Catholics participate at Mass — not attend for obligation’s sake

“The Church calls us to participate and celebrate the Sunday Mass and not attend to fulfill an obligation.We come together to remember and celebrate Christ’s sacrifice, to thank, worship and glorify Him.We do not celebrate alone, said Fr Ignatius Huan, during the formation ‘Mass Explained’ at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit (CHS), on August 11.

This formation programme is one of a series of programmes lined up for the parish’s year long journey towards CHS’s Golden Jubilee, which will be celebrated on Pentecost Day, 2019.

The whole Bible may be summarised into the one word ‘remember’. Therefore, we come to Mass to remember. The rites and rituals remind us of Jesus’ supreme sacrifice and his presence here and now.

Jesus said, ‘Do this in memory of me.’ It is not just an act of remembrance. Jesus wants us to remember Him for our sake so that we may remember our identity as His disciples. We are not individuals coming to Mass, but His disciples coming together, to be involved in a master-discipleship relationship.

In the Liturgy of the Word, Fr Huan explained, we praise God and thank him. He speaks to us and we should listen with our hearts. Certain words touch us. Thus, the Word of God comes alive, just as when Jesus spoke to the disciples on their way to Emmaus and they felt their hearts on fire.

We end the Liturgy of the Word by professing our faith with the Nicene Creed. The Liturgy of the Eucharist begins with the presentation of our gifts. This is followed by God giving us his blessings, salvation and grace. That forms the basic structure of the Mass.

During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we move from Chronos, which is the human time dimension, to the Kairos which is God’s time. In God’s time, there is no past or future, only the eternal present, which reflects God’s nature. During this Kairos, we celebrate the mysteries of Christ as we recall His incarnation, death and resurrection.

The Mass actually does not end after the final blessing. We go out to live the Mass, carrying Christ with us. We become the other Christ to the world. So, remain faithful to Christ just as he loved us to the end. Share how you experienced God’s love. This is evangelisation.

Not growing in faith can discourage Catholics from continuing to remain in the Church. Therefore, understanding the Mass can help to bring back lax Catholics. The Mass is so rich with the treasures of the Church that we should not overlook the importance of understanding the Mass. Actively participating in the Mass requires us to understand the rites and rituals, appreciating their relevance and applying their graces to Christian living.

Present were 240 participants from various parishes, including BM, Alor Setar, Kuching and one from Sydney.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online