If all you did was read the title of this article, you might guess that this will be about the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples (the Our Father) when they asked Him to teach them to pray. To be sure, this is one of the most important and powerful prayers we have in our spiritual arsenal, and much can be written (and has been written) on this prayer. But the prayer that I want to consider is the Mass.
As our country is in the midst of this time of Eucharistic Revival, we often point to the sad statistic of how many Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of the Eucharist, that Jesus is truly, really, substantially present – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity – in the Eucharistic species following the Consecration at Mass. Some have therefore concluded that this Eucharistic Revival is about strengthening our belief in this important truth of the Real Presence of Jesus. And while very necessary, the Bishops of the United States envision more for us during this special time.
As many of you know, many of the priests of the diocese were on retreat a few weeks ago. Our Retreat Master was Bishop Robert Lombardo, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago. He happens to be on Bishops Advisory Group for the Eucharistic Revival. In a conversation one evening with some of the priests, he shared with us how there is a great need also to grow in our appreciation and love for the celebration of the Mass, our greatest prayer.
Now that we are in a rather long stretch of Ordinary Time, I would like to begin a series of reflections on how we can all pray the Mass better, appreciating the richness of this great prayer, such that we truly see it as the “apex” of all Christian prayers, as Pope Benedict explained several years ago.
I have not organized this series in a strict manner, so there is some room for flexibility on the topics that I will address. If there is something about the Mass that you are interested in learning about, feel free to suggest a topic and I will see if I can’t work it in at some point.
My plan is to begin next week by reflecting on how we prepare for Mass and how that has a direct impact on our experience of attending and praying Mass. A good preparation can transform our experience of this great prayer. After that I hope to begin with the Introductory Rites and work my way through the various parts and prayers of the Mass, offering a mix of catechesis and personal reflections based on my experience of praying the Mass, both as a layperson, and now as a priest. I hope to conclude my series with some thoughts on how the Mass commits us to the life of missionary discipleship.
I am personally excited about this new series, partly for selfish reasons because I look forward to how writing these articles will serve to increase my love for this great prayer that I have the privilege of offering every day. But I am also praying that these reflections will be received with open hearts by all who read them, so that as we journey through them, our hearts will be kindled with love for the Mass and, by extension, the gift of the Jesus in the Eucharist whom we have the opportunity to encounter and receive at each Mass.