Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

     This will be my last How-To Mass as a way to draw closer to God and the community and to enter more perfectly into Christ’s Holy Sacrifice. Last May, I read my way through a new book called The Stations of the Eucharist by Fr Jonathan Meyer [www.thestationsoftheeucharist.com]. An article was also written about this in the Criterion, focusing particularly on the 2nd grade project by the same name & theme hosted at Sacred Heart Catholic School, Jeffersonville. It is awesome. Scripturally, it is incredible to see how God was leading up to the Eucharist throughout the whole Salvation History in the Scriptures. One of the great takeaways – even an expressed purpose by Fr Jonathan in writing the book – was for people to How-To Mass as a true participation in the Sacrifice of Christ, in Christ’s Paschal Mystery – suffering, death, & resurrection.

     One important way to keep Mass from becoming a DIY project is to realize that your participation is really in the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross. You are not just present to watch or receive. You are there to participate and to give. There are a couple of ways that you can How-To Mass as a personal sharing in His perfect Sacrifice.

      Fasting before you receive Holy Communion. Catholics are supposed to abstain from food or drink for 1-hour before reception. [There are exceptions for pregnant or nursing mothers & those who must take medicine]. Yet, if you are generally healthy, you should fast. Given most Masses take 35-45 minutes to get to the Distribution of Holy Communion, that 1-hr fasting is hardly too challenging. And yet, some still ignore it. It is a small – ever so small – sacrifice. A small offering in & through our sinful flesh as we prepare to receive the ‘Flesh that is True Food’ (John 6:55). It is a small act of mastery over our bodies that we can offer with Christ’s offering of His whole Body & Blood for our salvation. The fast also serves to elevate our minds & hearts. Consciously fasting encourages us to think ahead, with immense longing, for Him whom we will be receiving in the Eucharist. That might be the best part. It makes us think & anticipate.

     Another way How-To share in Christ’s Sacrifice is to bring your prayer intentions. Many people have lots of worries, concerns, and intentions floating around in our hearts and minds. Yet, when was the last time you intentionally lifted up one of those intentions as part of the Mass. Not merely, that the Grace of that Mass may be brought to bear on the positive resolution of the petition, but the actual lifting up of the challenge itself as a gift & offering to God. Lord, help me to carry this. Lord, let me carry this as you carried your Cross. It is a sacrifice, a suffering, a sharing in your Cross. I offer it to you! Just after the offertory, the presiding priest proclaims, “Pray brethren, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father” (RM3, #29). Your intentions can be your sacrifice. Your carrying of the burdens can be your sacrifice. Your acceptance of a challenge can be your sacrifice. You can place it on the paten with the bread & in the chalice with the wine, to be offered, to be transformed, to be sanctified.

     You can do the same after receiving Holy Communion. That graced time of quiet prayer can be a time to offer gratitude for the Sacrifice of Christ as He sanctifies you inside out. It is perfectly acceptable to offer the Grace of your Holy Communion for someone or some intention. It is gifting away the freely given Divine Graces for the good of another. It is to forego the good for one’s self and to offer it for another. That is a very Christ-like offering. It is a sharing in Christ’s sacrifice.

    Personal salvation is not a DIY activity. None of us is saved by our own works or efforts. But for any and all of us to share in Christ’s Saving Work upon the Cross, we must allow It to be made our own in us. We do that by faithfully sharing in His Sacrifice by the prayerful offering of our own sacrifices united in the re-presentation of His Saving Work at Mass. Grace is always an utterly free gift. And yet, we all must open and avail ourselves of His Grace in our Life. We must permit God to make us little Christs. This is done by the surrender of self & DIY attitudes, so as to How-To like Christ Himself.

Nothing Less than saints for the Holy Family of God.

Holy Family, who worshiped God, Pray for us.

~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries