Why do we do the things we do at Mass? Do we ever think about the different parts of the Mass? Maybe we learned them a long time ago, OR maybe, we never learned them at all. We have certainly had to reprogram our brains to the new responses in the Mass. It still is not automatic for us, we find ourselves stumbling over the prayers or forgetting to pick up the cards. You may notice how we (the priests) stumble our way through the new Eucharistic Prayers. It is hard for us too!! But I think that is good because it forces me to read the prayers over before the Mass each weekend. It has helped me reflect on parts of our liturgy that I take for granted or had, put on automatic pilot.

What I want to do over the next couple of months is highlight parts of our liturgy for us to reflect on. To shed a little more understanding on our ritual action.

 The role & purpose of the Gathering Song: The Gathering Song establishes that we are starting our communal prayer. It accompanies our procession to the altar, but more importantly it starts the journey for all of us to start the ritual enactment of the ‘paschal mystery’ (the dying and rising) which is the core of our liturgy. The hymn accompanying this journey, then needs to support this movement. Its text needs to draw us into our identity as the Body of Christ. It prepares us for this celebration of our week. It sets the tone for the liturgical season or solemnity or Sunday of the year we are in. It should tell us everyone is here and we are ready to encounter Christ.

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Thoughts on Scripture: (Taken from the Living Liturgy)

The people in the Gospel twice responded to Jesus as one with authority: when he taught them and when he cast out the “unclean spirit.” What was this authority? Both in word and deed Jesus touched people in their need. The people were “astonished” and “amazed” because Jesus was saying and doing something new. He was revealing God’s very presence and life—he is “the Holy One of God” among them. And among us.

Thinking of evil in terms of demons and devils keeps it at arm’s length. The evil in our world that we must confront and cast out is more personal and immediate: violence, poverty, discrimination, etc.

Peace,

Fr. Peter