Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ becomes alive and visits us, touches us and actually enters into us in His Real Person through His Mystical, Body the Church! In the most full sense of the word, Jesus becomes alive in us through the Eucharist.

All of the actions of the Church and the members of the Mystical Body of Christ converge at the source and summit of the Church in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Jesus’ earthly life lasted a mere thirty years; His public life a short three years; His death on the cross, three hours; His resurrection from the dead, less than three full days!

Before ascending into Heaven Jesus promised His Presence among us, even until the very end of the times with these words: “Go out to all nations and teach them all that I taught you; baptize them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Behold, I am with you always even until the end of time.” (Mt 28: 19-20)

If it is true that Jesus ascended into Heaven and promised that He would be with us always until the end of time, then where is He? The response: He is with us in His Mystical Body the Church.

Most specifically, Jesus becomes truly present in the Mass, the Eucharist, and the Sacramental Life. This Sacramental Life of Jesus unfolds every Church Year, Liturgical Year, in the living Liturgical Cycle. Jesus comes to us in Word and in Sacrament.

Very briefly and succinctly let us transport ourselves through the Church Liturgical Year. A strong suggestion: MEMORIZE THIS! If you can memorize these key Liturgical moments of the Life of Christ then you will be able to always locate yourself as to where, when, and what Jesus is doing right now in His Mystical Body, the Church. Hopefully, you will share this knowledge with others. Become a Liturgical catechist!

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE CHURCH YEAR

I. ADVENT.  The word Advent—meaning the coming—refers to the days and weeks before Christmas, as well as in preparation for Christmas. There are always four Sundays in the Advent Season. The Liturgical color is that of Purple, aside from Memorials, Feast Days and Solemnities.

1) SYMBOL.  One of the key symbols illuminating this Season is that of the Advent Wreath. Made in the form of a circle and green in color, the Advent wreath is decorated often with a red ribbon, sometimes an apple, but the key elements are candles. The circular symbolic sacramental has four distinct candles; three are purple and one is pink. On Christmas, the fifth candle is inserted in the very middle of the Advent wreath—white in contrast to pink and purple. That white candle in the middle signifies the Birthday of Jesus who is truly the Light of the world who came to dispel the darkness of sin.

2) MARIAN FEASTS.  Given that Advent has a very important Marian tone, there are two important Marian Liturgical celebrations: the Immaculate Conception (December 8); then Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12). In all of the Advent Season, the Church joyfully awaits the Birthday of Jesus with Our Lady, the expectant Mother of Jesus.

3) SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST.  Furthermore, a key Biblical figure is Saint John the Baptist who calls us to prepare the way for the Birthday of the Savior.

II. CHRISTMAS DAY AND CHRISTMAS SEASON ARRIVES.

Advent concludes with Christmas and the Christmas Season. Impossible to celebrate the Birthday of Jesus—the most important Birthday in the world—in one day. There must be an Octave as well as an extended Season to rejoice because Jesus, Our Savior is born.

1) Christmas already starts with the Eve—Christmas Eve.  The long-awaited day has arrived: Jesus is born of the Virgin Mary.

2) GLORIA. The Gloria in the Mass is suppressed until Christmas Eve. This night, with the Angelic choirs, our hearts and voices resound: “Gloria in excelsis Deo”, which is Latin for, “Glory to God in the Highest!” 

3) Christmas Mass (Masses).  Actually there are three Christmas Masses: Midnight (the night before); Christmas Mass at dawn, and the Christmas Mass of the day. Each expresses a different aspect of the Solemnity and Joy of the Birthday of Jesus.

4) OCTAVE.  For 8-days, starting with Christmas Day, the Church celebrates the Birthday of Jesus. For such an event there must be at least 8 days!

5) CHRISTMAS SEASON.  Then during the course of the Christmas Liturgical Season there are various important other Feasts all hinged and related to the Birth of Jesus, the Savior.

6) The Feast day of the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary, and Saint Joseph; Mary, the Mother of God (always January 1st); and the Epiphany are the key Liturgical Feast days celebrated in the context of the Christmas Season.

7) BAPTISM OF JESUS.  Finally, with the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, the Christmas Season ends. Time to take down the Christmas tree and the Manger Scene.

III. ORDINARY TIME 1.  With the conclusion of the Christmas Season, the Church moves into Ordinary Time 1.

There are actually two Ordinary-Times in the course of the Church Year: one that follows immediately after the Christmas Season and the other that follows immediately after the Easter Season.

In Ordinary Time 1, the priest changes Liturgical colors, from the white of the Christmas Season to Green.

In this Liturgical Season, the Gospel Readings focus primarily on the Public Life of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That is to say, the Gospels present Jesus in the midst of His Public Life which lasted about three years—from when Jesus was age 30-33.

This First Ordinary time does not last long—often close to 7-8 weeks. During these weeks that fall in January and February the Church also celebrates the Santoral—or the saints.

