August 18th

Post date: Aug 20, 2019 4:28:11 AM

Names of the Mass- Mass part 1

Let us celebrate Mass:

As though it was our first Mass

As though it was our last Mass

As though it was our only Mass

There is a true story from the Cristero wars in the 1920s—when the Socialist government tried to shut down the Catholic Church in Mexico. A group of Catholic Mexicans were about to celebrate Mass in the forest because the churches had all been closed. The military came upon them and were about to execute them, but the people begged to be allowed to have the Holy Mass. This was allowed—and then they were executed.

Imagine how well you would participate if you knew this was your last Mass.

I hope we all pray when we sit down for a meal with our family or even by ourselves—thanking God for our food.

Now we come together for a Eucharistic meal with our bigger church family giving God thanks and praise.

We Christians have used different names

to describe the incredible gift Jesus gave us at His Last Supper.

This Holy Eucharist which we are offering and celebrating

has many names. They are:

The Lord’s Supper, Breaking of the Bread, Eucharist, Divine Liturgy, Mass, Sacrifice of the Mass with Holy Communion.

At the Last Supper, Jesus and His Apostles were celebrating a Jewish Passover Meal.

It was the first Mass and the Apostles’ First Holy Communion.

The Jewish Passover was the direct ancestor of our Mass.

Jesus raised the meaning of the shared Passover bread

and blessing cup of wine to a whole new meaning.

He said, “Take and eat, this is my body

which will be given up for you.”

Then “Take and drink, this is the chalice of my blood

which will be poured out for you and for many

for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus is really present—Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity.

Ask yourself, do I really believe that?

He commanded and ordained the Apostles with the words,

“Do This in memory of Me.” From then on, we called it the Lord’s Supper.

Jesus, and then the Apostles, used only one loaf of bread,

so, it had to be broken and shared.

That is what the early Church called the Breaking of Bread.

When the Christians went to Greece

they used the word ‘Eucharist’ (which means ‘thanksgiving’).

Thanks be to God for the gift of Jesus in Holy Communion.

Divine Liturgy are the words used by the Eastern Rites.

When the Christians went to Italy they used the Latin word ‘Missa’ (‘Mass’ in English).

This word means ‘sent’. They were to take Christ to the world. We, too, are on a mission from God.

The ‘Sacrifice of the Mass’ helps us to remember Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection. And He will never die again.

The word ‘Communion’ means that Jesus wants us to be in ‘common union’ with Him and with each other.

During Mass, we can receive him, his Body and Blood. Outside Mass, we can give back to him. We can feed him, clothe him and comfort him. It’s the Mass that helps us recognize Jesus outside the Mass.