2/20/2022

At the Masses next week we will give a blessing and commission our Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers, both those who distribute communion at Mass and those who take communion to the Homebound. We will do this at all three Masses, so no need to change your schedule. We have an active group of people who step up and help, whether signed up or not. I appreciate your willingness to help, to be trained, to participate. As you have often heard me say, Mass is not a spectator event, but an event in which the baptized Christian actively participates, primarily by offering the sacrifice. It is the first of the three roles of priest, prophet, and king by which we participate in the Body of Christ. Each baptized person is capable of offering the sacrifice of the Mass along with the priest, who makes present the ONE Sacrifice of Christ. Together we offer our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of the day or week to the Father along with the Perfect Sacrifice of Christ, made present at every Eucharistic celebration. It is a privileged way to develop one’s relationship with God. It is my hope to have the laity participate in various roles at Mass as a sign of their participation spiritually, and being a minister of the Eucharist is a great way to do this. Thank you to all who attended the sessions.
I will do a couple of easier questions today. The first is: What does Immaculata mean? It is Latin, and it means “the immaculate one.” It is a title of Mary as one conceived free of original sin. We call this the Immaculate Conception. Notice that it does NOT refer to Christ as having been conceived immaculately, but Mary his mother. It is a way that God provided Mary with the support she needed to be the Mother of God and fulfill her roll in God’s plan of salvation. The first Eve was created without original sin. It makes sense that Mary, the second Eve who was called to help undo what the first Eve did at the fall, would have been created without original sin. It worked, as Mary obeyed where Eve disobeyed. God gives all of us the support we need to do his will in our lives.
Next question: What does it mean for a person to be consecrated? “The Consecration” refers for most Catholics to the moment that the bread and wine at Mass becomes the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. It is expressed by the words, “THIS IS MY BODY…” and “THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD….” We consecrate water before using it to baptize someone, we consecrate oil before anointing someone (either the sick or as part of the process of ordaining someone). We also “consecrate” buildings, such as the church where we celebrate Mass. In general, consecration sets aside someone or something as holy and for a higher purpose. That which is consecrated should be treated accordingly. When I was ordained, my hands were set aside to be used to bless, to anoint, to forgive, to baptize, and to consecrate the Eucharist. They should thus not be used to do harm, such as carrying a gun to fight a war. While self defense is a possible reason for using consecrated hands for doing harm, it is unseemly and to be avoided if at all possible. When people are consecrated, they are set aside for a holy purpose. Before I became a priest, I became a monk. Monks and religious make vows to live lives dedicated to the service of God. All of these states of life are meant to witness to a faith dimension of the Church, where we depend on God for support and dedicate ourselves to prayer or some good work (schools, caring for the sick think, Mother Teresa, working with the poor, etc.) Spouses are dedicated to one another with the responsibility of helping their spouse and children to get to heaven. The setting aside of people for a purpose is often messy. Unlike things, which can be set aside for a specific use and nothing else, people are sinful and weak (as well as good) as they walk towards the Lord. Finally, all who are baptized are called out of ordinary life to be consecrated to Christ this is what it means to be a member of the Church The word we translate “church” in Greek is ekklesia, It is a compound word which comes from: "ek", a preposition meaning "out of", and a verb, "kaleo", signifying "to call" together, literally, ekklesia means "to call out" from ordinary life into the community of those who follow Christ. We get the word ‘ecclesiastical’ from this root. Consecration means a calling to be holy, which sometimes refers to being called to be a part of the Christian community, and sometimes called out of the Christian community to a special calling, like a priest, religious sister or brother. We have been called out of the world to become Christians witnessing to the truth of Christ’s life and promise of the Resurrection. What a great calling! What a privilege to serve this community as Pastor!

Father Albert, O.S.B.