Postures [Sept 30 & Oct 1]

During the Mass, we assume different postures - standing, bowing, sitting, and kneeling - using our body along with our mind and heart to actively participate and engage in the Holy Mass.

Standing signifies honor, respect, and unity.
Examples of when we stand are:

• As the priest who represents Christ enters and leaves the Mass.
• During the Penitential and Sprinkling rites, the Gospel, the Creed, Prayers of the Faithful, and the Lord’s Prayer
• When the celebrant says “Pray brethren” through the Sanctus
• For the concluding prayers and final blessing.

Bowing signifies reverence, respect, and gratitude.
Examples of when we bow are:

• In reverence to the crucifix as it passes during the Processional and Recessional.
• During the Creed at the Words of the Incarnation
• During the Kyrie when saying “Lord, have mercy.”
• As the Book of Gospels is held up to the congregation.
• During the consecration of each element into the Body and Blood of Christ,
• Before receiving Holy Communion
• Any mention of the name of Jesus and the Holy Trinity
• When we are incensed

Sitting is a time of attentiveness as we listen and reflect.
Examples of when we sit:

• During the 3 readings before the Gospel,
• During the homily and the Preparation of the Gifts at the Offertory.

Kneeling is the most humble way to worship God.

It is no wonder that we kneel during the Eucharistic prayer – the Consecration, after the Agnus Dei, and after receiving Holy Communion when Jesus is present in each of us.

In doing each posture in unison with each other, we experience the prayers of the Mass with our bodies, minds, and hearts as a community of believers, the Body of Christ.

Next week we will cover Blessing with holy water and Genuflection. Two small gestures that helps us to prepare our minds and hearts to participate in the Mass.

Blessing with Holy Water and Genuflection [Oct 7 & 8]

When entering church, we dip our fingers into the holy water font and bless ourselves with the sign of the cross then proceed down the aisle and then genuflect before entering the pew. Both gestures are done so frequently that their meaning is often forgotten.

Blessing with holy water has its origin in the ancient practice of purification before praying. It is also a reminder on our Baptism and to invoke God’s protection from evil. Holy water, a sacramental of Baptism, helps us to recall the day when we entered the life of Christ and the Catholic faith, became part of God’s family, and made our baptismal promises to reject Satan. Blessing with holy water helps us to realize that we are entering into a sacred place and to begin preparing to take part in the Mass.

Genuflection is a sign of reverence during which a person brings their right knee to the floor. Traditionally, we genuflect when entering and leaving church in the direction of the tabernacle where Jesus is truly present. If you are uncertain of the location of the tabernacle look for the red sanctuary lamp. This lamp indicates that Jesus is among us and is kept burning whenever the Blessed Sacrament is present. The Catechism defines genuflection “as a prayerful sign of adoration in which we express our faith in the Real Presence of Jesus under the species of bread and wine.” We show our love and adoration to Jesus when we genuflect. If one finds it physically difficult to genuflect then one can do a deep bow.

Both these gestures help us to prepare for the upcoming Mass.

The next Catechetical Moment will be on the entrance song and the procession.

Entrance Song & Procession [Oct 14 & 15]

The purpose of the entrance music, whether an antiphon or a hymn, 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 to accompany the procession of the priest and minsters.

The entrance procession begins when the priest and minsters (deacon, altar servers and lectors) enter from either just inside or outside the rear door of the church. We stand as a sign of respect for the priest who during the Mass will be representing Christ Himself and for the book of the Gospels that is usually carried by the deacon. This procession is also a reminder that we are a people who are constantly on a pilgrimage to our home, Heaven. The procession is usually led by the altar servers carrying candles that represent the Light of the world, Christ and one altar server carries the crucifix. So, if you look at another way – Christ, represented by the priest, processes through the Body of Christ, the assembled church members, while a deacon carries the Book of the Gospels, the actual words of Christ and the Christ being the Word made flesh. As the altar servers carry the light of Christ, the candles, and another carries the image of the crucified Christ. The procession ends at the altar with all bowing. We bowed with the priest because we will soon actively participate in the sacrifice at the altar with the priest.

Next Week’s Catechetical Moment will be on the altar kiss, a sign of reverence to the altar which is a symbol of Christ.

Altar Kiss [Oct 21 & 22]

The practice of reverencing the altar with a kiss is one of the most ancient liturgical traditions and can be dated back to the fourth century. The kiss was given as an expression of love and under some circumstances as a symbol of profound respect.

Each time the priest kisses and reverences the altar, he is acknowledging and showing honor to the altar of sacrifice which represents Christ and is where the miracle of the Eucharist occurs. Kissing the altar also signifies the union of the Spouse, Christ, and his Bride, the Church. Lastly, the altar kiss shows reverence to the relics of the saint or martyr who are placed within the altar. Our Church altar contains the relics of St. Matthias and St. Maria Goretti.

So, the next time you see the priest reverence the altar with a kiss remember the importance and significance of the action and thank God the Father for the gift of his Son and remember the many saints that have given their lives to Christ and intercede for us daily.

Next Week’s Catechetical Moment will be on the Sign of the Cross which reminds us that we belong to a Triune God and that Jesus died on the cross for us.

Sign of the Cross [Oct 28 & 29]

Concerning the sign of the cross, Bishop Robert Barron explains in his book Catholicism - A Journey to the Heart of the Faith:

The ritual of the Liturgy properly begins with the sign of the cross and the priest's intonation of the words "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." By this gesture and this simple phrase we announce that we belong to the Triune God. Modern secularism is predicated on the assumption that we essentially belong to no one, that we are self-determining and self-directing, pursuers of happiness according to our own rights. But Paul told Christians long ago, "None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's" (Romans 14:7-8). In contradistinction to modernity, Catholics say "your life is not about you," and the Liturgy signals this at the very beginning of the Mass with the sign of the cross. But there is more. To speak of the cross is to reference the great act by which the Father sent the Son into godforsakenness in order to gather us, through the Holly Spirit, into the divine life. Because the Son went all the way down, he was able to bring even the most recalcitrant sinner back into fellowship with God. Thus when we invoke the cross at the beginning of the Liturgy, we signify that we are praying in God and not merely to God.

