By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK
The challenges our families face as they strive to hand on the faith and keep salvation before the eyes of their children in the world every day will continue in this year of our Lord 2016. As we move forward in this new year, we receive gifts from the Lord to support us in this most important work. In a new year as in every new day we always prepare ourselves to receive these graces and to see the Lord’s hand at work in our relationships and our world.
Any of us at any time of day or night have the privilege of opening the word of God in the Holy Scriptures and thus coming to know and love God.
“The inspired books teach the truth. ‘Since therefore all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 107).
Yet, there is more:
“Still, the Christian faith is not a ‘religion of the book.’ Christianity is the religion of the ‘Word’ of God, a word which is ‘not a written and mute word, but the Word is incarnate and living.’ If the Scriptures are not to remain a dead letter, Christ, the eternal Word of the living God, must, through the Holy Spirit, ‘open [our] minds to understand the Scriptures’” (CCC, n. 108).
Our worship in the Holy Mass is the greatest gift the Lord has given us and is our primary means of sanctification each day. In the Sacrifice of the Mass it is Christ Himself who in the Mass acts and who is sacrificed, who gives glory to the Father in the Holy Spirit of divine love. In the liturgy Christ Himself becomes present as the fruit of His Sacrifice in the Holy Eucharist: Nothing greater can be imagined than the presence of Almighty God Himself. For this reason the Holy Mass remains the privileged encounter with God in this world.
We join ourselves through intellect and will to the divine Person of Christ Himself as we pray the Scriptures of the liturgy, as we hear the proclamation of the Word of God and contemplate how this Word is fulfilled in the words and works if Christ the Word Incarnate and as we sing the Word of God set to music in our hymnody.
In worship of Holy Mass we join ourselves to and imitate the heavenly worship of the angels.
“From the Incarnation to the Ascension, the life of the Word incarnate is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels. When God ‘brings the firstborn into the world, he says: “Let all God’s angels worship him”.’ Their song of praise at the birth of Christ has not ceased resounding in the Church’s praise: ‘Glory to God in the highest!’ They protect Jesus in his infancy, serve him in the desert, strengthen him in his agony in the garden, when he could have been saved by them from the hands of his enemies as Israel had been. Again, it is the angels who ‘evangelize’ by proclaiming the Good News of Christ’s Incarnation and Resurrection. They will be present at Christ’s return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgment” (CCC, n. 333).
Whether it is the Psalms which Christ Himself prayed during His earthly life or the words of the adoring angels on our own lips as we sing the Sanctus of High Mass, the Word of God comes alive again in our world in every liturgy so that it may be the light of our lives in Christ.
What’s more, we are joined with the Church suffering in Purgatory and the Church triumphant in heavenly glory:
“Liturgy is an ‘action’ of the whole Christ (Christus totus). Those who even now celebrate it without signs are already in the heavenly liturgy, where celebration is wholly communion and feast” (CCC, n. 1136).
We not only look forward to the day when we enjoy the beatific vision together with the angels and saints; what is more, a window is opened at each Mass unto Heaven itself through, with, and in Christ because He acts and is present with us on Earth in this way.
All of our meals are earthly signs of the greatest work of God in opening an entrance for us into the heavenly banquet through Christ.
We can meditate upon various aspects of the Lord’s words and works which continue among us today through consideration of the names applied to the Mass.
“The memorial of the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection.
“The Holy Sacrifice, because it makes present the one sacrifice of Christ the Savior and includes the Church’s offering. The terms holy sacrifice of the Mass, ‘sacrifice of praise,’ spiritual sacrifice, pure and holy sacrifice are also used, since it completes and surpasses all the sacrifices of the Old Covenant.
“The Holy and Divine Liturgy, because the Church’s whole liturgy finds its center and most intense expression in the celebration of this sacrament; in the same sense we also call its celebration the Sacred Mysteries. We speak of the Most Blessed Sacrament because it is the Sacrament of sacraments. The Eucharistic species reserved in the tabernacle are designated by this same name” (CCC, n. 1330).
“Holy Communion, because by this sacrament we unite ourselves to Christ, who makes us sharers in his Body and Blood to form a single body. We also call it: the holy things (ta hagia; sancta) — the first meaning of the phrase ‘communion of saints’ in the Apostles’ Creed — the bread of angels, bread from heaven, medicine of immortality, viaticum. . . .” (CCC, n. 1331).
“Holy Mass (Missa), because the liturgy in which the mystery of salvation is accomplished concludes with the sending forth (missio) of the faithful, so that they may fulfill God’s will in their daily lives” (CCC, n. 1332).
Growing in our devotion and love for Christ the Lord in and through the Holy Mass is a very worthy and laudable goal for all of us in Anno Domini 2016.
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(Reverendo Padre-Kevin Michael Cusick on Facebook and @MCITLFrAphorism on Twitter.)
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