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Lesson from Fr. Paulus | Following Christ Goes Beyond Fuzzy Feelings

My dear brothers and sisters, in this Sunday Gospel Jesus is making two things clear to us.

First, he wants us to have no illusions about following him. His path is a hard path. Our nature has fallen, and to get back up again, even with his grace helping us, is going to be hard. It will involve self-sacrifice and suffering: "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple."

That is the obvious lesson in this Gospel passage. We can never let ourselves forget it. But there is another lesson too, equally worth our attention.

Jesus is teaching us that following him involves more than feelings and vague inspirations. We are supposed to use our minds, to put our creativity and intelligence to work in the adventure of following Christ.

This is clear from the examples Jesus uses. The builder and the warring king had to channel their enthusiasm through the cool filter of reason. Christians must do the same. The emotional excitement that comes from a retreat or a pilgrimage or a special grace-filled encounter with the Lord is like the blossoms on a cherry tree.

They bloom quickly and fill our souls with a sweet aroma, but then the long summer comes, and we have to persevere patiently, following an intelligent plan of spiritual and apostolic work, before the fruit matures.

Love, even the lasting love that comes from friendship with Christ, is often born amidst intense emotions, but it matures through sweat and suffering, and those can only be endured with the aid of reason and conviction - both of which go deeper than mere passing emotions.

Following Christ is more than following a whim; it is a long-term project that deserves and engages the whole person.

Do You Love Me

There is a song from a famous Broadway musical that gives a great insight into this truth. The musical is about a poor Jewish family living in Russia in a small village in the early 1900s. The parents, Tevye [TEHV-yeh] and Golde [GOLD-eh] are in the middle of seeing their five daughters marry and go off to start their own families.

One day Tevye and Golde are alone in the house. Tevye, the husband, in the midst of his nostalgia at saying goodbye to his daughters, asks Golde, his wife, if she loves him.

She is exasperated by the question and tells him to go inside and lie down. But he insists, he keeps asking: Do you love me? But she won't give him an answer.

Finally, she sings: "For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes, Cooked your meals, cleaned your house, Given you children, milked the cow, After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?"

Then they banter back and forth, and he keeps insisting, and finally she muses to herself: "Do I love him? For twenty-five years I've lived with him, fought with him, starved with him... If that's not love, what is?" It's an entertaining song, but it contains a deep truth. True love is more than feelings, true love is about giving oneself.

The same goes for our love for Christ. If we want to become mature Christians and grow in wisdom and grace, it needs to become a real friendship that engages and affects our whole lives.

To follow Christ means to work hard building up his Kingdom. To follow Christ means to work hard conquering our selfish, self-indulgent tendencies. To follow Christ means to roll up our sleeves and get down to business.

Following Through on Our Commitments

Is there anything practical we can do to help our spiritual lives become more stable and robust?

There is much we can do, but there are no shortcuts. Rocky Balboa was able to go from a washed out, mediocre boxer to world champion in two hours, but real life takes a more sustained effort than movie life.

One simple thing we can do to grow in our spiritual maturity is to follow through on our spiritual commitments. At some point or another, we have all made some of these. Maybe it was a New Year's resolution to pray the Rosary. Maybe it was a commitment that came at the end of a retreat. Maybe in a time of crisis we promised God that we would not let ourselves get caught up again in the superficial rat race.

But then the hustle and bustle of life, or some other distraction, or our tendency to laziness gradually crowded out our enthusiasm, and the commitment faded away.

It's not too late to start again. In fact, it's probably a very good idea to start again. It's a way to move beyond the fuzzy feeling of spirituality so popular on TV talk shows. And it's also a way to tell Christ how grateful we are for all he has done in our lives, and how eager we are for him to do more.

And if you can't remember a past commitment or need a fresh one, maybe you could start by renewing your confidence in Christ's love through the First Friday devotion.

It was suggested by our Lord himself to St. Margaret Mary and consists of receiving Holy Communion in a spirit of gratitude on nine consecutive First Fridays of the month.

It's small, but substantial, and it's a sure way to move beyond fuzzy feelings, since fuzzy feelings rarely last for nine straight months. 

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Catechism Corner | To Understand the Eucharist (Part 11)

The Prayer over the Offerings

77. Once the offerings have been placed on the altar and the accompanying rites completed, the invitation to pray with the priest and the prayer over the offerings conclude the preparation of the gifts and prepare for the Eucharistic Prayer.

In the Mass, only one Prayer over the Offerings is said, and it ends with the shorter conclusion: Per Christum Dominum nostrum (Through Christ our Lord). If, however, the Son is mentioned at the end of this prayer, the conclusion is, Qui vivit et regnat in saecula saeculorum (Who lives and reigns forever and ever).

The people, uniting themselves to this entreaty, make the prayer their own with the acclamation, Amen.

The Eucharistic Prayer

78. Now the center and summit of the entire celebration begins: namely, the Eucharistic Prayer, that is, the prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification. The priest invites the people to lift up their hearts to the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving; he unites the congregation with himself in the prayer that he addresses in the name of the entire community to God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the meaning of the Prayer is that the entire congregation of the faithful should join itself with Christ in confessing the great deeds of God and in the offering of Sacrifice. The Eucharistic Prayer demands that all listen to it with reverence and in silence.

79. The chief elements making up the Eucharistic Prayer may be distinguished in this way:

  1. Thanksgiving (expressed especially in the Preface): In which the priest, in the name of the entire holy people, glorifies God the Father and gives thanks for the whole work of salvation or for some special aspect of it that corresponds to the day, festivity, or season.
  2. Acclamation: In which the whole congregation, joining with the heavenly powers, sings the Sanctus. This acclamation, which is part of the Eucharistic Prayer itself, is sung or said by all the people with the priest.
  3. Epiclesis: In which, by means of particular invocations, the Church implores the power of the Holy Spirit that the gifts offered by human hands be consecrated, that is, become Christ's Body and Blood, and that the spotless Victim to be received in Communion be for the salvation of those who will partake of it.
  4. Institution narrative and consecration: In which, by means of words and actions of Christ, the Sacrifice is carried out which Christ himself instituted at the Last Supper, when he offered his Body and Blood under the species of bread and wine, gave them to his Apostles to eat and drink, and left them the command to perpetuate this same mystery.
  5. Anamnesis: In which the Church, fulfilling the command that she received from Christ the Lord through the Apostles, keeps the memorial of Christ, recalling especially his blessed Passion, glorious Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.
  6. Offering: By which, in this very memorial, the Church and in particular the Church here and now gathered offers in the Holy Spirit the spotless Victim to the Father. The Church's intention, however, is that the faithful not only offer this spotless Victim but also learn to offer themselves,[71] and so day by day to be consummated, through Christ the Mediator, into unity with God and with each other, so that at last God may be all in all.[72]
  7. Intercessions: By which expression is given to the fact that the Eucharist is celebrated in communion with the entire Church, of heaven as well as of earth, and that the offering is made for her and for all her members, living and dead, who have been called to participate in the redemption and the salvation purchased by Christ's Body and Blood.
  8. Final doxology: By which the glorification of God is expressed and which is confirmed and concluded by the people's acclamation, Amen.

