Dear Parishioners:
As you celebrate the Masses of this weekend, my Pilgrim journey will be coming to its close. If all goes well, our group should arrive back Sunday evening. We will have a day that lasts more than 24 hours and will have negotiated two flights and the hassle of customs and return. But no doubt we will be able to take all of these in stride because our journey has been a Pilgrimage.
Do you know the difference between a Tourist and a Pilgrim? A Pilgrim can never complain. To whatever happens along the way, the Pilgrim says “Deo Gratias! – Thanks be to God!” and seeks to hear a message from God through the experience.
The Pilgrimage that I have been part of was created to serve as an “entry” into our time of Golden Jubilee, since it is “in the Footsteps of St. Timothy and St. Paul.” We are all under the patronage of St. Timothy, the companion of St. Paul.
The heart of the Pilgrimage was Ephesus, where St. Timothy served as First Bishop. Two Apostles lived and worked there, St. Paul and St. John. According to tradition, it was there that St. John also cared for Mary, the Mother of Jesus. The Community of Ephesus received several Letters from St. Paul, the Letter to the Ephesians, and I and II Timothy. Ephesus was also one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse to receive a Letter from the Risen Lord through St. John as he was in exile on the Island of Patmos. Our own parish family is called to put into practice the life that was shared by that first generation of Christians. We are a witness to the Truth of the Gospel in our time.
In the weeks ahead, I am sure that we will benefit from the experience of the Pilgrimage. May we continue to grow in our understanding of the life we share in Christ and may our witness serve to draw others to hear the call of the Gospel.
Countdown to our Golden Jubilee: Getting to know Saint Timothy.
Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. You know that everyone in Asia deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus because he often gave me new heart and was not ashamed of my chains. But when he came to Rome, he promptly searched for me and found me. May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. And you know very well the services he rendered in Ephesus. (II Timothy 1:13-18)
St. Paul is a realist. He knows the score and the consequence of accepting the call to follow Christ. He also knows that what enables the disciple of Christ to persevere is the inward commitment to hold fast to the Truth and the discernment of those who are allies in the witness of Faith.
Paul charges Timothy and the members of the Church of Ephesus to live by his example and by what he taught of Christ when he was with them. He also shares with them, naming names, how some fellow disciples scored in the manner of support they showed for him in his hardships experienced on account of the Gospel. Some deserted him, but one went out of his way to be of help.
In the life of the Church today, we often hear of those who fail to live up to their responsibilities. We must also give credit where credit is due for those who are faithful witnesses and those who encourage us with their support. Who has helped you to live in fidelity to the call of the Gospel?
Reflections on the Liturgy:
As we enter into immediate preparation for the transition to the new English form of the Mass, it is good to take the opportunity to renew our understanding about what is happening in the Liturgy and our own part in it. We are called to full, conscious, active participation. Each person present has a role and a responsibility even if there is no particular ministry or function being exercised.
The Mass has four primary “movements”: Gathering, Hearing the Word, the Sacrifice, and the Sending Forth. Our final reflections are meant to highlight aspects of each of these parts of the Liturgy. All of us would do well to review our own practice and to become more conscious of the meaning of what we are doing.
The Sending Forth from the Mass is expressed in Closing Rites that are rather simple and straightforward. The Priest gathers the Community together for the Prayer after Communion. Announcements concerning the life of the Parish Family are made. The Final Blessing is given. Then, the Deacon or Priest call out the Dismissal. As the Ministers process out, a Closing Hymn is sung. Thus, the Mass is ended.
Just as the Collect or the Opening Prayer at the beginning of the Mass draws the Community into one spirit for worship, the Post-Communion Prayer summarizes the grace that has been received through the act of worship and allows the Community to stand in awareness of the Unity that has been experienced.
When Announcements are made, it is a reminder that the assembly newly confirmed in grace by the Eucharist now has a job to do. All that we do as Church flows from our Eucharistic Worship. The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Life in Christ. Some may find this moment tedious or somehow “unworthy” of the action we have experienced together. But in truth, it is the very consequence of the Incarnation we come to understand more deeply through the Eucharist. Christ is with us in the ordinary reality of our lives. We are now to put into practice the Mystery we have experienced in a way that brings Christ to the world.
The Final Blessing corresponds to the Sign of the Cross that began the Mass. On special occasions and in particular seasons and feasts, a Solemn Blessing or Prayer over the People may accompany the Priest’s Blessing. How sad it is that many tend to duck out before receiving the Blessing!
The Dismissal Proper is the very rite that gave the name to the Mass: “Ite, Missa est.” The Deacon or Priest at this moment is the voice of Christ, Who has sent His disciples into the world. This formal act is our commissioning to be Christ to the world and to carry away to those who are awaiting the Good News that we have heard and tasted in the Mass.
Do an examination of your family conscience with these questions:
Do you take advantage of time after receiving Holy Communion for silent prayer and an act of thanksgiving? As the Presider prays Prayer after Communion, do you join in with the rest of the Congregation with a lifting of your mind and heart to God? Do you listen to the words being prayed and allow them to direct your own thoughts and reflections of the heart?
As the Announcements are being made, do you respond to the invitation to participate in the life of the Parish Community? Do you think about how your family can be involved or who else might benefit from the events and activities being described? Are you an active member of any of the Parish groups? Do you make sure that your own group or organization is in communication with the wider Parish?
When the Blessing is given, do you bow your head and do you make a “full-body Sign of the Cross”? Do you resolve to put into practice what you have received through the Mass?
Do you hear the Lord’s Call as the Dismissal is proclaimed? Do you and your family maintain an awareness of the fact that Sunday is the Lord’s Day, by allowing it to continue as a day of prayer and leisure, with true quality time as a family?
Are you called to be a member of any of the Parish groups or organizations that assist with the life of the Parish and School? Have you and your family chosen a group to which you will belong or that you will keep in your prayers? Do you have one “world concern” to which you devote time and prayer as an individual and as a family, serving as a leaven of the Gospel in the world? Does any major world crisis or problem move your heart to compassion and call for your involvement in the search for a solution? Are you and your family a living sign of the truth of the Word and Sacrament you have received?
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