Ordinary time should be a time in which we strive to know, love and follow the Lord Jesus Christ in our own lives. Also, we should strive to do the Ordinary activities of our daily lives with extraordinary love.

IV. LENTEN SEASON: SEASON OF PENANCE, GRACE AND CONVERSION.

Ordinary time l comes to an end with the start of the Holy Season of Lent. The following are the basic characteristics of the Holy Season of Lent:

1. ASH WEDNESDAY.

2. LITURGICAL COLOR: PURPLE.

3. TIME: 40 DAYS, NOT COUNTING SUNDAYS.

4. PERIODS OF FASTING AND ABSTINENCE.

5. SUSPEND ALLELUIA AND GLORIA IN THE MASS.

6. SPECIAL LITURGICAL MASS READINGS—AIMED AT CONVERSION.

HOLY WEEK—THE MOST HOLY WEEK OF THE ENTIRE CHURCH YEAR!

The culmination or crowning point of the Season of Lent is HOLY WEEK. It is like a great crescendo of graces in which the Church celebrates with great love and joy the saving or Redemptive actions of Jesus the Lord.

HOLY WEEK DAYS OF CELEBRATION: THE UNFOLDING OF HOLY WEEK. The following are the key elements of Holy Week.

1) PALM SUNDAY.  Holy Week starts with Palm Sunday. The Church commemorates Jesus’ entry in triumphant procession into the city of Jerusalem mounted on a donkey. Palms are distributed commemorating that day. In the Mass, the priest wears Red and the long Narrative of the Passion of Christ is read.

2) EASTER TRIDUUM.  The very heart of the Church Year is the Easter Triduum which consists of three days (triduum meaning three)—Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.

3) HOLY THURSDAY commemorates the Last Supper and the institution of the most Holy Eucharist, as well as the Priesthood or Holy Orders.

4) GOOD FRIDAY.  With profound love and suffering the Church invites all to contemplate the Passion, Suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. It is a day of fasting and abstinence.

5) HOLY SATURDAY.  On this day we accompany the Blessed Virgin Mary in her sorrows. With Our Lady of Sorrows we relive the Passion, suffering and death of Jesus her Son. We strive to relieve the Passion of Jesus as seen through the eyes and Sorrowful Heart of Mary.

V. EASTER SEASON: STARTING WITH THE EASTER VIGIL MASS.

For sake of brevity we offer a succinct explanation of the celebration of Easter and the Easter Season.

1) EASTER VIGIL MASS.  The Easter Vigil Mass is the most sublime and glorious of all of the Liturgical celebrations for the entire Church Year. Many beautiful Readings are proclaimed with the Responsorial Psalms. The Neophytes are baptized, confirmed, and make their first Holy Communion.

2) THE ALLELUIA, GLORIA, THE COLOR WHITE.  Once again the Church sings the alleluia, the Gloria is back in the Mass, and the Liturgical color is white.

3) JESUS IS TRULY RISEN FROM THE DEAD.  The very core of Easter and the entire Easter Season is the fact that Jesus died, but He truly rose from the dead never to die again. The promise for us is eternal life!

4) THE OCTAVE OF EASTER.  Like Christmas, the Church celebrates an entire eight days of Easter. The reality of Jesus truly Risen from the dead is of such great importance that there must be eight days—the Octave—to celebrate Jesus’ triumph over death and His rising from the dead.

5) EASTER SEASON.  The Easter Season lasts 50 days. During these days, the first Reading in Mass is taken from the Acts of the Apostles.

6) ASCENSION AND PENTECOST.  The Easter Season draws to an end with the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. The Novena starts and concludes with Pentecost—the descent of the Holy Spirit. This commemorates the Birthday of the Church as well as the end of the 50 days of Easter joy!

VI. ORDINARY TIME II.  With Pentecost, the Easter Season comes to an end and Ordinary Time II starts which lasts close to six months.

THREE KEY SOLEMNITIES AFTER PENTECOST.  After Pentecost three principle Solemnities follow in this order: Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi, and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

1) TRINITY SUNDAY.  The Church celebrates the greatest of all mysteries—the most Blessed Trinity. That is to say the Church teaches the reality of One God in three Divine Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

2) CORPUS CHRISTI.  The Church believes that in Holy Mass through the words of Consecration the bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus the Savior.

3) SACRED HEART OF JESUS.  The Friday after the Sunday of Corpus Christi, the Church celebrates the mystery of the love of Jesus for us by honoring and praising His most Sacred Heart.

CHRIST THE KING: CONCLUSION OF CHURCH YEAR.  The lengthy Ordinary Time II comes to an end with the Solemnity of Christ the King. Jesus as King desires to reign over the world, but also over each and every one of our own hearts!