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL 

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Lesson from Fr. Paulus | The Law of Humility

Christ is a King, and kings rule their kingdoms with laws. One of the most important laws in Christ's Kingdom is the law of humility. This law says that "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted".

In other words, greatness in his Kingdom comes not from outdoing other people, outperforming them, and outdistancing them. Greatness in Christ's eyes comes from serving other people, from elevating them, helping them advance, and keeping oneself in the background.

In his very first sermon, Jesus had taught the same law with different words: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." It's the same law stated so directly in today's First Reading: "Conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved... Humble yourself... and you will find favor with God."

This law goes directly against everything this fallen world teaches us. It's extremely hard for us to swallow, which is why Jesus explained it by using this unambiguous parable. But even the parable wasn't enough. This law is so fundamental, that Jesus also taught it to us by living it out in an extreme way: through his passion and death.

Jesus, the Lord of heaven, came to earth and purposefully took the lowest place possible - that of a condemned criminal. He freely took on the most humiliating form of death - crucifixion. He allowed himself to be stripped of every honor. He allowed his reputation to be dragged through the mud by the lies and corruption of his enemies.

And yet, because he humbled himself so thoroughly, he has been glorified so magnificently. Such is the law of his Kingdom.

Nature Teaches Humility

The Law of Humility is written not only in the Gospel, but even in nature. Consider the tallest and most fruitful trees. How can they stand firm in spite of storms, wind, and earthquakes? What gives them the vitality to bear fruit year after year, spreading their own goodness to all living things around them?

Their roots. Without deep, strong roots, the tree would crash to the ground in the first summer storm. Without wide, expansive roots, they couldn't absorb the nourishment and moisture necessary for putting out leaves, buds, flowers, and fruit.

But these all-important roots are completely hidden. They really are in the "lowest place", where no one pays any attention to them. Without the root of humility, our lives cannot bear the fruit of authentic happiness for ourselves and those around us.

Consider also the mountains and the valleys. The majestic mountaintops pierce the brilliant sky with their jagged peaks. Impressive, visible from a distance, awe-inspiring - but also barren. The higher up you go on the mountain, the less life you find. The valleys beneath the mountaintops are hidden. You can't see them from far away. They draw no attention to themselves.

In this lowest place they receive the fresh water that flows down the mountainside from the melting ice on top, water full of nutrients from the eroding soil. So, the valleys overflow with life - flowers, grasses, trees, animals, streams, birds, and fish.

When we exalt ourselves, we become impressive to others, but barren of life, like mountaintops. When we humble ourselves, as Christ did, our lives become fruitful and vibrant, both here on earth and for all eternity in heaven.

How to Grow in Humility

Following the Law of Humility leads to interior peace, joy, wisdom, and a greater share in God's glory, this is what Christ wants for us. The more we grow in humility, the more we will experience those things.

So how can we grow in humility? There are two things every single one of us can do in order to grow in humility. Two things that we can do today, tomorrow, and every day this week.

The first is to pray. Every time we pray, we acknowledge God's greatness and our dependence on him. Every time we pray, we are exercising the virtue of humility, whether it's a short prayer or a long prayer, a good prayer or a distracted prayer.

If we want to get humble, let's pray more, let's reactivate our commitment to a decent life of prayer. Prayer is the perfect workout for strengthening humility.

Second, we can stop talking so much about ourselves. Our fallen nature is always pushing us to be the center of our conversations. But our Christian nature is always reaching out to take an interest in our neighbors.

This week, let's give our Christian nature a hand. Choose one relationship, and this week, make a concerted effort to be more interested in knowing what the other person is going through than in telling them what you're going through.

Today, Jesus will humble himself again by coming to us in the Holy Eucharist, reminding us that humility is the secret to a fulfilling and fruitful life. Let's thank him for that, and when we have him in our hearts, let's ask him for this favor, which he is so eager to give us: Lord Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts more and more like yours. 

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Catechism Corner | To Understand the Eucharist (Part 10)

The Prayer of the Faithful

69. In the Prayer of the Faithful, the people respond in a certain way to the word of God which they have welcomed in faith and, exercising the office of their baptismal priesthood, offer prayers to God for the salvation of all. It is fitting that such a prayer be included, as a rule, in Masses celebrated with a congregation, so that petitions will be offered for the holy Church, for civil authorities, for those weighed down by various needs, for all men and women, and for the salvation of the whole world.[67]

70. As a rule, the series of intentions is to be

a. For the needs of the Church;

b. For public authorities and the salvation of the whole world;

c. For those burdened by any kind of difficulty;

d. For the local community.

Nevertheless, in a particular celebration, such as Confirmation, Marriage, or a Funeral, the series of intentions may reflect more closely the particular occasion.

71. It is for the priest celebrant to direct this prayer from the chair. He himself begins it with a brief introduction, by which he invites the faithful to pray, and likewise he concludes it with a prayer. The intentions announced should be sober, be composed freely but prudently, and be succinct, and they should express the prayer of the entire community.

The intentions are announced from the ambo or from another suitable place, by the deacon or by a cantor, a lector, or one of the lay faithful.[68]

The people, however, stand and give expression to their prayer either by an invocation said together after each intention or by praying in silence.

C. The Liturgy of the Eucharist

72. At the Last Supper Christ instituted the Paschal Sacrifice and banquet, by which the Sacrifice of the Cross is continuously made present in the Church whenever the priest, representing Christ the Lord, carries out what the Lord himself did and handed over to his disciples to be done in his memory.[69]

For Christ took the bread and the chalice and gave thanks; he broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take, eat, and drink: this is my Body; this is the cup of my Blood. Do this in memory of me." Accordingly, the Church has arranged the entire celebration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist in parts corresponding to precisely these words and actions of Christ:

At the Preparation of the Gifts, the bread and the wine with water are brought to the altar, the same elements that Christ took into his hands.

In the Eucharistic Prayer, thanks is given to God for the whole work of salvation, and the offerings become the Body and Blood of Christ.

Through the fraction and through Communion, the faithful, though they are many, receive from the one bread the Lord's Body and from the one chalice the Lord's Blood in the same way the Apostles received them from Christ's own hands.

The Preparation of the Gifts

73. At the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist the gifts, which will become Christ's Body and Blood, are brought to the altar.

First, the altar, the Lord's table, which is the center of the whole Liturgy of the Eucharist,[70] is prepared by placing on it the corporal, purificator, Missal, and chalice (unless the chalice is prepared at the credence table).

