Episode 103

 

The Mass begins with procession, have you, as a person, even witnessed procession in the Church? With the procession goes the Entrance Hymn, have you ever been involved in an entrance hymn? Do you even have a hymn book? How many of us here can actually sing successfully an entrance hymn at Mass without the aid of a hymn book? Can someone try?

Have you ever discovered the different Hymns fit for different Liturgical seasons? Or are we always stagnant at the level of “Here we are” Catholic Anthem? How many years have you been a Catholic? Since then, have you ever bought a hymn book? How many phones do you have? The Church is rich with hymns but I have discovered our choristers put us to poverty of songs. Do we as choristers see the day’s reading before choosing corresponding hymns to the Readings?

Now to the Mass proper which begins with the invocation of the Holy Trinity: what is your attitude to the making of the sign of the cross? How do you make it? (Prayerfully or mechanically)? What do you make of the examination of conscience? This is the time some greet fellow parishioners, this is the period some Churches’ choristers search for hymn books for the Kyrie. The Confiteor, do you make it alive or just a recitation. The Gloria, do you really glorify God? Do you realize that angels were at the birth of Jesus? Some people are stiff in the Church; the only place they can shake their bodies is at parties or town’s union end of year party. It will shock you that most of those who don’t move their bodies to liturgical music in the Church shake it well at parties. Some are numb or better still dumb, they neither sing, shake nor respond during Mass.

The Readings:

 What is your disposition during the readings? Do you pay attention or are distracted or a distraction. Do you know that it is God you come in contact with in His word? In most cases a great number of persons who pretend to be listening to the readings in the Church can neither give a brief or summary of the readings nor state where the readings are taken from. Then what is your business in the Church?

Prayers of the Faithful:

Especially during the invitation to pray in silence for our personal needs, how many minutes is given to this by the prayer leaders? Can you actually boast of the grasp of two out of four intercessory prayers? What about the Liturgical gestures of standing, sitting, kneeling, have they received mechanical approach from you or spiritual?

The Creed: Are we conscious of what we profess?

Our Offerings:  Any improvements in quality since you have been giving? How neat is your offering? Do you give from your heart? Do you give grudgingly? Do you give your best? Are you pleased with what you give? Would God from your imagination be pleased with what you give? Remember Cain and Abel.

The Sanctus: The song of the angels, do you sing? Do you sing joyfully or with glamour?

Eucharistic Celebration: Have you learnt to make yourself a part of this celebration? Do you imagine whom you are meeting here? Are you upright or your head bent down, do you adore the Lord when He is raised? Do you even involve yourself in the Eucharistic prayers? Do you follow with the entire self the sequence of the prayers?

The mystery of faith: Do you join in the proclamation and are you aware of the three varieties? Unfortunately, our priests also have stuck to “we proclaim your death O Lord…

The Lord’s Prayer:  Do you make it your own, conscious of the wordings?

The Agnus Dei: The Lamb broken/slain to take away our sins will be said at the breaking of the bread.

Reception of the Eucharist:

What is my comportment like? How do I approach Jesus to receive Him? Remember you are receiving God Himself who has given us himself as food. Do I receive frequently in an unworthy state? Do I begin greeting ministers after reception? Do I pray fervently after the reception? Do I even know what I have received? And infact, my attitude afterwards determine the knowledge of what I have received. Receiving Christ over and over should make us Catholics drunk with Christ: in other words, we should be Christ-like for the volume of Eucharist residing in us. As a matter of fact, we should be moving tabernacles. Sad enough, the reverse is the case. It is simply to say that we actually are not aware of what we are receiving, perhaps condemnation.

Final Blessing:

Does it have any value to those who leave the Church? Do not allow me go empty handed. Must I go empty handed before the final blessing? My observation is that though in Europe and America, there is a deteriorating number of worshippers, I have realized that the few who come to Mass, come for serious business. We may be many here attending Mass, but I doubt the authenticity of our worship against the background of our lack of depth in worship.

REVERENCE FOR THE HOUSE OF GOD – JOHN 2:13-21

The reaction of Jesus challenges us to see his house as sacred and revere it as a house of worship. He says “My house will be called the house of prayer”

What is the Church to you?

• Where you keep bad company?
• Where you are influenced?
• Where you make enemies?
• Where you recruit cultists?
• Where you cause trouble?
• Where you buy and sell? Even count money?

Zeal for the house of God made Jesus go angry, this is a just anger in moral theology. Are you zealous about God, His House, things that pertains to God and worship or you have lackadaisical attitude?

Finally remember that Christ also relates the temple with His body. Our bodies are also the temple of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit. They should remain such, undiluted, unpolluted, unmixed.