ADVENT.  The Liturgical cycles begin once again with the Season of Advent. During the course of the whole Liturgical Year, the Church is reliving in Word and Sacrament the life, words, and saving actions of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore, if we want to connect with Jesus, meet Jesus, and receive Jesus into our minds, hearts, souls and entire lives, it is done most efficaciously through the Mystical Body of Christ and the Sacramental life—most especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Eucharist and Holy Communion.

Jesus said: “By their fruit you will know them. A good tree brings forth good fruit, but a bad tree brings forth bad fruit.” (Mt 7:16-17) These words of the Greatest Master and Teacher of the world can most appropriately be applied to Jesus’ two grandparents, the mother and father of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Their names have traditionally been known to be SAINT JOACHIM (father of Mary) and SAINT ANN (mother of Mary).

Our humble work of promoting a knowledge, love, and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, would be incomplete if nothing were mentioned about the parents of Mary, of the Grandparents of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Both Saint Joachim and Saint Ann merit the highest honor and respect!

WHY THE GREATNESS OF SAINT JOACHIM AND SAINT ANN?  I honestly believe that given the high estate of their daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, right reason and logic point to the fact that Saint Joachim and Saint Ann deserve our study—our knowledge of them, our respect for them, our prayers to them, as well as our trust in the power of their intercession in our daily lives. Indeed, they are underestimated and all too often unknown by many Catholics!

SALIENT AND IMPORTANT POINTS FOR OUR REFLECTION ON SAINT JOACHIM AND SAINT ANN.  There is no actual Biblical data on Saint Joachim and Saint Ann. Nonetheless, tradition points out that this husband and wife were the vessels from which God sent into the world the greatest woman ever to be born and ever to live, who would become the Mother of God and the Queen of Heaven and earth! From this woman, the fruit of the love between Saint Joachim and Saint Ann, would be born Jesus, our Lord God and Savior. For these reasons, we highlight the great importance of this couple.

THE SUFFERING OF SAINT JOACHIM AND SAINT ANN.  This was their greatest suffering. Like Abram and Sarai, like Hannah, like Saint Elizabeth and Zechariah—Saint Joachim and Saint Ann, despite their great desire and longing, were never able to have children. Furthermore, according to tradition, by now Ann, like Elizabeth, was beyond the normal child bearing age. This was a source of excruciating suffering for Joachim and Ann, given that they both had really wanted children.

THEIR GENEROSITY.  Despite their longing and suffering in not having a child, Saint Joachim and Saint Ann had very generous hearts. They were a devout Jewish couple, a very prayerful couple, and a humble couple. How did this unfold? From the economic means they had for themselves, they preferred to give most of it away. In other words, they were really detached from material things—especially money and its dangers—as they had their hearts set on God. As Jesus would say later on in His teachings that we read in the Sermon on the Mount: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be given to you be besides.” (Mt 6:33) Therefore, Saint Joachim and Saint Ann gave one third of their means to the poor; another third, they gave to the Temple and its upkeep; and they kept only a third for themselves. Talk about generosity in tithing! Most people who tithe, consider themselves generous when they give ten percent of their earnings to the poor or to the Church. In the case of Saint Joachim and Saint Ann, they gave away two thirds, or if you like 66% of their means!!!

GOD CANNOT BE OUTDONE IN GENEROSITY.  How true the saying: “God cannot be outdone in generosity.” God intervened in a most powerful way in response to the prayerful, humble, and generous hearts of Saint Joachim and Saint Ann.  In seemingly impossible circumstances, God blessed them with a child! It would be a little girl. The little girl’s name would be MARY! However, this would not be an ordinary little girl. This would be the greatest little girl in the history of the world. Because of who she was and whom she would bring into the world, all humanity would be radically transformed.

SAINT ANN AND THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.  One of the reasons why we maintain that Saint Ann and Saint Joachim are greatly underestimated is due to what we will say now! In the womb of Saint Ann and through the seed of Saint Joachim, God performed one of the greatest miracles in the history of the world. This miracle is called the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. Yes, this took place in the womb of Saint Ann! That is to say, at the moment Saint Ann conceived a little girl in her womb—whom Saint Anne and Saint Joachim would name MARY—God intervened with what is called the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.

MEANING OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION?  In the very moment of the conception of Mary in Saint Ann’s womb, God intervened with His all-holy Presence and preserved Mary from the stain of Original Sin. Yes! From the very moment of Mary’s conception, she was preserved from Original Sin. To be perfectly clear, the stain of original sin which taints all the rest of humanity, never touched Mary most holy! For that reason, the English poet, Wordsworth, lauded Mary in these words: “Our tainted nature’s solitary boast!” We were all conceived in sin, the sin of Adam and Eve, the Original Sin. Mary was preserved from this Original Sin, this Original stain, this Original moral sickness, this Original disaster! However, this must be highlighted: it was through Saint Ann and Saint Joachim conceiving a child that this extraordinary privilege of the Immaculate Conception could be given by God to the child they conceived. Therefore, we should have the greatest reverence, admiration, honor, and respect for Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, and for the womb of Saint Ann that carried Mary, the Immaculate Conception, who would become the Mother of God!