The offerings are then brought forward. It is praiseworthy for the bread and wine to be presented by the faithful. They are then accepted at an appropriate place by the priest or the deacon and carried to the altar. Even though the faithful no longer bring from their own possessions the bread and wine intended for the liturgy as in the past, nevertheless the rite of carrying up the offerings still retains its force and its spiritual significance.

It is well also that money or other gifts for the poor or for the Church, brought by the faithful or collected in the church, should be received. These are to be put in a suitable place but away from the Eucharistic table.

74. The procession bringing the gifts is accompanied by the Offertory chant (cf. no. 37b), which continues at least until the gifts have been placed on the altar. The norms on the manner of singing are the same as for the Entrance chant (cf. no. 48). Singing may always accompany the rite at the offertory, even when there is no procession with the gifts.

75. The bread and wine are placed on the altar by the priest to the accompaniment of the prescribed formulas. The priest may incense the gifts placed upon the altar and then incense the cross and the altar itself, so as to signify the Church's offering and prayer rising like incense in the sight of God. Next, the priest, because of his sacred ministry, and the people, by reason of their baptismal dignity, may be incensed by the deacon or another minister.

76. The priest then washes his hands at the side of the altar, a rite that is an expression of his desire for interior purification.

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL 

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Lesson from Fr. Paulus | Christ Is Interested in Our Hearts

Many Jews at the time of Jesus thought that salvation was based on external factors, like race and ritual. Many Jews, in fact, believed that only Jews could actually live in communion with God.

The non-Jewish peoples, so they thought, were destined to be second-class citizens in the Kingdom of God. Others believed that you not only needed to be of the Jewish race to win God's favor, but you also had to follow even the most minute details of the Law of Moses, as well as the many ritual practices that had grown up around that Law.

Jesus takes the opportunity of this question, about whether or not many people will be saved, to correct those wrong ideas. He explains that in God's Kingdom there will be people from all four corners of the earth - just as Isaiah had prophesied, and as we heard in the First Reading. So, race had nothing to do with it.

He also explains that many who "ate and drank" with the Lord - in other words, many who followed all the many external rituals that governed Jewish eating and drinking at the time - will be excluded from God's Kingdom. So exterior rituals aren't the ticket either.

But if race and ritual aren't the keys to salvation, what is? It's the heart. Salvation doesn't depend primarily on external appearances, but on friendship with Christ, and that's rooted in our hearts.

The people in his parable who were excluded from the heavenly banquet complained that the Lord had actually taught in their streets. But the Lord answers by telling them, "I do not know where you are from." In other words, they are strangers to him. Maybe they did let him into their streets, but they never let him into their hearts.

Heart to Heart

St Margaret Mary Alacoque was a French nun who lived in the 1600s. She was privileged by God with a series of visions in which Jesus appeared to her and revealed his Sacred Heart. He explained to her that his love for sinners was so great that whenever they ignored it or didn't accept it, he felt as much pain as if someone were driving a thorn into his physical heart.

The Sacred Heart devotion that we have all seen and heard about can trace its beginnings to those apparitions. During one of them, St. Mary asked our Lord a curious question. She asked him to tell her who among his followers in the world at that moment was giving his heart the greatest joy.

His answer was even more curious than the question. He didn't mention any of the famous preachers, or bishops, or even the pope. He didn't mention any of the great intellectuals or aristocrats or missionaries.

He didn't even mention someone who later went on to be canonized. Rather, he told her that the person giving his heart the most joy was a little-known novice instructor in a small convent in the European countryside - someone who was instructing novices how to become good followers of Christ.

What matters to Christ is not drama and fireworks and great achievements; what matters to Christ is the humility and love that are in our hearts.

As Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said: "If you try, you will find it impossible to do one great thing. You can only do many small things with great love." Following Christ is a matter of the heart: his heart reaching out to ours and hoping for a warm welcome.

Fostering Good Desires

Jesus looks beyond appearances and into the heart. This has two practical applications for us. First of all, it teaches us never to judge others by appearances.

Many times, those who seem great or holy on the outside are actually filled with selfishness and arrogance on the inside. And many times, those who seem petty and despicable on the outside are actually filled with humility and wisdom on the inside.

That's why Jesus says, "some are last [in the world's eyes] who will be first [in God's Kingdom], and some are first [in the world's eyes] who will be last [in God's Kingdom]." As a result, if we just go by appearances, we will make rash and maybe even unfair judgments.

Instead, we should follow Christ's lead and give all of our neighbors the same benefit of the doubt that we give to ourselves. We're always making excuses for ourselves; let's be equally quick to make excuses for others. That's part of what it means to love our neighbors as ourselves.

That's the first practical application. Here's the second. Since Jesus looks to the heart, if we want to please him, we should take care of our hearts.

That means encouraging good desires and starving bad desires. Desires pop up inside of us without being invited. We should dwell on the ones that go together well with our friendship with Christ, since they will help us live life to the full. We should turn away from the ones that are self-centered and destructive, since they will interfere with our friendship with Christ.

Today Jesus is going to renew this friendship by giving us his own Sacred Heart in Holy Communion. Let's ask him to make our hearts more like his. 

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Catechism Corner | To Understand the Eucharist (Part 9)

The Acclamation Before the Gospel

62. After the reading that immediately precedes the Gospel, the Alleluia or another chant indicated by the rubrics is sung, as required by the liturgical season. An acclamation of this kind constitutes a rite or act in itself, by which the assembly of the faithful welcomes and greets the Lord who is about to speak to it in the Gospel and professes its faith by means of the chant. It is sung by all while standing and is led by the choir or a cantor, being repeated if this is appropriate. The verse, however, is sung either by the choir or by the cantor.

The Alleluia is sung in every season other than Lent. The verses are taken from the Lectionary or the Gradual.

During Lent, in place of the Alleluia, the verse before the Gospel is sung, as indicated in the Lectionary. It is also permissible to sing another psalm or tract, as found in the Gradual.

63. When there is only one reading before the Gospel, during a season when the Alleluia is to be said, either the Alleluia Psalm or the responsorial Psalm followed by the Alleluia with its verse may be used;

During the season when the Alleluia is not to be said, either the psalm and the verse before the Gospel or the psalm alone may be used; the Alleluia or verse before the Gospel may be omitted if they are not sung.

64. The Sequence, which is optional except on Easter Sunday and on Pentecost Day, is sung before the Alleluia.

The Homily

65. The homily is part of the Liturgy and is strongly recommended,[63] for it is necessary for the nurturing of the Christian life. It should be an exposition of some aspect of the readings from Sacred Scripture or of another text from the Ordinary or from the Proper of the Mass of the day and should take into account both the mystery being celebrated and the particular needs of the listeners.

66. The homily should ordinarily be given by the priest celebrant himself. He may entrust it to a concelebrating priest or occasionally, according to circumstances, to the deacon, but never to a lay person. In particular cases and for a just cause, the homily may even be given by a Bishop or a priest who is present at the celebration but cannot concelebrate.

