Second Sunday of Advent

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/120714.cfm

The Mass as the Bridge between the

First and Second “Comings” of Christ

Part II

The figure of St. John the Baptist appears in the gospel today on this Second Sunday of Advent.  What do we know about John?  We know that he comes from elderly parents (an indication of a prophet in line with the prophets of old); he leaps in the womb of St. Elizabeth when Our Lady comes near (who is pregnant with Our Lord); he wears the clothing of a prophet (camel hair) and eats modestly (honey and locusts — yum!); and he comes at a time when many are not expecting the Messiah.  And what is his message?  John [the] Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mk 1:4).

This message is appropriate for Advent because repentance is necessary to greet the Lord Jesus.  However, repentance is also imperative for preparing ourselves to meet the Lord Jesus in every Mass.  The Mass is essentially composed of two major parts, the “Liturgy of the Word” and the “Liturgy of the Eucharist.”  The first part of the Mass is preparation for the second part.  When we come to the church, it is always good to greet our brothers and sisters in the narthex (or the outside patio at St. Leo’s).  However, it is important that we enter the church at least five minutes early.  Once we are in the church proper, we should spend time recollecting ourselves by kneeling or sitting reverently and praying.

When Mass begins, we stand as a sign of respect.  The ministers enter: incense first (a sign of adoration), then cross (the sign of our salvation) sometimes flanked by two candle bearers (the light of Christ), then the deacon carrying the Book of the Gospels (words and works of Christ), and finally the priest who is “in the person of Christ the Head.”  Processions were common in the Old Testament, and as we sing the entrance antiphon or hymn during this procession, we are echoing the people who sang ‘Hosanna!’ at the glorious entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem.  When the priest reaches the altar, he and the deacon(s) kiss the altar as a sign of reverence, and the altar is incensed because it is the object used for sacrifice and it represents Christ Himself.

The Mass continues with the Sign of the Cross, a reminder that we are gathered by the Most Holy Trinity and that the Holy Cross is our only hope.  (By the way, only the priest says, “In the Name . . .”; your response is “Amen”.)  The priest then greets the people based on a formula of St. Paul: “The Lord be with you,” etc.  The response “And with your spirit” is a desire that the priest receive peace from the Spirit he received at ordination.  The priest then invites us to acknowlege our sins — to repent (as St. John the Baptist preaches).  We should use the period of silence to think about our sins and unworthiness.  When we say the Confiteor (“I confess”), we need to mean it.  The priest invokes once again God’s mercy after we say this prayer together, and then we chant “Lord, have mercy” in English or in Greek (the language of the NT), Kyrie, eleison.  We sing the Gloria only on Sundays outside of Advent and Lent.  It is based on the joyful hymn of the Angels at the birth of Christ and was formulated as early as the Second Century.  Afterwards, the priest sings or says, “Let us pray,” and gives us another opportunity for silent recollection.  We should really think about what we want in this Mass, and then listen attentively to the words of the prayer as the priest says or chants it — to make his words our words.

If we really focus on paying attention during the first part of Mass and avoid “zoning out,” we will find that we really “get something out of it” and that we will encounter Christ in the readings and preaching of the priest.  To prepare the way of the Lord at the start will help assure a welcome reception of Jesus in the second part of Mass when He enters into our bodies and souls at Holy Communion.

First Sunday of Advent

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/113014.cfm

Advent is the season of “remembering” and “waiting” for the King.  Christ, the Light of the World, has already come, but we are still waiting for Him to come again.  Advent is a type of “bridge” connecting the first and second comings of Jesus Christ.  Like the season of Advent, the holy Mass is also a bridge between the two comings of Christ — but it is a more perfect connection.  This form of Catholic worship was not invented by the Catholic Church.  The Eucharist was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper, ratified by His death and resurrection, and extends His real, true, substantial presence until the end of time when He will return in glory.  History and the writings of the early Church Fathers confirm that the Mass was the way the earliest Christians worshipped God.  Although the form, gestures, and some externals have developed over the centuries, the essentials of the Mass have remained the same.  St. Justin Martyr, writing in the second century, attests that a “proclamation of the word” and a “breaking of the bread” were present in the earliest Eucharistic liturgies.

The Church still teaches that intentionally missing Sunday Mass under normal circumstances is a mortal sin, so we are not to take lightly Sundays and holy days of obligation.  Because we are human (and all too capable of just “going through the motions”), we at times need to be reminded of how important the Mass is.  The rich symbolism of the Mass is meant to help us realize that divine worship is to envelop us — to take us out of time and put us into contact with that which is eternal.  The symbolism of the Mass is also a bridge from the Old Testament to the New.

On Sundays in many parish churches, all six candles are lit and near the altar there is a crucifix, which almost functions as a seventh candle.  This harkens back to the Jewish temple, where a seven-branch candelabra (similar to the menorah of Hanukkah) was placed near the altar of sacrifice.  The beeswax candle is a symbol of Christ: the beeswax signifies Christ’s body (bees obtain wax from flowers like the flesh of Christ was obtained from the Blessed Virgin); the wick signifies the soul of Christ; and the flame signifies the divinity of Christ.  The linens on the altar are a symbol of the burial shrouds used at Christ’s death, which were folded neatly after His Resurrection.  The chalice veil is a symbol of mystery and sacredness.  Holy objects and holy people in Judaism were always veiled.  The objects that will contain the Body and Blood of Jesus are veiled before and during Mass as a sign that we do not truly understand what takes place at the Mass, nor are we worthy.  Incense is burned as a sign of God’s presence in His holy temple and of our prayers ascending to heaven, and it has the effect of engaging our sense of smell during the liturgical celebration.

Over the course of the next three Sundays of Advent, I will write on what each part of the Mass means.  Understanding the Mass will help us to avoid “falling asleep” — both physically and spiritually — and will help us to stay alert at the coming of Christ in every Mass.  “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come (Mk 13:33).