Last summer, when I began my series on praying the Mass, I honestly had no idea how long it would last. I thought perhaps it might take me into the Fall, or possibly the beginning of Advent at the latest. As it turns out, it pretty much took an entire year to complete the series. There were, understandably, a few breaks that I needed to take for various reasons, but overall, it was pretty much one article after the next, making our way slowly but surely through the Mass.
I have been very encouraged by the feedback that I have received from many of you on the series. It demonstrates to me that the Holy Spirit was prompting me to take on this labor or love because it was something needed by the Church. As you know, many of the most profound insights came from sources other than myself, so I cannot claim any specific credit for anything that may have been moving to you, but I am grateful for the opportunity that the Lord has given to me to have this vehicle for sharing something so important for us as Catholics, which is praying the Mass well. This time of Eucharistic Revival is far more than just explaining our belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. To be sure, that is important, and I hope many Catholics throughout our country have experienced a renewed appreciation for this important truth of our faith. But a desire of those responsible for crafting the goals of the Eucharistic Revival was to highlight the treasure of the Sacred Liturgy. If it is true that the Mass is the “source and summit of the Chistian life”, then a renewal in our love for this gift is essential to the success of this special time for the Church in the United States.
As this series on praying the Mass was nearing completion, I found myself both joyful and a bit nervous. As I said, this series has been a labor of love, and now that it is done, I am so thankful for the experience. But then I face the question: “What’s next?” Is there another series planned? At this point, that answer is no. But, I do not want to put limits on what the Holy Spirit may prompt me to do, so do not be surprised if something comes along. In the mean time, I am content to take these articles one week at a time. This is where that nervousness comes in! With a defined series, it was somewhat easy to know what the topic of the next article would be. Of course, each article required a fair amount of thinking, praying, and researching, but to have a general direction took a lot of pressure off. Now, I will return to where I’ve been in the past, most likely, praying each week: “Lord, what do you want me to say?” The Lord always provides, so that brings me comfort, even as I experience a little nervousness.
By the time you read this, I will have just finished attending our annual Priests Retreat with Bishop Paprocki and several other of our diocesan priests. It was on that retreat last year when I really received the inspiration for this series. Who knows if the Lord has something in store for me again? One thing I know for sure about retreat (which is a little strange to think about given that I am writing this before retreat), I will be giving thanks to God for the gift of serving you as Rector of the Cathedral. On July 1, I will be beginning my 5th year here, which will officially make it the longest parish assignment I have ever had. In many ways, these have been some of the most fulfilling and happiest years I have known as a priest, and much of that I credit to your loving support and encouragement of me and my brother priests. And speaking of my brother priests, I think that is possibly the greatest gift of these past four years that have made for such fulfillment, the gift of priestly fraternity that we have here at the Cathedral Rectory, under the spiritual fatherhood of Bishop Paprocki, who has truly been a father, a brother, and a friend to me and my brother priests. Please continue to pray for us each day, as we happily do so for you!
Father Alford