There is to be a homily on Sundays and holy days of obligation at all Masses that are celebrated with the participation of a congregation; it may not be omitted without a serious reason. It is recommended on other days, especially on the weekdays of Advent, Lent, and the Easter Season, as well as on other festive days and occasions when the people come to church in greater numbers.[66]

After the homily a brief period of silence is appropriately observed.

The Profession of Faith

67. The purpose of the Symbolum or Profession of Faith, or Creed, is that the whole gathered people may respond to the word of God proclaimed in the readings taken from Sacred Scripture and explained in the homily and that they may also call to mind and confess the great mysteries of the faith by reciting the rule of faith in a formula approved for liturgical use, before these mysteries are celebrated in the Eucharist.

68. The Creed is to be sung or said by the priest together with the people on Sundays and solemnities. It may be said also at particular celebrations of a more solemn character.

If it is sung, it is begun by the priest or, if this is appropriate, by a cantor or by the choir. It is sung, however, either by all together or by the people alternating with the choir.

If not sung, it is to be recited by all together or by two parts of the assembly responding one to the other.

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL

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Lectors' Schedule, September 2022

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Lesson from Fr. Paulus | Choosing Christ Has Consequences

As a Christian nothing is more important than our friendship with Christ. Why is that? The Catechism teaches us that we "were created to live in communion with God (#45), in whom we find happiness."

In other words, we simply cannot find the fulfillment we seek in life, except through living in communion with God. But how do we do that? Before original sin, communion with God was automatic. But original sin shattered that communion. Sin, suffering, conflict, death, and frustration invaded the human family. But God himself came to our rescue. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to rebuild the bridge that original sin had broken.

Through friendship with Jesus Christ, then, we can once again live in communion with God and achieve the happiness we were created for. That's why nothing is more important than our friendship with Christ.

But being Christ's friend means more than simply praying and receiving the sacraments - although those are essential. It also means FOLLOWING him.

It means daily listening for his call and obeying it when it comes. That's the tough part. Because obeying Christ means going against the grain of this fallen world. It brings us into conflict with social trends, other people's desires, and even of our own sin-struck nature.

We shouldn't go looking for these conflicts; we should look only to discover and carry out God's plan. But Christ doesn't want us to be naive either. Being true to him will not always be easy.

It can affect even our closest relationships - as Jesus makes clear in this Gospel passage. When he makes his will known, not even family ties should hold us back from following him. In Christ's mind, that's how much his friendship matters - it's worth sacrificing everything for.

Jeremiah's Story

As we heard in the First Reading, the Prophet Jeremiah learned this lesson well. He lived at a tumultuous time in Israel's history, right around 600 BC.

The northern half of Israel had recently been conquered by Assyria, but the small, southern part of the country, Judah, where Jerusalem was located and where Jeremiah lived, was still free when Jeremiah was born. But it was located right between two powerful empires that were trying to conquer the whole area: Egypt in the south and Babylon in the north.

Jeremiah's mission in life was to be prophet, to constantly remind the people and rulers of Judah to trust in God. If they obeyed God's commandments and instructions, God would protect them.

Unfortunately, neither the leaders nor the people wanted to hear that. Instead, they wanted to take matters into their own hands, fight their own battles, and arrange their own peace treaties. The one thing they didn't want to do was to depend on and obey God.

Every time the King of Judah asked Jeremiah for guidance, Jeremiah would pray, receive instructions, and inform the King - and then the King would do the exact opposite. And then God would ask Jeremiah to issue warnings, calling the people to repentance. But they wouldn't repent.

So eventually Judah was conquered by Babylon, Jerusalem was obliterated, and the Jews were taken into exile. Through it all, Jeremiah was the despised scapegoat.

They spread lies about him, mocked him, burned his writings, and finally put him prison. When even that didn't silence him, they threw him down a well so he would starve to death.

Why? Simply because he was being faithful to what God was asking of him. Yes, choosing to follow Christ in a fallen world has consequences, and God wants us to be ready for them.

Putting the Right Spin on Life's Struggles

Keeping this in mind is the only way we can avoid caving in to frustration and discouragement in the midst of life's tribulations. Frustration and discouragement are a function of expectations. If we expect life to go smoothly, we will become frustrated or discouraged when it doesn't.

This is what many advertisers are hoping will happen. They know that they can use our frustrations to sell their products. They do this through creating an illusion that those products, by solving a particular problem, will actually solve all our problems.

But Christ is reminding us today that life on earth is not meant to be smooth sailing all the time, that we will always have problems until we reach heaven. If we are faithful soldiers in Christ's army, the Church, then we will feel the heat of battle.

We should not be surprised when things don't work out as we planned. We should not be surprised when we run into difficulties that appear to be irrational. We should not be surprised that our Father in Heaven doesn't spoil us by surrounding us with a bubble of perfect comfort. We are not created to be God's collector's items, perfectly polished and preserved; we are created to be his friends. And friendship, in order to be real and in order to grow, has to weather storms. Keeping this in mind is the sure antidote to frustration and discouragement.

Jesus wants us to choose that friendship above all other things, making it our treasure and our strongest desire. Today, when Jesus comes to us again in Holy Communion, let's give him the pleasure of renewing that choice, and promising to live it out during the week to come. 

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Catechism Corner | To Understand the Eucharist (Part 8)

Biblical Readings

57. In the readings, the table of God's word is prepared for the faithful, and the riches of the Bible are opened to them. Hence, it is preferable to maintain the arrangement of the biblical readings, by which light is shed on the unity of both Testaments and of salvation history. Moreover, it is unlawful to substitute other, non-biblical texts for the readings and responsorial Psalm, which contain the word of God.

58. In the celebration of the Mass with a congregation, the readings are always proclaimed from the ambo.

59. By tradition, the function of proclaiming the readings is ministerial, not presidential. The readings, therefore, should be proclaimed by a lector, and the Gospel by a deacon or, in his absence, a priest other than the celebrant. If, however, a deacon or another priest is not present, the priest celebrant himself should read the Gospel. Further, if another suitable lector is also not present, then the priest celebrant should also proclaim the other readings.

After each reading, whoever reads gives the acclamation, to which the gathered people reply, honoring the word of God that they have received in faith and with grateful hearts.

60. The reading of the Gospel is the high point of the Liturgy of the Word. The Liturgy itself teaches that great reverence is to be shown to it by setting it off from the other readings with special marks of honor: whether on the part of the minister appointed to proclaim it, who prepares himself by a blessing or prayer; or on the part of the faithful, who stand as they listen to it being read and through their acclamations acknowledge and confess Christ present and speaking to them; or by the very marks of reverence that are given to the Book of the Gospels.

The Responsorial Psalm

61. After the first reading comes the responsorial Psalm, which is an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word and holds great liturgical and pastoral importance, because it fosters meditation on the word of God.

The responsorial Psalm should correspond to each reading and should, as a rule, be taken from the Lectionary.

It is preferable that the responsorial Psalm be sung, at least as far as the people's response is concerned. Hence, the psalmist, or the cantor of the Psalm, sings the verses of the Psalm from the ambo or another suitable place. The entire congregation remains seated and listens but, as a rule, takes part by singing the response, except when the Psalm is sung straight through without a response. In order, however, that the people may be able to sing the Psalm response more readily, texts of some responses and Psalms have been chosen for the various seasons of the year or for the various categories of Saints. These may be used in place of the text corresponding to the reading whenever the Psalm is sung. If the Psalm cannot be sung, then it should be recited in such a way that it is particularly suited to fostering meditation on the word of God.

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL

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Enhanced "Vaccine Pass" for Religious Premises

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2022 St. Anne' Feast Day Celebration 聖亞納堂瞻禮慶典

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Lesson from Fr. Paulus | We Have a Mission

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the Gospel of this Sunday is from Luke 12:32-48. This part of Jesus' discourse balances out what he said a few verses earlier about not worrying.

In those verses, he instructed his listeners not to fret about worldly concerns, but to trust in God's Providence. But he knows that some people will tend to turn that invitation into an excuse for laziness, irresponsibility, and hedonism, so now he shows the other side of the coin.

"You also must be prepared," Jesus tells his followers, like servants standing ready for the return of their master any minute. We can't cram for life's final exam. If we want to live in communion with God forever, to experience the fulfillment he promises in this life and the next, we need to make friendship with God the number one priority of our lives.

The good things of this earthly life, its pleasures, challenges, and occupations, will come to an end when the Master returns. To live as if they were going to last forever, therefore, is foolish. Christ wants to make sure we don't act like fools.

Jesus finishes his parable by telling us that, "Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more".

With this, he teaches us that every human life is a task, a mission to know, love, and serve God in a unique way.

Our lives will take on their true meaning to the extent that we carry out that task and fulfill that mission, to the extent that our "treasure" (what we most value and desire) consists not in the passing pleasures of this life, but in discovering and fulfilling that supernatural task and mission.

Shining Christ's Light on Decisions

Living our mission and being responsible stewards of the many gifts we have received from God have practical repercussions. It means that being a Christian affects our life decisions.

Knowing that we are members of Christ's household, and that our first priority in life is to follow him, sheds light on every significant decision we have to make. For example, when young Catholics are deciding where to go to college, the Catholic presence on campus should be a factor - not the only factor, but if our primary mission in life is to be faithful followers of Christ, it should at least be a factor.

This is also why the Church constantly encourages her children to marry someone who shares the same faith. Marriage is a sacrament. It is meant to bring the spouses and children closer to Christ as it brings them closer to each other. When the husband and wife don't share the same faith, it makes that mission much harder to fulfill.

Career decisions can also be enlightened by this criterion. If we know that in God's eyes what matters most is that we are faithful to him and to our mission in the Church, our criteria for career success will be different than society's generic criteria.

Staying aware of our identity and mission even helps us decide where to go on vacation: we will do our best to choose a place where we can at least get to Sunday Mass.

As we continue with this Mass, let's ask ourselves what decisions we are facing or will be facing this week.

And as Christ comes to us once again in Holy Communion, let's speak with him about them, and ask him to give us the light and strength we need to be faithful and prudent stewards of his gifts. 

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Catechism Corner | To Understand the Eucharist (Part 7)

The Gloria

53. The Gloria is a very ancient and venerable hymn in which the Church, gathered together in the Holy Spirit, glorifies and entreats God the Father and the Lamb. The text of this hymn may not be replaced by any other text. The Gloria is intoned by the priest or, if appropriate, by a cantor or by the choir; but it is sung either by everyone together, or by the people alternately with the choir, or by the choir alone. If not sung, it is to be recited either by all together or by two parts of the congregation responding one to the other.

It is sung or said on Sundays outside the Seasons of Advent and Lent, on solemnities and feasts, and at special celebrations of a more solemn character.

The Collect

54. Next the priest invites the people to pray. All, together with the priest, observe a brief silence so that they may be conscious of the fact that they are in God's presence and may formulate their petitions mentally. Then the priest says the prayer which is customarily known as the collect and through which the character of the celebration is expressed. In accordance with the ancient tradition of the Church, the collect prayer is usually addressed to God the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit, and is concluded with a trinitarian ending, that is to say the longer ending, in the following manner:If the prayer is directed to the Father: Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum (Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever);

If it is directed to the Father, but the Son is mentioned at the end: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum (Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy spirit, one God, forever and ever);

If it is directed to the Son: Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum (You live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever).

The people, uniting themselves to this entreaty, make the prayer their own with the acclamation, Amen.

There is always only one collect used in a Mass.

B. The Liturgy of the Word

55. The main part of the Liturgy of the Word is made up of the readings from Sacred Scripture together with the chants occurring between them. The homily, Profession of Faith, and Prayer of the Faithful, however, develop and conclude this part of the Mass. For in the readings, as explained by the homily, God speaks to his people, opening up to them the mystery of redemption and salvation, and offering them spiritual nourishment; and Christ himself is present in the midst of the faithful through his word. By their silence and singing the people make God's word their own, and they also affirm their adherence to it by means of the Profession of Faith. Finally, having been nourished by it, they pour out their petitions in the Prayer of the Faithful for the needs of the entire Church and for the salvation of the whole world.

Silence

56. The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to promote meditation, and so any sort of haste that hinders recollection must clearly be avoided. During the Liturgy of the Word, it is also appropriate to include brief periods of silence, accommodated to the gathered assembly, in which, at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the word of God may be grasped by the heart and a response through prayer may be prepared. It may be appropriate to observe such periods of silence, for example, before the Liturgy of the Word itself begins, after the first and second reading, and lastly at the conclusion of the homily. 

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL

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Lesson from Fr. Paulus | Christ: A Mission-Driven Man

Someone asks Jesus to tell his brother about their inheritance. Jesus replies to that by asking who appointed him as an arbitrator. At first glance, Jesus' response to that man's request seems strange.

The man has a real problem. His brother is trying to make off with the lion's share of their inheritance. But Jesus refuses to step in and set things straight. Why?

Later, at the end of his earthly life, Jesus will say to Pontius Pilate, "My Kingdom is not of this world." Essentially, he gives the same answer to this man's request for probate equity. Jesus refuses to usurp the normal functions of earthly, human justice, even though he could have done so.

This tells us a lot about our Lord. It tells us what he came to do, and how he went about doing it. Christ came not to take over the world, but to imbue it with a new spirit, to redeem it from within through grace. This was his mission, and through the Church, it remains his mission.