There is still much that can be harvested from this abundant and rich mystery of the persons of Saint Joachim and Saint Ann. Here are some.

1. LITURGICAL FEAST DAY:  The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast Day of Saint Joachim and Saint Ann together every year on July 26th. Try to remember this date and attend Mass and receive Holy Communion to honor these chosen Saints who were the parents of Mary, the Immaculate Conception!

2. PATIENCE.  This holy couple teaches us the virtue of patience. They waited many years and finally God blessed them with the greatest gift—a child. Moreover, this child would be the Mother of God!

3. GENEROSITY.  Where did their generosity come from? They were totally detached from all except God. So they could freely give two-thirds of what they had to the poor and to the Temple.

4. PRAYERFUL.  They prayed, and God was pleased with their prayers due to their humility, patience, generosity, purity, and great love for God and His mysterious but wise and Providential plans. May we learn to pray like Saint Joachim and Saint Ann. May we ask for their prayers to help us to pray better!

5. IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.  This is one of the chief Solemnities that the Church celebrates every year on December 8th and it came about through the persons of Saint Joachim and Saint Ann.

6. PATRON OF PARENTS.  Of course, as said earlier, “A good tree brings forth good fruit.” Saint Joachim and Saint Ann raised the greatest and most holy girl in the world. Therefore, it must be said that they can be the Patrons of Parents who have to struggle so hard to raise their children in the love of God and fear of the Lord, due to the many worldly distractions and temptations pulling their children away from God. Pray earnestly and fervently to Saint Joachim and Saint Ann to guide you and to help guard and protect your children from the evils that surround them.

7. PATRON OF GRANDPARENTS.  We should not overlook the fact that Jesus indeed did have two Grandparents, and they were Saint Joachim and Saint Ann. Try to imagine Saint Joachim and Saint Ann holding their grandchild, the little Baby Jesus, tenderly in their loving arms. How much Saint Joachim and Saint Ann loved their daughter Mary, and their Grandson, the Lord Jesus. They can certainly help grandparents who beseech their intercession to carry out their noble mission in the sanctification of the family.

8. PATRON OF SPOUSES.  Even though this might be obvious, it still should be mentioned: Saint Joachim and Saint Ann formed an exemplary marriage; they were an excellent married couple. They were faithful. They lived out fully the marriage promises and commitment: “Faithfulness in good times and in bad, in health and in sickness, in riches and in poverty, until death do they part.” Hopefully they will serve as a model for married couples in the realm of promising to be faithful and then living it out!

9. INSTRUMENTS IN THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION.  Indeed, it must be stated that it was through Saint Joachim and Saint Ann that the history of the salvation of the entire world had its beginning. They brought forth Mary, the Mother of God; and their daughter Mary gave us Jesus, the Savior of all humanity! For this reason, we have both Saint Joachim and Saint Ann to thank for bringing Mary, the Immaculate Conception, into the world.

10. THE OFFERING AND PRESENTATION OF MARY AS A GIFT TO GOD.  After Saint Anne conceived and gave birth to their little child Mary, according to Tradition, Saint Joachim and Saint Anne presented their child at an early age to be brought up in the Temple in thanksgiving to God! The Church celebrates the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary every year on November 21st. Thus was Mary prepared for her sublime mission to become the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and the Mother of each and every one of us!

In conclusion, Saint Joachim and Saint Ann are indeed great saints. Unfortunately, they are unknown by all too many. Their greatness in the economy of salvation can barely be measured.

Jesus loved us so much that He willingly sacrificed Himself by dying on the cross for us. Not only did Jesus suffer and shed every drop of His most Precious Blood for the salvation of all humanity, but He suffered all those excruciating pains for you and for me.

The saints point out that if you were the only person living in the world, Jesus would have undergone all of the most gruesome and horrible pains of His Sorrowful Passion just for you. As Saint Paul reminds us in his Letter to the Galatians: “Jesus suffered and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal. 2:20)

In the Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, the Secretary of Divine Mercy, Saint Faustina states that we can truly understand the meaning of love by one’s willingness to suffer for the loved one. Jesus loves us so much that He would willing have suffered His Passion not once, but many times over, for each and every one of us. He was the innocent Lamb suffering for guilty sinners. How great is the love of Jesus for you and for me.

On a human and natural level, we all know how much suffering we experience when we manifest a great love for someone and that person is cold and indifferent to us, possibly even ignores us. Our heart breaks!!!

