Marvels of Mass

 

While trying to figure out something new to write, I just can’t do it.  There is nothing more to say about Easter than what is said in the Sequence for today.  Here I re-print what I said a few years ago:

 

Today we begin what is typically referred to as ‘Holy Week’.  It is a time set aside by the Church for us to commemorate the events of Christ’s Passion and Resurrection.  Following are excerpts from the Ceremonial of Bishops, 1984, regarding these services.

 

Palm Sunday:

We are now here at the last ‘regular’ Sunday of Lent.  Next week begins Holy Week with the celebration of Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday.  I would highly recommend that you make plans NOW to attend as many of these services as possible to fully engage in this once-a-year religious experience.  The schedule for the services are in this bulletin.

 

This Sunday is known as Laetare Sunday.  The entrance antiphon for this Sunday in Latin is “Laetare Jerusalem” or “Rejoice, Jerusalem”.  We are halfway through Lent now, and the Church gives us this Sunday to add in a little ‘rejoicing’.  The presiders have the option of wearing rose-colored vestments, which just like during Advent, is seen as a mixture of the regular Lenten purple and the upcoming white of Easter.  We can add in some greenery or flowers to the sanctuary.

This weekend at the 9am mass on Sunday, we celebrate the First Scrutiny with the elect.  Who are the elect?  These are the people who are preparing to enter our community at the Easter Vigil.  Some have been baptized already and are the Candidates; those who are not baptized are the Catechumens.  After the Rite of Election on the first Sunday of Lent, they are all now called the elect (technically, the catechumens are just ‘the elect’; the candidates remain as ‘candidates’ – but for our sake, we refer to all of them as ‘the elect’).

 

This Sunday, as always on the 2nd Sunday of Lent, we have the Gospel reading of the Transfiguration.

 

You may have noticed some changes today or on Ash Wednesday when you came to mass.  The environment is definitely different.  All of the gold that can be removed has been; all the greenery is gone.  We have gone back to using a simple wooden cross and wooden candle sticks.  Taking it all down a notch.  Just getting simpler and down to the basics.  We’re using a different form of the penitential rite that recalls very directly our sinfulness and our need for mercy. So why do we have all these changes?

This is the last Sunday in Ordinary Time.  This Wednesday begins Lent on Ash Wednesday. Today will be the last time to sing the Gloria and the Alleluia until the Easter Triduum.

 

We continue hearing from Luke’s Sermon on the Plain where he delves a little further into the ideas of the Beatitudes that we heard last week.  The overriding themes of love and service to all come out in this Gospel passage, just as last week.  It’s not just enough to love, but you have to show action, too. 

 

Our song at the preparation of the altar and gifts is “The Servant Song”.  Reflect for a moment on the first verse and how it may apply in your own life:

 

There’s a lot going on this weekend at our celebrations of the Mass! 

 

First off, we hear in today’s Gospel, Luke’s version of the Beatitudes in what is called the Sermon on the Plain. Matthew’s longer version is often referred to as the Sermon on the Mount as is the one most people often think of when referring to the Beatitudes. 

 

It is also World Marriage Day, so there is a blessing of marriages during Mass.  Let’s pray to strengthen all marriages this week in our daily prayers.