That's what Jesus came to do. And how did he do it? By staying focused, by being mission-centered. By refusing to arbitrate this man's legal complaint, Jesus gave us an example of what it means to be mission-centered. Jesus refuses to be side-tracked. He sticks to his mission.

The more closely we follow this example, the more focused, fulfilling and fruitful our own lives will be.

We, too, are called to make the eternal Kingdom our first priority. As Jesus says at the end of the parable, we are called to "become rich in what matters to God." That's our mission, which we can only fulfill if we become as mission-centered as Christ was, not letting ourselves get side-tracked.

We have to be as eager and hardworking in pursuit of goodness and holiness as the man in the barn-building parable was in pursuit of money.

Christians Are Not Wildebeests

Our mission as Christians is not indifferent. It matters whether or not we make an effort to fulfill it. This is because God created human beings to need each other.

We cannot live our lives to the full without depending on others. When we fail to stay focused on our mission, we let down the people God wants to touch through us.

Nature has many analogies that teach us this spiritual reality. One vivid example is the story about the African Wildebeests, from Hot Illustrations, Youth Specialties, Inc.

They migrate yearly in huge herds to the plains of Tanzania's Serengeti to give birth to their young. Also on the Serengeti Plain roam vicious predators, including the hyena. In this hostile setting, a newborn wildebeest has about 15 minutes to get up and run with the adult herd. Slow starters risk becoming hyena lunch.

Discovery Channel showed a film of a wildebeest giving birth on the Serengeti. The newborn barely had time to get used to breathing when the mother nudges it to get it standing. Between the mother's nudging and the baby's inexperience, the newborn is worn out after five minutes of repeated attempts to stand.

Then the camera picks up a hyena approaching, baring its teeth. The mother wildebeest bravely steps between the hyena and the baby, but another hyena appears, followed closely by a third. Before long a circle of hyenas occupies the mother wildebeest while other hyenas attack and kill newborn.

Meanwhile, spread out nearby, literally thousands of other wildebeest graze, now and then lifting their heads to watch the desperate mother attempt to fight off the hyenas.

Any of them could easily help save the newborn, but not a single one does. As Christians, we are not meant to stand by grazing while our neighbors struggle desperately to find meaning and forgiveness in life. We are meant to be Christ's missionaries - every one of us.

Clarifying Our Mission

Christ has given each one of us a share in his mission. And he has done this because he knows it will give us the meaning and fulfillment that we long for. Nothing else can, in fact.

We all know this - vaguely. But it would be helpful to know it more clearly. If we have a clearer idea of what our mission is, we will better be able to fulfill it, to keep growing spiritually.

Let's do a thought experiment. If I were to ask you to describe our Christian mission in one sentence, how would you answer?

Just think to yourself: from Christ's perspective, what is my mission in life? There are many ways to answer. But I would like to invite you to compare your answer with this one, derived from Matthew's Gospel and the writings of various saints through the centuries:

A Christian's mission in life is to know, love, and follow Christ more and more closely every day, and to help as many people as possible do the same. This is a clear, solid, substantial description of our mission.

Let's take this sentence with us when we leave Mass today. I am here to know, love, and follow Christ, and help others do the same.

And at the end of each day this week, let's spend a few minutes speaking with Jesus about how we carried out that mission, and about how we can carry it out better tomorrow. If we do, I am absolutely sure he will help us become more and more like him, truly mission-driven Christians. And if that happens, his joy will soon take over our lives. 

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Catechism Corner | To Understand the Eucharist (Part 6)

III. The Individual Parts of the Mass

A. The Introductory Rites

46. The rites preceding the Liturgy of the Word, namely the Entrance, Greeting, Act of Penitence, Kyrie, Gloria, and collect, have the character of a beginning, introduction, and preparation.

Their purpose is to ensure that the faithful who come together as one establish communion and dispose themselves to listen properly to God's word and to celebrate the Eucharist worthily.

In certain celebrations that are combined with Mass according to the norms of the liturgical books, the Introductory Rites are omitted or performed in a particular way.

The Entrance

47. After the people have gathered, the Entrance chant begins as the priest enters with the deacon and ministers. The purpose of this chant is to open the celebration, foster the unity of those who have been gathered, introduce their thoughts to the mystery of the liturgical season or festivity, and accompany the procession of the priest and ministers.

48. The singing at this time is done either alternately by the choir and the people or in a similar way by the cantor and the people, or entirely by the people, or by the choir alone. In the dioceses of the United States of America, there are four options for the Entrance Chant: (1) the antiphon from The Roman Missal or the Psalm from the Roman Gradual as set to music there or in another musical setting; (2) the seasonal antiphon and Psalm of the Simple Gradual; (3) a song from another collection of psalms and antiphons, approved by the Conference of Bishops or the diocesan Bishop, including psalms arranged in responsorial or metrical forms; (4) a suitable liturgical song similarly approved by the Conference of Bishops or the diocesan Bishop.[55]

If there is no singing at the entrance, the antiphon in the Missal is recited either by the faithful, or by some of them, or by a lector; otherwise, it is recited by the priest himself, who may even adapt it as an introductory explanation (cf. no. 31).

Greeting of the Altar and of the People Gathered Together

49. When they reach the sanctuary, the priest, the deacon, and the ministers reverence the altar with a profound bow.

As an expression of veneration, moreover, the priest and deacon then kiss the altar itself; as the occasion suggests, the priest also incenses the cross and the altar.

50. When the Entrance chant is concluded, the priest stands at the chair and, together with the whole gathering, makes the Sign of the Cross. Then he signifies the presence of the Lord to the community gathered there by means of the Greeting. By this Greeting and the people's response, the mystery of the Church gathered together is made manifest.

After the greeting of the people, the priest, the deacon, or a lay minister may very briefly introduce the faithful to the Mass of the day.

The Act of Penitence

51. Then the priest invites those present to take part in the Act of Penitence, which, after a brief pause for silence, the entire community carries out through a formula of general confession. The rite concludes with the priest's absolution, which, however, lacks the efficacy of the Sacrament of Penance.

On Sundays, especially in the Season of Easter, in place of the customary Act of Penitence, from time to time the blessing and sprinkling of water to recall Baptism may take place.[56]

The Kyrie Eleison

52. After the Act of Penitence, the Kyrie is always begun, unless it has already been included as part of the Act of Penitence. Since it is a chant by which the faithful acclaim the Lord and implore his mercy, it is ordinarily done by all, that is, by the people and the choir or cantor having a part in it.

As a rule, each acclamation is sung or said twice, though it may be repeated several times, by reason of the character of the various languages, as well as of the artistry of the music or of other circumstances. When the Kyrie is sung as a part of the Act of Penitence, a trope may precede each acclamation.

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL
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Lesson from Fr. Paulus | The Nature of Christian Prayer

Today Jesus is taking us to prayer school. He is teaching us what Christian prayer is all about. The words of the Our Father, abridged here in St. Luke's version, are God's own instructions on prayer.