So it is with respect to our relationship with the greatest of all lovers—the Lord Jesus Christ. He loves us with a burning fire in His Sacred Heart. Jesus said: “I have come to cast fire on the earth, and I am not at peace until that fire be enkindled.” (Lk 12:49) The conflagration of fire in the Heart of Jesus for you and for me can barely be contained, but how do we respond to this furnace of love?

Jesus complained to Saint Margaret Mary Alaqoque as He displayed His Sacred Heart surrounded by thorns with fire bursting forth: “Behold this Heart that has loved so much and has received only coldness, ingratitude and indifference in return. Console my Heart.”

One of the ways in which we can console the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Heart overflowing with love and mercy, is to love what He loves, by offering sacrifices, even though they be small, for the conversion and salvation of poor sinners. Jesus does not look so much at the greatness of the action, but rather, at the intensity of love in the action. Remember the Biblical story of the Widow’s mite!!!

In fact, immortal souls can be saved from the fires of hell and attain eternal salvation if, like the children of Fatima, we can form the habit of offering small sacrifices to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary with purity of intention and great love. Pope Saint John Paul II called Jacinta, “A Little Victim Soul” because she did just that!

Therefore, we would like to offer a list of small sacrifices that you can undertake and share with your family. Every small sacrifice is a concrete manifestation of your love for Jesus and what Jesus loves most: the conversion and salvation of poor sinners for all eternity!!!

SACRIFICES OFFERED WITH LOVE TO JESUS FOR THE SALVATION OF SOULS.

1. HEROIC MINUTE (MOMENT).  Promoted by Saint Josemaria Escriva Balaguer, the Founder of Opus Dei, as soon as you hear your alarm clock, spring to your feet and make your Morning Offering for the day. The Cure of Ars stated that he who starts the day well, is most likely to live the day well, and end it well!

2. CURBING THE TONGUE.  We should all read James Chapter 3—the best chapter on the sins of the tongue! A great sacrifice that we can make, especially when we find ourselves frustrated and angry, is to follow the advice of Saint James: “We should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” (Jas. 1:10)

3. KIND AND ENCOURAGING WORDS.  Never allow a day to go by in which you fail to say Thank You to God, as well as to say Thank You to others. To say both please and thank you are condiments that give special seasoning to the domestic life. (Read the book named KINDNESS by Fr. Lovasik)

4. SMILE EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT!  A nagging headache, a lingering cold, pangs of a stomachache, we all experience these at times. Often, we trumpet and publicize them! How difficult, but how pleasing to God it would be, if when we don’t feel up to par physically, we smile at our husband or wife or another family member instead! Sadness and a frown are contagious; but a smile and joy are also contagious. A sincere and radiant smile is one of the clearest signs of being a follower of Christ!

5. BANISH BAD THOUGHTS IMMEDIATELY!  Indecent and bad thoughts, we all have them! However, the question is what do we do with them? Once a priest asked a man if he entertained bad thoughts. The man responded: “No, Father, they entertained me!” As soon as we become aware of any bad, impure, indecent, or sinful thought, we should immediately, manfully, and forcefully reject that thought in our will and invoke the grace of God and the help of Mary most pure!

6. CUT OFF ON THE FREEWAY: PRAY AND DO NOT CURSE!  All of us have experienced through years of driving on the Freeway or residential streets, people cutting in front of us and cutting us off. And if we’re honest, sometimes we do the same!!! Our immediate reaction is to cuss or curse them out! However, the Lord Jesus would prefer that we pray for them. Jesus says that we have to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us! Next time some driver cuts you off, pray a Hail Mary for him that he may have a safe trip now and arrive safely at Heaven later. How hard that is – the flesh recoils, but how pleasing to God when we overcome our resistance!

7. PRAY EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT!  Unfortunately, many people follow their feelings more than they follow faith and reason. The saints prayed often, even when they did not feel like praying. Jesus experienced a profound desolation and sadness in the Garden of Olives, but He prayed all the more fervently. May Jesus be our sublime example, especially in prayer!

8. READ A CHAPTER FROM THE BIBLE EVERY DAY, OR EVERY NIGHT BEFORE BED.  The mental/spiritual discipline of reading, especially the best of books, can be a real sacrifice for many. Start with the Gospels and read a chapter every night. If you do this, you will begin to know, love, and desire to follow Jesus more closely in your life. It is impossible to love someone we do not know very well. We come to know Jesus by reading and meditating upon the Bible, the Word of God!!!

