The second pillar of Discipleship and Stewardship is Prayer. The Synod describes this pillar with the following words:
Prayer – to provide well-prepared celebrations of the sacraments and
other occasions for prayer as signs of hope and paths of grace to
Heaven;
Since prayer and the sacraments are at the very heart of what we are about as Catholics, one might think that this should be the first pillar of discipleship. While that is indeed true about the primacy of prayer, placing it as the second pillar is intentional. If one were to come to our parish and encounter an environment that is not welcoming and not hospitable, chances are they may not stick around to experience prayer or the sacraments because they do not feel that they belong. But once they have crossed through our doors and feel comfortable staying, they are ready to experience the gift of prayer and the sacraments in our church.
One tangible way in which I think we join these two pillars together is in the fact that our church is open throughout the day every day. We unlock the doors one hour before the first Mass, which is 6 AM every day except Saturday, which is 7 AM. We then lock the church after the final Mass of the day, which is usually around 6:00 PM, depending on the day. Throughout the day, the church is available for anybody to stop in and spend some time in prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Making a visit to the Blessed Sacrament is a practice that has largely fallen out of practice, but it is something that I hope more people will consider working into their spiritual lives.
This pillar speaks about our parish providing “well-prepared celebrations of the sacraments.” I believe we do that well here at the Cathedral. Many of the people of our diocese associate the Cathedral with some of the bigger diocesan celebrations, such as the Chrism Mass, Ordinations, and Confirmations. These are indeed powerful liturgies that highlight not just the beauty of this church, but also the richness of our liturgical celebrations. We strive to celebrate our liturgies well and many people comment on their appreciation for these liturgies, whether it be a simple daily Mass or that glorious celebration of the Easter Vigil, and everything in between.
As I consider our Mass schedule here, I am especially mindful of our desire to be a place that offers opportunities that other parishes may not. In particular, we offer a daily 5:15 PM Mass, which I know is appreciated by those who are not able to get to a morning Mass, or who may prefer to sleep in a little later! We also have a Sunday evening Mass at 5:00 PM, which I know is a popular time for many throughout the area who may be travelling and are looking for a later alternative to get to Mass on Sunday. Along those lines, I am perhaps most proud of the fact that we offer fairly convenient times for the Sacrament of Reconciliation every day, something I know many take advantage of.
While all of these aspects of the pillar of prayer are indeed for the benefit of our own parishioners, we are happy that this is a place where anybody can and should feel welcome to join for prayer and the sacraments. This is something that makes the Cathedral so unique, and it is something we are happy to offer for anybody who comes through our doors.
Father Alford