VOICE FROM THE SOUTH
Fr. Emeterio Barcelon, SJ
In the Mass we have the same sacrifice that happened at the Last Supper and Calvary. We are offering to God the supreme sacrifice of His Son made man. Jesus gave up His life to pay for our sins. There is nothing more important and more valuable that we can offer God. What happened over 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem is the same sacrifice we offer at Mass all over the world. There is nothing more precious that we can offer. Together with this supreme sacrifice we join our puny but all that we have to offer. We cannot offer anything more precious and the best that we can offer.
In the Mass, we have the same sacrifice Jesus made on Calvary and the Last Supper. Jesus made it possible and commanded us to do it in memory of Him. In the Mass the bread is turned into His body and the wine is transformed into His blood. It is a miracle which we witness but cannot see. It is a miracle in the same category of God becoming man. Jesus is God who took the form of man. He repeatedly made the claim to the Jews that He was the Messiah, the God promised to come from the sons of Abraham. But the Jew could not believe. But for those who believed, He promised heaven and eternal life. We Christians are the successors of the unbelieving Jews. And to us is the promise made that we will be with Jesus for all eternity in heaven in union with the angels.
In the Mass are three main parts but proceeded by an act of contrition and readings from the Scriptures. The three parts are the Offertory, the Consecration, and the Communion. In the Offertory we join our own self and the sacrifice that Jesus offered on Calvary. In the Consecration we have the transformation of the bread into His body and the wine into His blood. This transformed bread and wine transformed into His Body and Blood we receive in Holy Communion. Then we end with a prayer of thanksgiving. There is no miracle more important in our faith. We believe that the bread is turned into the Body and the wine into the Blood of Jesus. This is our faith. This is hard for non-believers to accept as early as the time of Jesus. At that time some of His disciples no longer walked with Him because they could not accept this miracle. He then asked the Apostles if they would also go away. Peter answered that they had no one else to go to. Jesus accepted his weak faith.
In the Mass we have the pledge of eternal life. At the end of life on earth we are assured that we will be with Jesus in heaven. We cannot be grateful enough for this gift. To think of it there is no way better for Jesus to stay with us till the end of time. It was not enough for Jesus to stay in this world in a short period 2,000 years ago. He wanted to stay with us for all time till the end of time. In the Mass we have miracle that keeps happening day in and day out. He becomes present to help and console us in our journey in this world. Thank the Lord for His goodness and love.
No prayer is obligatory except to hear Mass on Sunday (or anticipated on Saturday evening). On Sundays we are to take a pause to pray and listen to God. We are not as strict as the Jews in the observance of this command but we have to take it seriously. We reserve Sundays to pray and adore God.