Monday, August 31, 2009

You go to Mass nearly every day?


Don't pray at Holy Mass, but pray the Holy Mass..Pope St Pius X

Well, I try to get to Mass most days..sometimes with the kids and dh..sometimes by myself.

The Holy Mass is a prayer itself, even the highest prayer that exists. It is the Sacrifice, dedicated by our Redeemer at the Cross, and repeated every day on the altar. If you wish to hear Mass as it should be heard, you must follow with eye, heart and mouth all that happens at the altar. Further, you must pray with the priest the holy words said by him in the Name of Christ and which Christ says by him. You have to associate your heart with the holy feelings which are contained in these words and in this manner you ought to follow all that happens at the altar. When acting in this way, you have prayed Holy Mass. Pope St Pius X..again

A friend asked me if I go to Mass on weekdays just to find some peace in my busy days.

Not really.

Someone else told me I am a religious zealot, because of my Mass going and my prayers. Zealot? An excessively zealous person; fanatic .Synonym: extremist, crank, bigot.

Oh, gosh, I hope not.

This same person said maybe I go to Mass and pray because it is the only way I can live with my (apparently horrible) life.
It's not that horrible, really. It is even fun. For the most part.

To be honest, I just go to Mass because I love God. There really is no other reason.

Do we have to go to Mass every day? Of course not.
Are there graces to be received from daily Mass and Communion. Yes. For sure. This act “identifies us with his Heart, sustains our strength along the pilgrimage of this life, makes us long for eternal life, and unites us even now to the Church in heaven, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the saints.” (CCC #1419)
Am I better than anyone else simply because I go to some extra masses during the week? Definitely not!

The Eucharist is to be offered to the faithful, among other reasons, “as an antidote, by which we are freed from daily faults and preserved from mortal sins”,as is brought to light in various parts of the Mass. As for the Penitential Act placed at the beginning of Mass, it has the purpose of preparing all to be ready to celebrate the sacred mysteries;even so, “it lacks the efficacy of the Sacrament of Penance”...

For “no Christian community is built up unless it is rooted in and hinges upon the celebration of the Most Holy Eucharist”. Hence it is the Christian people’s right to have the Eucharist celebrated for them on Sunday, and whenever holydays of obligation or other major feasts occur, and even daily insofar as this is possible. Redemptionis Sacramentum
You know, it is easy to be a minimalist with our Faith. To do just the minimum required by the Church, to do the minimum to hopefully get to heaven and avoid hell.
In my dry, arid, aching spritual periods, like when I first moved to Sydney and was cynical and a bit cowed by judgement, well, then I tend towards minimalism.
Yet I know, deep down, somewhere in my intellect and in my soul, that the externals affect our interior soul. That, even if I feel desolate spiritually, I can still practice my Faith, still go often to Mass, pray, read the Scriptures and my missal, pray the Rosary..and this practice of my Faith makes the interior disposition match the exterior activity.
Eventually. Through the grace of God. And, in my case, through the serendipitious moving from Adelaide, to Sydney, to our current parish, the Conventual Franciscans, who have helped. Helped without their knowledge. By their prayers, their works, their example, their faith.
And their Masses.
So, I try to go to daily Mass. It is practice for heaven. Every Catholic Mass is participation in the liturgy of heaven. At Mass, we are present with those who have gone before us, with the saints and angels who all join Jesus as He offers His sacrifice on the cross for us . Honestly, it is of eternal importance for us to be there as often as we can.
As often as we can.
The Church is understanding in this regard and so I try not to be stricter than the Church, try not to be a Mass Nazi, making everyone go to Mass with me every day.
But I still try to go. Myself.
As the Ironic Catholic puts it, on the blog of the same name ~ Why Go To Daily Mass?

It's kind of like facebook with God, the angels, and the saints

6 comments:

Chris said...

Hey we're zealots when it comes to chocolate.

The Aussie Bush Kids said...

Leonie

Well said, I'm thinking hard now.

btw, love your new profile pic:)

The Aussie Bush Kids said...

Whoops

I see I'm signed in as the children, that's what happens when they blog too

Erin (aka Seven Little Australians Plus One)

Beate said...

Great post Leonie. I go to Mass as often as I can. It's home...

Ruth said...

Amen!!!!! My thoughts exactly.

Leonie said...

Thanks Erin and Ruth..knew you'd agree! :-)