Love and live the Mass
The story is told about a priest who accompanied a convict to the electric chair. What was he to say to console a man about to die? “Goodbye”? “Take care”? “See you later”? All these seemed inappropriate, and he became desperate for the right words to say. Finally, as the convict got to the electric chair, the priest patted him on the head and said, “More power to you!” And in return, he requested the priest: “Father, please hold my hands, and stay with me till the end!”
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In the Eucharist, we have a treasure whose depth and value we can never fully understand, but whose power is within our reach and always close at hand. Today, on the Feast of Corpus Christi, let us thank God for giving us the Eucharist. Though we do not, and will not ever fully understand, we believe that we have a treasure given unto us. May we learn to appreciate, love, and avail ourselves of this tremendous gift given to us.
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Those who really love the Eucharist end up becoming more obedient to God, and more loving to other people. I know of so many people who claim—and who are pictured—to be lovers of the Eucharist, and yet continue to disobey God, and hurt, steal, and fool people. How come? Because for them the Eucharist is something devotional and emotional, and they forget the fact that it is something actual, dynamic, and real. The Eucharist should not only quiet us. It should also move and disturb us to greater and truer loving.
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In the Philippines today, what we see is not only a malnourished but also a bloody body of Christ weighed down by so much poverty and corruption. Because of a privileged few leaders, politicians, and business people, many of our people continue to suffer. All because of a few people whose creed is greed. The Eucharist should remind us again to give, to share, and to be selfless. As someone beautifully once put it: “If everyone knows how to give, no one will ever be in need.”
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When Mama could not attend Mass outside anymore, she asked me: “Fr. Jerry, may I request for a kneeler in my room?” She always called me “Fr. Jerry” out of respect for my priesthood. She rarely asked for anything, except for a kneeler because she wanted to kneel whenever it came to the consecration and communion part of the EWTN TV Mass which she attended every day. Such simple, childlike, and humble love and devotion for Jesus in the Eucharist!
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As a little boy who preferred playing or watching TV instead of going to Mass on Sundays, I often bargained with Mama that I would just pray three rosaries at home, but her firm reply was always the same: “Jerry, not even 100 rosaries can equal the value of one Mass.” I thank Mama for teaching me the value of the Eucharist at an early age. Dear parents, are you teaching your children, by word and example, the value of the Mass?
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I remember a story about a German SVD priest, who spent many years as a missionary in a faraway and isolated town in Mindoro, especially during the rainy season when the rivers were not passable. I remember as a young seminarian listening to his “sharing”—how he, in his loneliest: moments, would go inside the dark church, would literally embrace the tabernacle and cry his heart out to his Master, and how he often found strength, courage, and comfort there. The Eucharist is there, given for us, for our nourishment and for our pleasure, but for most of us; it’s just there.
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As representatives of Christ, we priests are to make His presence, not our presence, felt especially at the Mass. And as representatives, let us not become thieves who deprive the laity of their quality time with their God. For one hour in their busy week, people come to hear and experience God. Let us give them the very best of ourselves and of our God.
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Everything we do should lead to the Eucharist, and must proceed from the Eucharist. Our partaking of the sacramental Body of Christ should lead us to deeper participation in the life and mission of the ecclesiastical Body of Christ. Communion should lead us to deeper mission, and mission should lead us to deeper communion. We are not just spiritual gluttons or plain activists. We are disciples in communion with the Lord with a mission.
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If the Mass is the highest form of prayer, then let’s pray it! Instead of “saying” Mass or “attending” a Mass, why don’t we all pray the Mass? And pray it with the heart!
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A moment with the Lord:
Lord, help us to love and pray the mass in our hearts and live the mass in our lives. Amen.
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