Eucharistic Prayer in Pieces

We've talked about the Eucharist, sacrifice, and all the whys, but what about what we actually say during the Eucharistic Celebration?

There are different variations and parts to the entire Eucharistic celebration, but I thought we could break down the one we say every time, right before actually receiving Christ. Not too long ago, many pieces of the Eucharistic Rite changed, but one in particular has resonated with me, and I think, most of us. 

"Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." 

This prayer comes from the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 8, when a centurion begs Jesus to heal one of his servants. He tells Jesus that He doesn't need to enter his home, only speak and heal the servant. The centurion admits a deep understanding of authority, not just his own, but also Christ's authority over the servant and himself. This acknowledgement of authority is similar to the woman who believed she need to only touch Jesus's cloak or the mother of James and John, who trusted that Jesus could give the best to her sons in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The centurion is admitting that Christ is the True Authority, and that faith is all that is needed for Christ to heal his servant, but what are we saying when we repeat his words?

Firstly, we are addressing Jesus in the Eucharist when we state "Lord", claiming faith in the True Presence each time before receiving Him. The second phrase is a little less literal. What is our roof? The centurion is talking about his actual home, but when say roof, we mean our physical shells, our human bodies. We are not worthy for Jesus to actually, physically enter us when we receive communion in a few moments. But that's okay, because the second half of that prayer is, again, similar to the centurion's.

We trust that Christ needs to only say the word, and healing will take place. Our trust in Christ as we say this prayer helps us to prepare ourselves for Him, and cleanse our soul. God abhors sin, thus we before we receive God in the form of Christ, we ask for the chance to be made ready, and that were the last little bit comes in. Healed. Just by faith, by trusting in God, our soul is healed and ready to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, cleansing ourselves of any venial sins and prepared for the next week and walk of faith before we return to the altar for our next chance to become better and closer to God.

Tota tua.

"He Sprang Up"

Sunday's Gospel was another one of those we've heard a thousand times. Oh lookie, Jesus performed a miracle, and we kind of phase in and out of listening to it and the homily that follows. We've heard over and over about how awesome and powerful Jesus is.

But this Sunday at Mass I was reminded how important the details are in the Bible. After all, these weren't typed on a computer or even a typewriter; these books were originally carefully handwritten, so anything within them is important. This isn't just a little detail Mark felt like adding, each of these are important. With that reminder, my mom and I were questioning why it was important that Bartimaeus was even named. Wouldn't it have made more sense to leave him nameless, so that this poor blind man could stand for anyone?

It was my dad who solved it for us though. Bartimaues was called to by Jesus, called by name to come to Him and ask Jesus to heal him. Without sight, literally with blind faith, Bartiemaues had to believe as we all do now, by only hearing about Jesus had done. But by believing, Bartimaues was able to not only have his sight given to him, but also given the opportunity to follow Christ. He "sprang up" and went to the Lord.

Do you spring up to follow Christ when the opportunity arises? Even on a Monday? Even on a cold, dark Monday when all you want to do is stay under those warm blankets and not force yourself up and out of bed earlier than you have to, so that you can do your devotional before the day has truly began?

Spring up this morning! Be thankful for the opportunities before you, and get after it. You're called to do something today, what is it? Go and do it!


Tota tua,

LeAnn

I Missed That Memo...

Sunday's Gospel, the one about the young man who wanted to know what more to do and was then dismayed at the idea is one of the most disheartening Gospels to me. The last half, about how it would be easier for a camel to fit into the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Well. Shoot. I don't know about you- but to me that is just a downer. If it's this difficult then what can I possibly do to earn my place in the Kingdom?

The Gospel goes on and Jesus warns the Disciples that no one can enter the Kingdom, ."..it is impossible..."

Darn.

"But all is possible through God."

Until yesterday, I had never noticed that this line was paired with the lines above it, and suddenly that Gospel became one of the most hopeful stories I have heard in a long time. The point of this tale is not to tell us how impossible things are, but how possible they are with God!

I don't know how in many years of Mass that I missed this key part of the Gospel, or how I had just put this last piece of the puzzle together, but suddenly Christ's message made infinitely more sense in the context of the Gospel. He was telling his men, and reminding us, that we cannot do it alone. You can anyone or anything, but without God, you will not accomplish your final and most important task; to join Him in Heaven.

We all have vocations, callings, and dreams, but when it is all said and done, we have one goal in life, because this is not our final place, this is not our home.

Ask God for help; become closer to Christ. Reach out the Holy Spirit and let it wrap itself around you. Make one small change, you don't have to give away all of your possessions, just make a little more room for God in your life.

Tota tua,

LeAnn

The Crying Woman

In today's Gospel, we hear a familiar story, about a woman who washes Jesus' feet with her tears, dries them with her hair, and then anoints them with expensive oil (Luke 7 36:50). As a child, it was a funny image. How does someone cry enough to wash another person's feet? Her hair must have been so long to be able to dry His feet like that... Gross, kissing someone's feet!

The image itself distracted me from the reality of the what this woman was doing. Now, as an adult and hearing this story, my pride cringes at the idea of kneeling before another person and washing their feet with my tears and drying them with my hair (although I still don't think my hair is long enough for that). Obviously, there is more to the story: Jesus informs her that her sins are forgiven and reminds the Pharisees that what she has done and the great love she has shown, which earns her great forgiveness in return. "Your faith has saved you," He tells her.

