Friar’s Corner: More God-gifts
Baruch 5:1-9; Psalm 126:1-6; Philippians 1:4-6 and 8-11; Luke 3:1-6
As we have met Jesus, know more of the Gospels and the core history of Christ’s Church, we see that once the Son of God came to earth, amazing and good things have happened in humans and the world. Then Jesus did return to heaven at his Ascension. He had trained and left on earth 120 men and women to continue his ministry throughout the world. The Father and Jesus set his core team on Fire at Pentecost and sent them to bring his love to others.
The most important and powerful miracle Jesus left behind is his real presence in the consecrated bread and wine at every Mass. We run out of that bread by giving him in communion, but God’s priests frequently “make more Jesus,” to be given away. He multiplies his presence at every moment every day all over the world except on Good Friday. Then there is no consecration but the distribution of the Eucharistic Bread consecrated the day before.
Daily miracle
As we understand this wonder and prayerfully think about it, this is a “daily miracle.” Jesus invites us to receive our “daily bread,” to empower our daily journey to heaven. It is Christ’s gift to us and the Church will ever send us a “bill;” it is God’s free gift of himself to us. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.
How can we be sure of this? The Eucharistic Liturgy, the Mass, is the clearest source of God’s power in our life. The liturgy, in the scriptures, teaches us how to live a good Godly life on earth and provides us the energy and power to do that. We learn this from the four Gospels and Church teaching.
Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas
One of our great saints and theologians, St. Thomas Aquinas, tells us this in the prayer he prayed before he went to celebrate the Mass. You can find it in many prayer books and missals. I offer it here for your prayerful and reflection.
Almighty and ever-living God,
I approach the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
I come unclean to the fountain of mercy,
blind to the radiance of eternal light,
poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth.Lord, In Your great generosity,
heal my sickness, wash away my defilement,
enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty,
and clothe my nakedness.May I receive the bread of angels,
the King of kings and Lord of lords,
with humble reverence,
with purity and faith,
the repentance and love, and the determined purpose
that will help to bring me to salvation.May I receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood,
and its reality and power.
King God,
May I receive the Body of Your only-begotten Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
born from the womb of the Virgin Mary,
and so be received into His mystical body,
and numbered among His members.
Loving Father,
as on my earthly pilgrimage
I now receive Your beloved Son
under the veil of a sacrament,
may I one day see Him face to face in glory,
who lives and reigns with You and forever.
Amen.
I ask in Jesus’, holy Name. (Not part of the original prayer yet we pray in his Name.)
Christ’s Mass
As we slowly pray and reflect on the various phrases and sentences of this prayer, we are drawn by God’s love into the deeper reality of what the Mass is really about. Our minds and hearts are drawn to want to go and receive Jesus in this way. I sense Jesus always has a gift for us each time we receive him. There are also other blessings when we grace. Yet this is the most important. What amazing grace. The Holy Spirit raises us up to a new level of God’s love. There is also an equally beautiful prayer after Mass; truly amazing grace.
As the veil over our minds and eyes is lifted a little more, we begin to see that “Christmas” is really “Christ’s Mass.” God invites us to this sacred meal to fill us with more of his love. He fills us and sends us out into the world to bring more of his love to others and tell them the “Good News.” As we understand this, we will want to come more frequently to Mass.
Have a blessed week,
(© 2019 Father Bob Hilz, TOR)
