Sent....

 

As each Catholic Mass comes to a close, the priest gives a blessing to all the faithful gathered to celebrate the Eucharist.  A blessing is a solemn act that calls upon and invokes the aid of God upon the person, asking that God grant him/her divine favor and sanctification.  In the case of Mass, the blessing is called down upon the people for sanctification that they may go forth from the Mass renewed in zeal for their mission and strengthened to resist evil and grow in the spiritual life.

Then comes the final dismissal, when the priest (or deacon, if he is present) says “the Mass is ended.”  In Latin, the phrase is “Ite Missa est”.  It means so much more, though. The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives the most succinct explanation of this phrase, explaining that, “the liturgy in which the mystery of salvation is accomplished concludes with the sending forth (mission) of the faithful, so that they may fulfill God’s will in their daily lives” (CCC 1332).  The holy sacrifice of the Mass not only renders worship to God and offers the most effective prayer to God for our salvation, but the Mass, by its very nature, enlightens our Christian vocation to share in the mission of Christ by bringing forth His message to the world.  This doesn’t need to be in extraordinary ways.  Rather, this mission is more properly concerned with an authentic life lived in accord with the Gospel, striving for holiness and spiritual growth in prayer.  This focus allows us to carry the Gospel message to our families, neighbors and world so that we, too, have an important role in the task of evangelization by the faithful witness of our lives.  All of this is reflected in some of the options added to the Roman Missal for the Dismissal: “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord”; “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life”; or simply, “Go in peace.”  Truly, at the end of the Mass, our Lord, through the priest, gives us this mission that demands a true witness of the Gospel.

We are all being missioned into the world, and we’re asked to take nothing with us except our faith and trust in God – this will be our walking stick – and courage – our sandals.  We’re to journey as we are and not cloaked with a second tunic of self-doubt and fear.   We’re to travel light as we go forward in service. (Mark 6:7-13)

Quite often when we’re about to travel for any reason, we usually have a written or mental checklist of things we need to remember to do, or things we need to remember to take along; the right clothes, the documents, money, and so on.  In a way, even when we pack the bare minimum, and decide on only the essentials, we’re still weighed down with the baggage of worry, fears, and our need to control every moment.  We still take too much upon ourselves and lose sight of the graces we receive along the way, the opportunities to experience God’s love, and the opportunities to experience fully all the gifts God has bestowed on us.  We are each a child of God, and when we walk into a room, our grace can bring a smile to the face of a hurting soul.  Our goodness can bring peace to a home filled with negativity.  Our light can drive out the darkness.  These are not just gifts for the twelve apostles; this is our gift as well; we’re being missioned out into the world to do good work – to serve for the greater glory of God – and we won’t be alone.  Just as the disciples were sent out two by two, we are sent to serve together.  Being successful in ministry is kind of a team effort.  We now live in a world that glorifies the idea of working on our own, or doing things our own way, or being independent.  These are not bad ideas in and of themselves, but we are somewhat created to work together, not alone.  We are members of the body of Christ, we function better together.  When you feel disconnected, remember, you’re not traveling through this life alone.  Yes, travel light, but let’s travel together.

What are those things that weigh us down as we journey through life?  What are those things that get in our way of doing God’s work?  Do we have the courage to go where we’re sent, to move on when it’s time, to take rejection, to lead and to serve when it’s difficult and inconvenient, to do work for the greater glory of God?  Do we have the courage?  I am still afraid to answer these questions for myself, but one thing I do know is that it seems our options open up when we travel light through life; leaving our baggage – physical or emotional – behind as we respond to the missioning into the world.  So, brothers and sisters, let’s pick up our walking sticks, put on our sandals, and do ministry together.

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The Highs and Lows and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary meditations on the luminous mysteries continues:

IV.  The Transfiguration of Jesus

Brief meditation:

To set the scene for this mystery, we see Jesus inviting Peter, James, and John to withdraw with Him from the busy plane of everyday life and come to a high mountaintop.  Pope John Paul II called the Transfiguration, “the mystery of light par excellence,” presumably because, during this exalted event, the glory of Jesus’ divine nature shown brilliantly through his humanity, totally transfiguring Jesus.  As the Gospel of Matthew put it, [Jesus’] “face shown like the sun, and his clothes became white as light” (17:2). The event reminds us that Jesus is truly divine as well as truly human.

Scriptural meditation:

1.  Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves and was transfigured before them (Matthew 17:1)-Hail Mary…

2.  And his face shone as the sun and his garments became white as snow. (Matthew 17:2)-Hail Mary…

3.  And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking together with him. (Matthew 17:3)-Hail Mary…

4.  Now Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep.  But when they were fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who were standing with him. (Luke 9:32)-Hail Mary…

5.  Then Peter addressed Jesus saying “Lord it is good for us to be here.  Let us set up three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah” (Matthew 17:4)-Hail Mary…

6.  As he was still speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. (Matthew 17:5)-Hail Mary…

7.  And behold a voice out of the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him.” (Matthew 17:5)-Hail Mary…

8.  And on hearing it the disciples fell on their faces and were exceedingly afraid. (Matthew 17:6)-Hail Mary…

9.  And Jesus came near and touched them and said to them, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” (Matthew 17:7)-Hail Mary…

10.  And suddenly looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but only Jesus. (Mark 9:8)-Hail Mary…