I think part of the impact of this story happens before the beginning. Try to just imagine acting like she does. Disregard the probability of it, but try to imagine being so sorry and ashamed for what you have done that you produce enough tears to wash someone's feet. Try to imagine planning this out, she obviously had forethought if she had purchased that jar of oil beforehand. Putting yourself low enough to the ground that you can was another's feet. Making the decision to put yourself literally at the feet of your Lord and admit all of your faults.

Would you be able to put your pride aside and do this? Keep in mind, Jesus has not told her that He is God, He has not risen from the dead yet, she is relying on faith and only her faith. Do you have enough faith in God, enough love for God, enough trust in God to put yourself out there? To cry in front of the leaders of your hometown and religion and physically, if not verbally, show how sorry you are for your sins?

Maybe we don't have to go so far though...

If what saved her was her faith, then maybe that is all that is needed. Faith that God will always forgive you, welcome you, and take you into loving arms. You have to trust that God will. And how can we, as Catholics (or Christians) do this? We can wash another's feet, we can ask for forgiveness either in prayer, at church, or in confession. But the important thing is that we have enough faith to ask in the first place.

 Ask and receive.


Tota tua,

LeAnn

Holy Week Cheat Sheet

Grind Week - the Tridiuum 

Let's get down to business; it's Holy Week people.  For the last 34 days, we've been fasting, praying, giving alms, adding to our spiritual habits, in preparation for next Sunday.  If there was ever a week to buckle down, and give God all you've got, it would be this week.

Today at mass, we heard Luke's version of the Passion of Christ; Thursday, Friday, and Sunday we will hear the other three versions of the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection of Christ.  We will venerate the cross, wash feet, and perform other various acts of tradition that most of us don't fully understand.

Is anyone else confused about what all will be going on this week?  Because I remember the first time I really paid attention at Holy Week services, and I was lost.  So, I thought I would offer a friendly, comprehensive Holy Week guide.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday (today).  Mass begins with a processional inside, weather permitting.  We had snow where I live, so we started inside.  The priest will bless the palms the people picked up before mass began, and then the entire congregation will process into their pews, with the priest entering last, like a normal mass.  The gospel will be one of the four accounts of the Passion of Christ.

We wave palms in tradition of how Jesus was greeted upon His return to Jerusalem.

So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!"              (Jn 12:13-15)

Holy Thursday is the most important and profound service in the Catholic Church, except for the Easter Vigil Mass.  Holy Thursday celebrates, the Last Supper, otherwise known as the Institution of the Eucharist.  This is the service you remember as child, the one where the priest washed feet.  He does this in reflection and honor of our Servant-Leader, who washed the feet of His Disciples.  This action represents baptism, a forgiveness of sins, and a servile action. We listen to the second Gospel version of the Passion.  At the end of the mass, the priest strips the altar and moves the extra consecrated hosts to another tabernacle off to the side.

All of this is to symbolize a cleansing of the Church, which is how Holy Thursday received it's other name, Maundy Thursday, taken from the word Mandatum, meaning cleansed.

In the Cathedrals around the world, another special mass takes place; the Chrism Mass, which is attended by as many priests as possible.  This mass represents the the institution of the priesthood. The bishop of the diocese washes the feet of twelve priests, and blesses the chrism oil that will be used for Confirmation and Baptism throughout the following year.

Good Friday is the only day of the year that there is no mass.  Anywhere. At anytime.  No mass.

"But wait, I remember receiving Communion at Good Friday services," you're thinking.

Right you are, you did receive Communion.  But it wasn't consecrated in front of you; it was consecrated on Holy Thursday.  Remember the extra hosts I mentioned?  Those are the ones we receive on Good Friday.  We don't have a Eucharistic celebration out of honor for the Passion of our Lord.  Instead, we venerate the Cross.

venerate: to regard with great respect; revere

The Church is bare after Holy Thursday services, we have no musical instruments and will not sing again until Easter Vigil.  All of the congregation's focus is on the Cross. Veneration of the Cross started in the fourth century, after St. Helena discovered the True Cross. The priest would unveil the relic, and announce to the people, "Behold, the Wood of the Cross".

The same is done today, although very few us will get to venerate the True Cross.  Rather, we will give our adoration to the representation of the cross; the Passion of Christ.  You may either kiss, touch, or simply gaze upon the cross.  All that matters is the sincerity with which you approach it.  That cross represents our salvation, the great suffering that Christ went through, and God's great Love for us.

After Veneration, the people will listen to the third Gospel version of the Passion, receive Communion, and quietly, solemnly process out.

Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday need their own special cheat sheet, which I will put up on Holy Thursday before services begin; but this should be more than enough to get you through the first two days of the Tridiuum.

The most important thing to remember is to be reverent  we don't have to understand every single thing we do as Catholics, what is important is to understand that we do it out of love and respect for our Lord, and what He did for us.

Have a blessed Holy Week,

Totus tuus,

LeAnn


Did I miss anything?  Want more details?  I put up all of my sources under the Links page, so that you can investigate for yourselves!  The sites I used had great tips, resources, and explanations for everything going on this week.