9. DO YOUR TASK AT HAND, YOUR DAILY WORK, BETTER!  All of us are assigned by God a job or work to carry out each day. It might be to study if we are a student, or perform the work of a homemaker, a factory or office worker, a teacher, nurse or doctor, etc. If we are honest with ourselves, we all know that we could improve our work ethic! How easy it is to come late, to cut corners, and to do the job by halves. As the saying goes: “If a job is worth doing, then it is worth doing well.” Saint Paul reminds us: “Whether you eat or drink, do all for the honor and glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31)

10. TAKE THE LAST PLACE AND THE SMALLEST PORTION.  Due to pride, vanity, and gluttony we naturally prefer the place of honor. Also, we prefer the best and biggest portions. Why not get in the habit of seeking the lowest place and the least portion. Jesus reminds us of true greatness: “God casts down the proud, but He exalts the humble.” (Lk. 1:52)

To conclude, we have offered a list of ten concrete ways in which we can make small sacrifices in our daily lives. Maybe choose one or two a day and be faithful to your proposal. Never forget that love is manifested by the willingness to suffer for the loved one. How much Jesus loves us and suffered for us. What are we willing to sacrifice and suffer for Jesus, the Greatest of all Lovers!!!

Why is it that droves of Catholics are fleeing from the Catholic Church like rats escaping a sinking ship? Why is it that the largest Religious group in the USA, Mexico, the Philippines, Europe are non-practicing Catholics? Why is it that so many Catholics become angry, disgruntled, disillusioned about the Church that they belong to? You can offer massive reasons for the loss of many Catholics who used to practice their faith—many of whom were baptized, Confirmed, and married in the Church. Many of the reasons given have a valid explanation to a certain degree.

However, it must be asserted with all sincerity that one of the primary reasons, if not the primary reason itself, must be the lack of understanding, belief and faith in the reality of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Many forgot what the Holy Mass is. Many do not believe in the Real Presence of the Eucharist once the host is consecrated. Still more, there are many who never believed in the first place because of a weak, diluted, watered down or erroneous catechesis, and especially on the explanation of Holy Mass, the Eucharist, and Holy Communion.

In this short essay we would like to motivate those Catholics who believe in Holy Mass and the Eucharist to fortify and bolster their faith all the more. Furthermore, we would invite those who have drifted away to return; it is never too late, and the loving Father that we meet in the Prodigal Son Parable (Lk 15:11-32) always has His arms opened wide to receive His wandering sons and daughters.

To whet your appetite, we will expound briefly upon just a few of the extraordinary graces that flow from the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to motivate all to love Holy Mass, and to participate more actively, consciously and fully. Also, we invite all to become ardent and fervent Apostles of the Mass. We encourage you to invite the many wandering and lost sheep back to the arms of the loving Good Shepherd.

In fact, if we really understood, even to a limited degree, what is happening in Holy Mass, we would place Holy Mass in the very center of our lives, the heart of our day, our raison d’etre meaning the reason for our existence. And as a consequence, we would come to Mass every day until God calls us from time to eternal life.

The following are short notes, ideas or concepts of what really happens every time the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated, even if it were celebrated by some anonymous priest in some forlorn country, even if he was celebrating Mass by himself. In all truth, every Mass celebrated has infinite value. The greatest action the human person can do on this side of eternity is to attend Holy Mass and receive Jesus in the Eucharist in the state of grace.

GRACES THAT FLOW FROM THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

1. SALVATION OF SOULS!  Jesus expressed in clear and unequivocal terms that our salvation depends on the Eucharist, the Bread of Life. The words of Jesus are indisputable: “I am the Bread of Life. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day.” (Jn 6: 35, 54 – Bread of Life discourse)

2. SOULS IN PURGATORY ARE PURIFIED.  No doubt, the most efficacious means by which the souls in Purgatory can be purified of the residual effects of their venial and mortal sins that have not been expiated (atoned for) sufficiently, is through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

3. SOULS IN PURGATORY TOTALLY FREED—ACCESS TO HEAVEN.  As a follow up to the former concept, Mass and Holy Communion offered specifically for the soul or souls in Purgatory can catapult them into Heaven to be with the Lord for all eternity. Too bad that many people pray and offer prayers, sacrifices and Masses for the souls in Purgatory only in the month of November.

4. CALVARY IS RENEWED AND RE-ENACTED.  How difficult it is to comprehend the relationship between the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacrifice that Jesus offered of Himself on Calvary that first Good Friday. However, it is a reality! In every Mass, the crucified Lord Jesus offers Himself to God the Father as the Spotless Victim for the salvation of the world!

5. VENIAL SINS CAN BE PURIFIED IN THE CONTEXT OF HOLY MASS.  It is a grave error, often done by many, to deprive oneself of the reception of Holy Communion because he/she is aware of having committed venial sins, and only venial sins. Quite the contrary, in the Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass, one begs pardon for venial sins and the sins are forgiven by the prayerful and contrite recitation of the Confiteor. At the end of the Penitential Act, the priest imparts absolution for venial sins. (Note: Mortal sins have to be confessed to a priest before receiving Holy Communion.)

6. FIRE BURNING DROSS/CHAFF.  In the moment of receiving Holy Communion, the mere reception of Holy Communion can be compared to fire that burns rubbish, trash, weeds or chaff. The love burning in the most Sacred Heart of Jesus burns away the chaff of our venial sins. The Catechism of the Council of Trent expresses it with this concept. Frequent Communion is the antidote to our daily infirmities.