Next Week’s Catechetical Moment will be on praying for the dead.

Praying for the Dead [Nov 4 & 5]

During the month of November, the Church invites us to remember the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

The Word Purgatory is not listed in the Bible, however, the concept of purgatory - PURIFICATION - is.

The earliest recorded event of praying for the deceased in scripture Is found in 2 Macc. ”Therefore Judas Maccabees “made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin”.

The Catechism explains that all those who die in the friendship of God, but still need the cleansing of the temporal effects of sin, go to purgatory.

In his goodness, God doesn’t want these suffering souls to go through this difficult purification process alone. He wants and allows our prayers and sacrifices to help pay for the effects of their sins so that they can join Him in Heaven sooner.

Here are 3 ways we can help our dear suffering friends, our loved ones, and the forgotten souls during the month of November and throughout the year.

The Church remembers the deceased at every Mass. We can request Masses for a specific person at any time.

Do you ever find yourself thinking about a family member, friend or even acquaintance who has died as you go about your day? Consider that an invitation to pray for that person.

From Nov. 1-8, Catholics in a state of grace who visit a cemetery and pray for the dead, can receive a plenary indulgence for the souls in purgatory. We can obtain a partial indulgence by praying in a cemetery on any other day during the year.

Unfortunately, many people do not recognize the importance of praying for the dying and the deceased. So many souls die alone or suffer alone in purgatory, without help from their family and friends on earth. But they don’t have to.

St. Alphonsus Liguori instructs us that helping souls - our loved ones and the forgotten souls - move from purgatory to Heaven, is most pleasing to the Lord and most profitable to us. When, they arrive in Heaven, they will be sure to remember all who have prayed for them.”

Starting this November, and every day after- let us all be more mindful of helping to relieve the suffering of our brothers and sisters in purgatory. Finally, if you are already committed to this practice, pleases teach and encourage someone else to do the same.

The next Catechetical Moment will be on the greeting.

The Greeting - [Nov 11 & 12]

The greeting at the start of the Mass helps us to recall that we are in the presence of God who is calling us together to celebrate the Mass.

There are three greeting options found in the missal that a priest can use for the Greeting. The most familiar of the greeting options is the one in which the priest says, “The Lord be with you” and we response, “And with your spirit.” Our response is the same for all three options because our response acknowledges the spirit of Christ present in the priest. The Catechism states that “through Holy Orders the ministerial priesthood share in a special way in Christ’s priesthood

and by virtue of his ordination the priest is configured to Christ thus he acts and speaks in the name of Christ.” This is known as “in persona Christi” which is a Latin phase meaning “in the person of Christ.” When the priest is administering the sacraments, Christ is present and active in him and working through him in such a way that the priest becomes a visible sign of the person of Christ.

Everything that the priest does during the Mass is configured to Christ in such a way that Christ is the true celebrant of every Mass.

The next Catechetical Moment will be on Eucharist means Thanksgiving.

Eucharist means Thanksgiving [Nov 18 & 19]

This week we will celebrate Thanksgiving, a civil holiday rooted in giving thanks to God for the gifts of creation and the blessings of the past year.. The Mass is the ultimate Thanksgiving celebration. 

The first title listed in the Catechism for the Mass is Eucharist. Eucharist not only refers to the Mass but also to the sacrament of Holy Communion.  The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life, the central act of Catholic worship, and the heart of our faith that connects us as a community of believers not only with Jesus Christ but with each other.   

The word Eucharist comes from a Greek word, ”eucharistia”, that means “thanksgiving”.  The celebration of the Eucharist is a prayer of thanksgiving and is the highest form of thanksgiving that we can offer to God. Many of the prayers during the Eucharist either state or imply our thankfulness to God for His love and mercy, His saving works in our lives, the many blessings in our lives, and the miracle that happens at every Mass when bread and wine is changed into the Real Presence of Jesus Christ who is our spiritual food.  

We come to Mass to give thanks and praise to God for everything in our lives – our ultimate act of thanksgiving to God.  

The next Catechetical Moment will be on the Kingship of Christ. 

The Kingship of Christ [Nov 25 & 26]

Why do we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King?   

First, there is the Biblical Basis for the Feast: 

The title “Christ the King” has its roots both in Scripture and in the whole theology of the Kingdom of God.  In most of the Messianic prophecies given in the Old Testament books of Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel, Christ the Messiah is represented as a ‘King.’    

In the Annunciation, recorded in Luke 13:2-33, we read: “The Lord God will make him a King, as his ancestor David was, and He will be the King of the descendants of Jacob forever and His Kingdom will never end.”  In fact, the Kingdom of God is the center of Jesus’ teaching, and the phrase “Kingdom of God” occurs in the Gospels 122 times, of which 90 instances are used by Jesus.  

Second, this feast was established and proclaimed by the Pope Pius XI in 1925 to reassert the sovereignty of Christ and the Church over all forms of government and to remind Christians of the fidelity and loyalty they owed to Christ, who by his Incarnation and sacrificial death on the cross had made them both adopted children of God and future citizens and heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.  The Feast was also a reminder to the totalitarian governments of Mussolini, Hitler & Stalin that Jesus Christ is the only Sovereign King.  

Third, the Feast of Christ the King also marks the end of the Church’s liturgical year. 

The next Catechetical Moment will be on the symbolism of the Advent Colors and the Wreath.