Each phrase is a fountain of wisdom. They are worth studying and thinking about deeply, because they show us how God wants us to approach him and to be with him.

But Jesus knows that because we are human beings - we tend to fall into routine. So even though he gives us the perfect words to use in prayer, he knows we will have a tendency to just learn them by heart and then mindlessly rattle them off.

And so, he also teaches us two attitudes that should form the background of every Christian's life of prayer. These attitudes, if we keep them fresh, can make sure that our prayer never becomes just an empty, boring shell, but is always a living, powerful force - as it was for Abraham.

The first attitude is persistence. If we are persistent in prayer, as the friend was persistent in the parable, we give God more freedom to act in our lives, because our desires get more in synch with God's.

The second attitude is confidence. Since we live in a fallen world, we sometimes project our own imperfections onto God. We think that he, like us, is selfish, easily angered, and resentful. As a result, sometimes we hesitate to open our hearts to him in prayer.

But Jesus tears down these misconceptions. God is our Father, a better father than even the very best earthly fathers. So, if earthly fathers know how to be generous and wise with their children, we can rest assured that God is much more like that with us. He won't give us stones when we ask for bread.

St. Augustine Explains Persistence and "Unanswered" Prayer

St. Augustine understood Christian prayer better than almost anyone. He had learned all about it from his mother, St. Monica, who spent almost twenty years begging God with daily tears to convert her heretical and pleasure-loving son.

This experience helped him understand why God doesn't always give us what we as for right away. It's because he wants to give us more than what we ask for. By inviting us to be persistent, God is stretching our hearts, making them able to receive more grace, the way you stretch out a burlap sack so you can fill it to the brim.

Here's how Augustine explained it:

"Suppose you want to fill some sort of bag, and you know the bulk of what you will be given, you stretch the bag or the sack or the skin or whatever it is. You know how big the object that you want to put in and you see that the bag is narrow so you increase its capacity by stretching it. In the same way by delaying the fulfillment of desire God stretches it, by making us desire he expands the soul, and by this expansion he increases its capacity."

God never ignores our prayers. If we keep on asking with sincerity and confidence in God's goodness, we are guaranteed to receive, and it will probably be much more than we could have imagined.

Put Some Balance Back in Your Life

When we begin to understand what Christian prayer is, and when we give it its proper place in our lives, we become much more stable, joyful, and energetic people.

One of the problems with today's society is that it is out of balance. In the past, before electricity and internal combustion engines, people were forced to follow a more natural rhythm of life. Night and day mattered. It took time to communicate and to travel, so that meant there was more time to reflect on life's mysteries and enjoy life's simple pleasures.

Our scientific and technological advances have changed things a lot. Now it is possible to live at a reckless pace in which we become enslaved to our own to-do lists. Now it is necessary to choose to follow a healthy rhythm of life. Many people don't know how to defend themselves against this slavery, which is why today's psychologists are dealing with a literal plague of stress and depression.

Christian prayer, confident, persistent, personal conversation with God, is one of the weapons God gives us to keep us human in this mechanized culture. Whenever we turn to God in prayer, we put our minds and hearts in contact with the very source of life, beauty, and truth.

That refreshes the human soul, just as rebooting your computer refreshes all the hardware and software that makes your computer run. When stress, discouragement, and frustration start to clog our circuits, we don't need to jack up the voltage by working more hours or by distracting ourselves with even more exciting entertainment - no, we need to reboot. We need to pray.

Today, in response to Christ's reminder about the nature of Christian prayer, let's renew our commitment to taking time every day to be alone with God, to reboot our souls every morning and evening; so that our lives can run more smoothly, the way God designed them to run. 

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Catechism Corner | To Understand the Eucharist (Part 5)

Gestures and Bodily Posture

42. The gestures and bodily posture of both the Priest, the Deacon, and the ministers, and also of the people, must be conducive to making the entire celebration resplendent with beauty and noble simplicity, to making clear the true and full meaning of its different parts, and to fostering the participation of all. Attention must therefore be paid to what is determined by this General Instruction and by the traditional practice of the Roman Rite and to what serves the common spiritual good of the People of God, rather than private inclination or arbitrary choice.

A common bodily posture, to be observed by all those taking part, is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered together for the Sacred Liturgy, for it expresses the intentions and spiritual attitude of the participants and also fosters them.

43. The faithful should stand from the beginning of the Entrance Chant, or while the Priest approaches the altar, until the end of the Collect; for the Alleluia Chant before the Gospel; while the Gospel itself is proclaimed; during the Profession of Faith and the Universal Prayer; and from the invitation, Orate, fratres (Pray, brethren), before the Prayer over the Offerings until the end of Mass, except at the places indicated here below.

The faithful should sit, on the other hand, during the readings before the Gospel and the Responsorial Psalm and for the Homily and during the Preparation of the Gifts at the Offertory; and, if appropriate, during the period of sacred silence after Communion.

They should kneel, on the other hand, at the Consecration, except when prevented on occasion by ill health, or for reasons of lack of space, of the large number of people present, or for another reasonable cause. However, those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the Priest genuflects after the Consecration.

It is for the Conference of Bishops, in accordance with the norm of law, to adapt the gestures and bodily postures described in the Order of Mass to the culture and reasonable traditions of peoples. However, attention must be paid to ensuring that such adaptations correspond to the meaning and character of each part of the celebration. Where it is the practice for the people to remain kneeling after the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) until the end of the Eucharistic Prayer and before Communion when the Priest says, Ecce Agnus Dei (Behold the Lamb of God), it is laudable for this practice to be retained.

For the sake of uniformity in gestures and bodily postures during one and the same celebration, the faithful should follow the instructions which the Deacon, a lay minister, or the Priest gives, according to what is laid down in the Missal.

44. Among gestures are included also actions and processions, by which the Priest, with the Deacon and ministers, goes to the altar; the Deacon carries the Evangeliary or Book of the Gospels to the ambo before the proclamation of the Gospel; the faithful bring up the gifts and come forward to receive Communion. It is appropriate that actions and processions of this sort be carried out with decorum while the chants proper to them are sung, in accordance with the norms laid down for each.

Silence

45. Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times. Its nature, however, depends on the moment when it occurs in the different parts of the celebration. For in the Penitential Act and again after the invitation to pray, individuals recollect themselves; whereas after a reading or after the Homily, all meditate briefly on what they have heard; then after Communion, they praise God in their hearts and pray to him.

Even before the celebration itself, it is a praiseworthy practice for silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred celebration in a devout and fitting manner.

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL
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Lectors' Schedule for August, 2022

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Lesson from Fr. Paulus | Friendship with Christ Is the One Thing Necessary

If Jesus Christ truly is the one Lord of life and history, the one Savior, the one Way, Truth, and Life (which he is), then it is certain that "only one" thing is needed for a fulfilling, meaningful, and fruitful life: to stay as close to him as possible at all times.

