The Reenactment of Calvary

We have been told many times in Holy Scripture that we are a priestly people. In this role we have the privilege of joining with Christ, Son of God and High Priest, with our male celebrant priest in everything that takes place during the celebration of the Mass, with the one exception: that is, when he, the ordained celebrant, like Christ changes the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.

     When the priest clebrates this very solemn part of the Mass we, most reverently, unite ourselves with the priest at the very moment he changes the bread and wine into Christ's Body and Blood. But not only that, but right then and there we can also make Christ a true part of our daily living by offering to God our day with everything the day may bring — its happiness; its sorrows; its enjoyments and its pains. With the bread and wine, we can offer to God in reparation for the sins of mankind, in union with the Christ crucified.

     Eucharist means "thanksgiving," and there is no better time than right now to offer heartfelt thanks to God for this great gift.

     But we don’t stop here. We go on to the third great happening of the Mass, the moment when we, with the priest, actually receive and consume the Body and Blood of Christ.

     And so we have completed the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, offered with the priest and shared, on a high spiritual plane, in the consecration by taken Christ into our very being. This is the greatest of all miracles and we have had the privilege of sharing it and of participating in it, step by step. We can do this every Sunday or daily if we choose.

    Truly, the generosity of God surpasses our human power to understand. Simply, like children, let us believe. Let us accept and cherish the moment.

    This, then, is our Mass — our Christ. We offer a perfect worship to our Heavenly Father in the Mass, which is the center of our religion. If it is taken away from us we will remain a hollow shell.

    There is no way on earth that we can attain a closer unity with Christ than by full participation in the Mass. It is an absolute wonder, a total mystery, and an incomprehensible joy for us to have this privilege. It is awesome. It is grand. It is vastly and mightily desirable — this union with Christ — this receiving His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist at Mass. To receive Him, all of Him, His soul, His Spirit, His Merciful Heart and His Body into our souls, our spirits, our bodies, our hearts and minds and our wills, is to put a foot on the threshold of God's own living room.

     It is a terribly humbling thing to know that we who are so lowly are all invited to unite ourselves to Christ in this holy happening.

      Remember these Gospel words, “Take and eat; this is my body. Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.”[1]

     St. Francis said, "O sublime lowliness, O low sublimity!  That the Lord of the universe, God and the Son of God, should so humble Himself as to hide under the tiny little form of bread for our welfare. Look brothers, at the humility of God and pour out your hearts before Him. Be humble yourselves so that you may be exalted by Him."

    Spiritual love is an emotional thing as well as a virtue.  Let us bring some emotion, some real feeling into our participation in the Mass which is protected by the Vicar of Christ, our Holy Father. Let us try to become more fully aware of what the Mass is. It is our glory, our shining Hope, our true, True Love.