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Catechesis on the Liturgy: The Offertory Also: Notes on Pro-Life Voting for Catholics (See previous chapter in this series) (See next chapter in this series)
Homily
The Offertory; Notes on Pro-Life
58. Coming off the labors of last weekend, I’m sure many of us are still exhausted. Before I enter into today’s spiritual theme, I feel a need to express thankgiving first to the Lord of heaven and earth for the huge blessings he poured upon our parish last weekends, gifts of music and worthy praise, gifts of culture, gifts of spiritual enrichment, gifts of mutual esteem and charity, and many material gifts to enable us to bear our financial burdens. Thanks also to the many volunteers who sang, offered music, organized and ushered, watched the parking lot and served the food, cooks and guards and tour guides, and servants of the faithful in countless corners of our parish. May God pay you in ways our parish cannot. My thought now turns to an express desire of the Council of Trent on September 17, 1562, where the Fathers commanded, “”Lest the sheep of Christ go hngry or the children ask for bread and there is no one to break it for them, the holy synod instructs the shepherds and all who have responsibility for souls frequently to explain during the celebration of mass… some of what is recited… and to give some explanation of this mysterious and holy sacrifice, especially on Sundays and feast days.”[1] And moved by this wise counsel, I continue our long string of homilies on the Mass. At the end of the homily, I shall say something to remind us all of our civic duties as Catholics for the upcoming elections. Last time I explained much regarding the things used at Mass: chalices, corporals, purificators, and so much more. It is important for Catholics to know what these things are, treat them appropriately, and allow their significance to move them to increasing fervor at Mass. Today we shall discuss the offertory, at least some of its salient details.
The wine and water
59. The priest mixes wine with the water when he prepares the gifts on the altar. The remaining liquid must be more wine than water for the Mass to be valid. He prays, “Through this mystery of water and wine, may we be made sharers in his divinity, who deigned to become a participant in our humanity.”[2] He prays this silently, like many prayers, for it is a prayer offered up to God by the priest in the name of the people, and by the priest alone, unlike the prayers of the collect. The Church mandates that the priest do this, “both because Christ the Lord is believed to have done so, and because water came from his side together with blood[3] and this sacred sign is recalled by this mixing. Further, when in the Revelation of the blessed John, the peoples are said to be waters,[4] the union of Christ the head with his faithful people is signified.”[5] The priest bows down and says quietly, taking from a Psalm, “With the spirit of humility and with a contrite heart, may we be taken up by you, Lord, and so may our sacrifice become acceptable in your sight, so that it please you, Lord God.”[6] For we do not offer up only bread and wine, but our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our all. Then the priest washes his hands, and says a prayer of repentance of his own sins. It is a symbolic act, to show externally the great internal purity which all should have before coming to communion. When he turns to the Congregation, he says, “Pray, brothers, that my sacrifice and yours may become acceptable to God the Almighty Father.” The English equivalent of this prayer says, “Pray brethren that ours sacrifice, etc.,” and not “my sacrifice and yours.” The Latin is more theologically perfect, for the priest acts in persona Christi, and Christ alone offers himself to the Father, while the faithful offer bread, wine and their very selves. Therefore what the priest offers and what the congregation offers is not one and the same, making the expression, “our sacrifice” imprecise. This is an improvement (probably) millions are hoping gets made by the bishops, sooner or later.
Preface
60. The priest later begins, “The Lord be with you, … lift up your hearts… let us give thanks.” This prayer is called the preface, for it begins the Eucharistic prayer and precedes the great prayer raised by the priest, and concludes with the singing or reciting of the Sanctus, or the “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord.” It is a prayer directed to the Father, and it evokes some doctrinal point of the day, both to teach and to make prayer of it, so it is most useful to pay attention to the beauty of this prayer. The preface ends with the invocation of the angels. Angels are spirits who have no bodies, good ones who overcame the test and remained faithful to God while their wicked brothers sinned against God in eternal unrepentance, and became the demons in hell. Angels exist to praise God forever, and to help us in body and soul. They are mighty when they act, brilliant in their thoughts, beautiful in their beings, and ardent in their love. They are full of goodness and truth. They too adore the Eucharist, and we should invoke them often. All erupt with the song, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” The three –times holy was heard first by Isaiah in a vision of the seraphim, and so we have learned how to praise God through them. The rest of the prayer comes from Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem. Those who cheered him as the Son of David who came in the name of the Lord would crucify him shortly after. And so this song of the Sanctus serves both to praise God and to warn us from hypocrisy.
Upcoming Elections and Moral Obligations of Catholic Civil Responsibility
61. That is enough about the Mass today. I have a new topic: first, thanks to the Oktober Choral Fest volunteers and participants; second, the Offertory, and now third, a not about the elections coming up. I just wish to remind all present that to give political power to any person to commit abortion is matter of mortal sin. It is not an option for a Catholic. Take your consciences to the election poll, for you will be judged by God after your death for what you do in private: for punishment or for merit. But nothing, absolutely nothing, ever can or ever has or ever will justify the murder of a baby in his mother’s womb. This isn’t one issue, it is all the issues, for if a child is aborted, every other private or civil good is forfeit. I gave a twenty minute homily on this once at another parish, and of course the pro-abortion, or shall I say pro-murder, Catholics were outraged. Well, let them be outraged: abortion is an abomination and a grave sin against God, it destroys child and mother and father. They should be outraged at abortion itself. One fellow was furious with me, and he said, “Well, Father, you haven’t given us many options at the poll.” So I clarified: “No, perhaps your preferred political party hasn’t given you many options at the poll; and for this, it is completely illogical for you to blame the Church. Blame your party. Stop blaming the Church for your own problems. Talk with your party, and get into the political debate responsibly, and put some pro-life options on the board.” But the Catholic Church will never say that abortion is good, or even tolerable, until Moses returns and takes away the fifth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” Perhaps these weeks preceding our elections will inspire some of our parishioners to form a pro-life team of apostolate, which St. Joseph parish to this day does not have. Jesus Christ has given us only one Gospel which will save us, and this is a Gospel of Life. Let abortion cease; let Catholics stop supporting it; let the perpetrators turn to the mercy of God and repent; and let us all do what is just and prudent to bring abortion to an end. Amen. |