Much more important than what we can do for Christ is what we can be for him, and what he can be for us. Martha was doing all kinds of tasks, and that was good. But Mary was listening to him, letting him serve her, being his close, intimate friend, and that was even better, "the better part". Friendship with Christ is the one thing needed.

Therefore, our task here on earth is to make a conscious choice to shape our lives accordingly, to keep Christ first, to live from his love and for his love.

Jesus doesn't congratulate Mary because she won the spiritual lottery or had received a particularly beautiful soul from God. He praises her because she has "chosen the better part." She chooses it. She chooses to submit to the Lord, to let him be for her what he in truth already is for everyone - the one needed thing.

Martha, on the other hand, has a divided heart. She loves Christ, but she still depends on her own strength to earn his love in return. She hasn't learned that what matters is not so much what we can do for Christ as what he has done and wants to do for us.

Jesus kindly teaches her in this encounter that the greatest thing she can do for him, the "one needed thing", is to let him rule completely over her heart, to take her place at his feet and listen to his words.

Supernatural Benefits

Keeping our relationship with God as the first priority enables us to live supernaturally. It gives God room to do things in our lives that, by our natural powers alone, we could never do.

This is the lesson of the Abraham and Sarah from the book of Genesis. Their mysterious visitors, the three angels, were messengers from God. Some biblical scholars even think it was the Holy Trinity himself appearing to Abraham.

In any case, Abraham recognized the extraordinary nature of his visitors, and he adjusted his own plans in order to honor them - just as Mary did in the Gospel passage: she put everything on hold in order to honor Christ. And what is the result?

Sarah becomes pregnant, although she and Abraham are well beyond the age in which they can have children. God works a supernatural wonder in their lives.

Whenever we keep God first, he always works wonders. Every priest who gives his life to serve God is proof of this. He does something supernatural at every Mass and in every confession.

Through his hands, Christ himself becomes present in the Eucharist, and through him Christ himself forgives sins. By choosing "the better part", a man who follows his vocation to the priesthood unleashes God's grace to work through him in miraculous ways.

Every saint is proof of this. Think of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta. A little nun from Albania, tending the poor in Calcutta, and on February 3, 1994, she was invited to give the keynote speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, in which she explained the gospel of life to some of the world's most powerful people, many of whom were pro-abortion.

This is the kind of work God can do in us and through us, supernatural work, if we choose "the better part."

The Daily Choice

Every day we are faced with the choice to be more like Martha or more like Mary. This is one of the most amazing things about Christianity. God respects our freedom so much that, in a sense, he leaves our destiny in our own hands.

We can freely choose our priorities in life. We can make our own achievements our highest priority, like Martha, or we can make knowing, loving, and imitating Christ our highest priority. Christ offers the benefits of following him to all people, but he leaves each person supremely free to accept or reject them.

And the offer is not a one-time affair. Martha chose to busy herself with her own plans on this occasion, but you can bet she adjusted her behavior the next time.

Mary chose to listen to the Lord this time, but he wouldn't force her to do so again the next time. Every single time we choose to give Christ and his will priority in our lives, we allow his sanctifying, healing grace to seep deeper into our lives.

Sunday morning, we have chosen to come and listen to the Lord. What will we choose tomorrow morning? Tuesday? Jesus is hoping that we will continue to choose this "better part".

It isn't hard. It's a matter of spending ten minutes with him before getting distracted with the day's activities. It could be ten minutes of reading and reflecting on a passage from the Bible or a paragraph from a book of Christian meditations. It could be praying a decade or two of the Rosary before we turn on the morning news show.

Jesus wants us to choose the better part, to depend more on him than ourselves, so that he can give us his best. Today, let's promise that we will.
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Catechism Corner | To Understand the Eucharist (Part 4)

The Other Formulas in the Celebration

34. Since the celebration of Mass by its nature has a "communitarian" character,[45] both the dialogues between the priest and the faithful gathered together, and the acclamations are of great significance;[46] in fact, they are not simply outward signs of communal celebration but foster and bring about communion between priest and people.

35. The acclamations and the responses of the faithful to the priest's greetings and prayers constitute that level of active participation that the gathered faithful are to contribute in every form of the Mass, so that the action of the entire community may be clearly expressed and fostered. [47]

36. Other parts, very useful for expressing and fostering the faithful's active participation, that are assigned to the whole assembly that is called together include especially the Act of Penitence, the Profession of Faith, the Prayer of the Faithful, and the Lord's Prayer.

37. Finally, concerning the other formulas:

a) Some constitute an independent rite or act, such as the Gloria, the responsorial Psalm, the Alleluia and verse before the Gospel, the Sanctus, the Memorial Acclamation, and the cantus post communionem (song after communion);

b) Others accompany another rite, such as the chants at the Entrance, at the Offertory, at the fraction (Agnus Dei), and at Communion.

The Vocal Expression of the Different Texts

38. In texts that are to be spoken in a loud and clear voice, whether by the priest or the deacon, or by the lector, or by all, the tone of voice should correspond to the genre of the text itself, that is, depending upon whether it is a reading, a prayer, a commentary, an acclamation, or a sung text; the tone should also be suited to the form of celebration and to the solemnity of the gathering. Consideration should also be given to the idiom of different languages and the culture of different peoples.

In the rubrics and in the norms that follow, words such as "say" and "proclaim" are to be understood of both singing and reciting, according to the principles just stated above.

The Importance of Singing

39. The Christian faithful who gather together as one to await the Lord's coming are instructed by the Apostle Paul to sing together psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (cf. Col 3:16). Singing is the sign of the heart's joy (cf. Acts 2:46). Thus St. Augustine says rightly, "Singing is for one who loves."[48] There is also the ancient proverb: "One who sings well prays twice."

40. Great importance should therefore be attached to the use of singing in the celebration of the Mass, with due consideration for the culture of the people and abilities of each liturgical assembly. Although it is not always necessary (e.g., in weekday Masses) to sing all the texts that are of themselves meant to be sung, every care should be taken that singing by the ministers and the people is not absent in celebrations that occur on Sundays and on holy days of obligation.

In the choosing of the parts actually to be sung, however, preference should be given to those that are of greater importance and especially to those to be sung by the priest or the deacon or the lector, with the people responding, or by the priest and people together. [49]

41. All other things being equal, Gregorian chant holds pride of place because it is proper to the Roman Liturgy. Other types of sacred music, in particular polyphony, are in no way excluded, provided that they correspond to the spirit of the liturgical action and that they foster the participation of all the faithful. [50]

Since faithful from different countries come together ever more frequently, it is fitting that they know how to sing together at least some parts of the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin, especially the Creed and the Lord's Prayer, set to the simpler melodies. [51]

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL
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