7. THE BLESSED TRINITY IS PRAISED IN THE MOST SUBLIME FASHION.  Saint Ignatius of Loyola in Principle and Foundation specifies the primary purpose of our existence, the why of our purpose in life. The saint uses the following words: “We are created to praise God…” (Spiritual Exercises # 23) Possibly the primary purpose of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is to praise God the Father, by the offering of God the Son, through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is expressed most clearly in the DOXOLOGY: “Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.” Amen.

8. PERSONAL SINS CAN BE EXPIATED.  Even though your priest-confessor may not impose this as a penance in the Sacrament of Confession, having made a good confession for mortal sins in particular, a penitent attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion in reparation or expiation for his personal sins could be the greatest and most efficacious penance possible. To repair for past sins, there is nothing more powerful, pleasing and propitious to God than attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion.

9. FAMILY SIN/SOCIAL SINS EXPIATED.  On a more expansive plane, the sins of all of humanity have their remedy, reparation and expiation most powerfully remitted through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The prayer in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy can be prayed in conjunction with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass… “Eternal Father, I offer you the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”

10. ANGELIC INTERVENTION AND THE SAINTS.  Involved also in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass are the angels. In the Sanctus, we unite our prayers with the choirs of angels as we say: “Holy, holy holy…” The eloquent and brilliant Father of the Church, Saint John Chrysostom states that numerous angels surround the Tabernacle in vigil before their Eucharistic Lord and King. By the way, angels can help us immensely to pay more attention and participate more fully in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass if we ask for their help.

The greatest lovers of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass were and still are the saints. The extraordinary graces that they received came through Jesus in His Mystical Body the Church. However, it was through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that the infinite reservoir of graces inundated their souls, their lives, their sufferings and their extraordinary apostolic enterprises and successes.

We will conclude our short essay on the extraordinary graces that flow from the Mass by quoting a few of the saints—the greatest lovers of God and of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We invite you to meditate upon the words of the saints prayerfully, converse with the saints as your dear friends, and strive to imitate their love for God and Holy Mass.

INSPIRED WORDS OF THE SAINTS AND THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

1.  “Man should tremble, the world should quake, and Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest.” (St. Francis of Assisi)

2. “It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do so without the Holy Mass.” (St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina)

3. “No human tongue can enumerate the favors that trace back to the Sacrifice of the Mass. The sinner is reconciled with God; the just man becomes more upright; sins are wiped away; vices are uprooted; virtue and merit increase; and the devil’s schemes are frustrated.”  (St. Lawrence Justinian)

4. “O you deluded people, what are you doing? Why do you not hasten to Churches to hear as many Masses as you can? Why do you not imitate the angels, who, when a Holy Mass is celebrated, come down in myriads from Paradise and take their stations about our altars in adoration to intercede for us?” (St. Leonard of Port Maurice)

5. “Know, O Christian, that the Mass is the holiest act of Religion. You cannot do anything to glorify God more, nor profit your soul more, than by devoutly assisting at it, and assisting as often as possible.” (St. Peter Julian Eymard)

Jesus said: “The Harvest is rich but the laborers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers.” (Mt 9:37-38) Essential to the extension of the Kingdom and the salvation of souls is the Sacrament of Holy Orders, that we call the priesthood.

One of the greatest priests in the history of the Church, who spent close to forty years in the Parish of Ars, spending from thirteen to eighteen hours on a daily basis in the confessional reconciling souls to God, commented on the indispensable presence of the priesthood. This was Saint John M. Vianney, known as the Cure of Ars (1786-1859). This saint knew the extraordinary value of the priesthood: “A good shepherd, a pastor after God’s heart, is the greatest treasure which the good Lord can grant to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy.”

Let us listen to the exact words of the Cure of Ars and then translate them into the application in our spiritual lives. Some of the words and quotations of the Cure of Ars are overwhelming in depth and beauty, yet of the utmost simplicity. Let us read and meditate and then apply:

“O how great is the priest! If he realized what he is he would die… God obeys him: he utters a few words and the Lord descends from Heaven at his voice, to be contained within a small host. Without the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Who put him there in the tabernacle? The priest. Who welcomed your soul at the beginning of life? The priest. Who feeds your soul and gives it strength for the journey? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, bathing it one last time in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest—always the priest. And if the soul should happen to die (as a result of sin) who will raise it up, who will restore its calm and peace? Again the priest. After God, the priest is everything. Only in heaven will he fully realize what he is.”

Following will be a brief commentary on all the sublime functions the priest carries out so as to glorify God in heaven and for the salvation of the souls on earth.

