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).
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