The celebration of the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life,” reads the Catechism of the Catholic Church (No. 1324). Yet even for many faithful Catholics and for those who observe a Catholic Mass for the first time, the celebration can appear mysterious if not altogether confusing.
It’s as if each time you attend Mass you receive two or three puzzle pieces that are beautiful but you never have the whole picture in front of you so that you can see where they fit, especially from a biblical perspective.
The Mass has some obvious connections to sacred Scripture such as a selection of readings from the Old and New Testaments, the singing of the Psalms and hearing the words of Jesus at the consecration of the bread and wine.
However, from the moment we walk into church and bless ourselves with holy water, we are connected with the apostles who were sent on a mission and sealed the newly baptized by marking their foreheads with the sign on the cross (Ez 9:4, Eph 1:3, Rv 7:3).
Jesus commanded his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in Mt 28:16-20. For those who are baptized, this action of dipping our fingers in the holy water and blessing ourselves reminds us that we are redeemed and that we belong the Christ.
As the Mass proceeds we can detect a pattern through the dialogue between the faithful and God that is mediated through the priest. Our prayer ascends to God and then his word descends to us. Our gifts of bread and wine are presented and “offered up” to the Father and the Father presents us with his best gift, Jesus, fully present, body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist.
In this dialogue we hear words that are taken directly from Scripture: “The Lord be with your spirit” (2 Tm 4:22); “Lord, have mercy” (Ps 30:11); “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Is 6:3); the Our Father prayer (Mt 6:9-13); “Lord, … I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof” (Lk 7:6); “Behold, the Lamb of God” (Jn 1:29); and “This is my body” (Lk 22:19).
In addition to the words we hear and speak during the Mass, our actions are not arbitrary but come directly from Scripture. Kneeling (Acts 21:5, Ps 95:6), singing (Acts 16:25), offering a sign of peace (1 Thes 5:26), offering bread and wine (Gn 14:18, Mt 26:26-28), gathering around an altar (Gn 12:7, Rv 16:7), the use of incense (Rv 8:4) are actions that come to us from the Bible.
The puzzle pieces, the readings, actions and words at Mass, do indeed reveal a bigger picture: the picture of a God who loves us and died for us so that we may come alive in this life and have eternal life. The words and actions of the faithful and the priest are rooted in our “family history” which comes to us in sacred Scripture.
— Allan F. Wright
(Wright is the author of several books, including “25 Life-Changing Questions from the Gospels.”)
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As Mass concludes and the congregation filters out, it’s easy to move on to the next task, event or activity that the new week brings. How can families keep the spirit of Sunday Mass alive throughout the week? Here are some ideas:
— Post scriptural verses throughout the house. Choose passages from the Sunday Mass readings and post in visible areas as a reminder that God speaks to us through his word. Children can even choose the verses and decorate.
— Keep praying with the prayer of the faithful. Ask the parish staff to make available a copy of the prayer of the faithful. Each day pray one of the petitions to keep the intention alive in heart and mind.
— Have dinner discussions about the homily and/or readings and create family goals. Saturday or Sunday night after Mass, discuss the homily’s message or the meaning of the readings. Decide how you can live out the Gospel message this week, individually and as a family. Check in midweek at dinner to see how everyone is doing.
— Bless yourself with holy water. Keep a small font of holy water by the front door. Bless yourself as you enter and leave the house. Decorative fonts can be purchased at a Catholic bookstore or online, and parishes often have holy water containers where parishioners can fill up bottles to take home.
— Read the Mass readings in advance. Friday or Saturday evening, recite the readings, psalm and Gospel passage, available on www.usccb.org/bible/readings. For more context, find the passages in the Bible and read further.