If there is no priest, then there is no Holy Mass; if there is no Holy Mass, then there is no consecration of the Sacred Host; if there is no consecration of the Sacred Host, then there is no Holy Communion; and if there is no Holy Communion, then there is no Sacramental Presence of Jesus. That means that we become spiritual orphans. We become like a ship without a port, an arrow without a target, a scout without compass, a dog without his master. We wander through life aimless and with no clear purpose.

The same great Saint made the following observation. In all the key spiritual moments in our lives, who is present? Baptism? Usually it is the priest whom God uses as the instrument to transform the child into a son/daughter of God. Confession? It is only the priest who is the means by which we are reconciled to God through the outpouring of the Blood of the Lamb that cleanses our soul and conscience of the sin and guilt that weighs us down so heavily. Finally, we can experience true peace of soul! First Holy Communion? It was the priest who celebrated Holy Mass, confected the Eucharist and gave us the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus the Lord.

Confirmation? It was the Bishop, who has the fullness of the priesthood, who confirmed us by which we were fortified with the presence of the Holy Spirit, ready to be soldiers of Christ to both spread and defend the faith. What about Holy Matrimony? It was most likely the priest who sat down explaining the sublime vocation of Holy Matrimony, the importance of being faithful until death do we part, and the importance of being open to life and bringing forth children into the world, so that one day they will be eternal citizens of Heaven. And if we were married in a Nuptial Mass, it was celebrated by the priest.

Anointing of the Sick? It is the priest that we spontaneously call when we see our grandmother, mother or father, or any person’s health so seriously declined that they might die. It is the priest who anoints them with holy oil by which they are strengthened to fight the good fight and unite their sufferings to the sufferings of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Death and burial? Who is present at the Funeral Mass praying for our loved one who has passed away and gone to be judged by Jesus, who will come to judge the living and the dead? We all must pass through the gateway of death and pass from the realms of time into eternity. It is the priest, acting in the person of Christ while celebrating Holy Mass, who offers the Victim, Jesus to the Father for the purification and salvation of this immortal soul.

Family problems? When family problems set in, who is it that the family has recourse to as a means to work through these tangled, intricate and knotty problems? Frequently it is the person of the priest who comes to mind. The priest becomes the listener, the sounding board, the counselor, as well as the consoler, to save the family from capsizing and sinking into the depths of sadness and oblivion! It is the priest who like a human sponge, absorbs all of their problems in his heart and offers them to Jesus, the Eternal priest for their healing and salvation.

Sorrows and sufferings of all sorts? When sorrows, sufferings, contradictions, and depression visit our homes and our hearts, who is it that we seek out for answers to problems that seem beyond the realm of solution? It is the priest! It is the priest who listens to the problems. It is the priest who opens up his heart to hear and understand. It is the priest who is called to the ministry of compassion. Exactly what does this word compassion mean? Compassion means the willingness and the ability to suffer with those who suffer.

Listening? Who is the one we seek out to listen to our inner anguish and agony, because we know others either do not know how to listen or they simply do not want to listen attentively. It is the priest whom we seek out to be heard, to be listened to, and to be understood. How true this is! Often we might come to the priest overloaded with moral, emotional, spiritual baggage that we know not where to dump and so be alleviated from this burdensome weight. Then the priest receives us and invites us to be open and bare our hearts and reveal our tortured consciences.

Listening and healing. How often this is the scenario! We unload all of our baggage and the priest is simply there to listen. We weep, cry, complain, get angry, blurt out nonsensical ideas in our anguish and confusion. And the hands on the clock fly by—already 50 minutes, and then an hour has flown by! The poor priest has barely opened up his mouth to say a word! After this session of unloading, we get up renewed, energized, with healing and hope. Overflowing in gratitude, we tell the priest thanks a million times for having been of great help to resolve these—so to speak—impossible problems! And he barely said a word!

Prayer? How often have we felt totally overwhelmed with life’s problems that seem to be a mountain in size and weight? We want help and we know only God can help us. Who then is it that we turn to with faith and trust to intercede on our behalf and pray for us so that this problem will be resolved or at least so that we can cope with the problem better? It is the priest. The priest becomes the intercessor or the mediator for us between heaven and earth.

Our Lady. Let us then turn to Our Lady who is the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, the Mother or all mankind, but especially she is the Mother of priests. Let us beg Our Lady to place her mantle of love and protection and comfort over all priests so that they would be protected from the fiery darts of the enemy, and also that they would be protected from the devil of discouragement. Let us beg Our Lady to pray for priests that they would strive with all of the energy in their minds, hearts and souls to conform themselves to Jesus the High and Eternal priest. May Our Lady’s prayers help them to recognize Jesus as High and Eternal priest—how lofty and sublime—but also that Jesus is very close to them as their best Friend in time, and He will be their best Friend in heaven for all eternity.

Copyright 2021 Oblates of the Virgin Mary / St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA