it has been stored for almost a year, we make a space in our home to assemble it so that it looks beautiful, and then we keep the manger empty to place baby Jesus in it on the last hours of Christmas Eve. Thus we must also prepare ourselves to receive Jesus,  cleansing our souls of those sins we have committed, making room for mercy in our hearts, and just as the manger receives Jesus, let us also receive his body which is the bread of eternal life (John 6:35) every time we partake of the Holy Eucharist.

Let us always celebrate Christmas with the perfect banquet, that banquet that Jesus Christ himself has prepared for us, that banquet that gives us eternal life consecrated on the altar, so that the grace, love and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ may always be with us.

1 Francis, “Admirabile signum” Apostolic Letter § 2, Greccio, 1 December 2019, https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/12/01/191201b.html

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Why is it important to participate in mass?

Although as Catholics we have the obligation to attend Mass every Sunday (Canon 1247), this obligation is not only to attend but to fully participate, in the prayers, the songs, the liturgical responses and, if we are prepared, in the Sacred Communion.

This participation is extremely important because it is enough for each one to declare with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and to believe in his heart that God raised him from the dead, so that he can be saved (Romans 10:9). No one who believes in Him will be disappointed, splendid with all those who call on Him, for everyone who calls on the Lord as His God will be saved by Him. (Romans 10:11,13).

Our participation is not only to fulfill a social duty, but because we believe wholeheartedly in the salvation of our soul through the sacrifice made by our Lord Jesus Christ, which we remember in the Holy Eucharist.

Remembering the words of Saint Paul: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:14-15)

We must attend and participate in mass to be able to nourish ourselves with the word of God and fulfill the mission entrusted to us by Jesus Christ himself, to go and announce the gospel to everyone (Mark 16:15).

Let us faithfully attend mass, fully participate in the Eucharist, proclaim with our words and actions the wonders of our Lord Jesus Christ, and let us bring the good news to everyone.

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Why is baptism important?

All human beings, as descendants of Adam, we all carry the stain of original sin at our birth, as Saint Paul tells us, “as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned.” (Romans 5:12)

It is therefore that, through baptism, we die to a life of sin and are resurrected in Christ to a new life, as children of God (CCC 1213) and heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The baptism of our Lord in the Jordan by Saint John the Baptist was necessary, not because of His sins, because He did not have them, but because he made it possible for the material of baptism, water, to be made worthy of being able to cleanse our sins through said sacrament.

Just as Jesus Christ begins his ministry after his baptism (Matthew 3:13), with our baptism we begin the reception of the sacraments and our Christian life, we begin to form the body of Christ and we become more united to Him when we receive the sacrament of confirmation and communion.

The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation (John 3:5). He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them (Matthew 28:19-20). Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament (Mark 16:16). The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are “reborn of water and the Spirit.” God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism (CCC 1257)

Let us always remember and evoke our baptismal promises, renounce sin and embrace Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

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Why do we say that Jesus Christ is King of the Universe?

Our Lord Jesus Christ is not only the Eternal Redeemer of humanity (Romans 3:21-24), who for our salvation came down from heaven and by the and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,  but is also the King of Creation, by the very fact that through Him that all creation was made (John 1:1-5), how can he not then be king of his own creation?

The coming of Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah; is announced to humanity since the beginning of time (Genesis 3:15), His arrival and kingship prophesied in several passages of the old testament, both in the first days of the formation of the kingdom of Israel (Psalm 22:27-29), during the exile of God’s chosen people in Babylon (Daniel 7:13-14) as king of an eternal kingdom. The prophet Isaiah not only prophesied the virginal birth of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 7:14) but also his royal lineage (Isaiah 9:6).

The royal lineage of Jesus was also recognized during his stay among us, from his birth announced by the angels (Luke 2:11), by his own disciples (John 12:14-15 ref Zechariah 9:9), by the Jewish people themselves (John 12:12-13), by those who were in a position of power (John 18:37), by the powerless (Luke 18:35-38), as well as by those sentenced to death (Luke 23:40-42).

Jesus Christ the King is present at the beginning of the Church (1 Timothy 6:13-15) and is also present at the end of time (Revelations 17:14), as King and triumphant winner.

Let us recognize in Jesus Christ the King of Kings, to whom God gave the highest honor and the most excellent of all names, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

Long Live Christ the King! Long Live Christ the King! Long Live Christ the King!