Feast of the Apostle St. Andrew - Advent Sunday 2B: "Repentance and Confessing One's Sins..."

SAINT ANDREW, THE APOSTLE

We humbly implore your majesty, O Lord, that, just as the blessed Apostle Andrew, was for your Church a preacher and pastor, so he may be for us a constant intercessor before you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

* * * * * *

Saint André était de Bethsaïde en Galilée, sur les bords du lac de Tibériade. Avec son frère Pierre, il vivait de la pêche. C'était un assoiffé de Dieu. Il avait entendu la prédication de Jean le Baptiste, avait sans doute reçu son baptême de pénitence et était devenu l'un de ses disciples. Il avait su discerner l'exacte mission de Jean. Aussi, quand il l'entendit désigner Jésus : " Voici l'agneau de Dieu ", il le suivit pour ne plus le quitter. 

Saint André était apôtre, avant même d'en avoir reçu le titre. Il rencontre son frère Pierre et l'amène à Jésus. Il est l'homme qui sait nouer des contacts. Lors de la multiplication des pains, c'est André qui amène le jeune garçon portant ses cinq pains et ses deux poissons. Quand des Grecs veulent rencontrer Jésus, c'est à lui qu'ils s'adressent tout naturellement.

Des sources tardives font état de son supplice à Patras en Grèce. Au 4e siècle, ses reliques furent transférées à Constantinople. Une importante relique, qui avait été déposée au XVe siècle au Vatican, fut restituée en 1966 aux Orientaux en signe de la volonté de communion entre l'Église de Rome et les patriarcats orientaux. L'Ukraine voudrait qu'il ait été le premier évangélisateur de Kiev et l'Écosse l'a choisi comme patron national.

Le 30 novembre 2009, comme chaque année, le Saint-Père a adressé un message au Patriarche œcuménique de Constantinople à l’occasion de la fête de saint André, remis à SS Barthélémy I par le Cardinal Kasper, qui conduit la délégation romaine à Istanbul. Il y rappelle que la commémoration du patron de ce patriarcat, frère de saint Pierre, “doit encourager tous les chrétiens à répondre aux grands enjeux du moment, aux problèmes de plus en plus complexes qui se posent à la chrétienté”.

Nos Églises, écrit Benoît XVI, “se sont engagées depuis plusieurs décades dans la voie du rétablissement de la pleine communion. Et même si l’objectif n’est pas atteint, de grands pas en avant ont été faits, qui ont permis un approfondissement de nos liens”. Cette ouverture guide les travaux de la Commission mixte pour le dialogue qui s’est récemment réunie à Chypre, consacrés “à la mission de l’Évêque de Rome dans la communion ecclésiale du premier millénaire”, un thème reconnaît le Pape, “qui mérite une étude approfondie et un dialogue prudent dans la perspective de rapprocher les traditions ecclésiales orientales et occidentales pour les intégrer... L’Église catholique voit dans le ministère pétrinien un don du Seigneur fait à son Église, qui ne peut être interprété comme pouvoir mais comme communion au service de la vérité et de la charité. L’Évêque de Rome, qui préside cette charité...est le Serviteur des Serviteurs de Dieu... A la lumière du modèle du premier millénaire, il convient de trouver ensemble les formes permettant au Successeur de Pierre d’accomplir un service d’amour envers tous et reconnu de tous”. Au long de ce chemin vers la pleine communion, “il faut offrir un témoignage commun en œuvrant ensemble au bien de l’humanité, en défendant la dignité de la personne, en affirmant les valeurs fondamentales, en favorisant la justice et la paix. Les Églises orthodoxe et catholiques peuvent collaborer aussi dans la sensibilisation des gens aux responsabilités de l’humanité et à la défense de la création”.

Né à Bethsaïde en Galilée, frère de Simon Pierre et pêcheur avec lui, disciple de Jean-Baptiste, il fut le premier appelé par Jésus sur les bords du Jourdain; il le suivit et lui amena son frère.

La tradition rapporte qu’après la Pentecôte, il annonça l’Évangile en Achaïe et mourut en croix à Patras. L’Église de Constantinople le vénère comme son illustre patron.

* * * * * *

Second Sunday in Advent (Year “B”) - December 4, 2011

Luca Giordano (1634-1705), St. John the Baptist Preaching (circa 1695)
Los Angeles County Museum of Art

“REPENTANCE FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS”
[Texts: Isaiah 40.1-5, 9-11 [Psalm 85]; 2 Peter 3.8-15; Mark 1.1-8]

Next summer we will celebrate ten years since Blessed Pope John Paul II attended Toronto’s World Youth Day.  One of the highlights of World Youth Day in Toronto was Duc in Altum Park. 

There, on the shores of Lake Ontario, steps from the main gathering point at CNE Grounds, the Knights of Columbus arranged a peaceful setting for young people to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Large numbers of bishops and priests made themselves available to hear confessions.

And celebrate this encounter with Christ's representatives mediating forgiveness they did—in droves!  Similar scenes were replayed during the overnight vigil at the Downsview Lands where the closing Mass was held.

In May of that year, prior to coming to Toronto, Pope John Paul had referred to a similar embrace of the Sacrament of Penance by youth at Rome's Circus Maximus at the 2000 World Youth Day—along with other signs of a return to Confession—as reasons for pastors to show greater confidence, creativity and perseverance in presenting the worth of sacramental confession to the faithful.

In his personal administrative document (motu proprio) entitled Misericordia Dei (“God's Mercy”), the Holy Father had laid out specific steps to be taken by conferences of bishops to ensure, as much as they can, that God's people are able to personally receive the graces of this sacrament.

The Holy Father said that this was particularly needed in regions where there was a danger of people abandoning personal confession because widespread use of general or communal absolution (permitted by the Third Rite of Reconciliation) made it no longer appear to be what it was meant to be, an extraordinary pastoral means for exceptional circumstances. 

This, Pope John Paul said, leads to grave consequences for the spiritual life of the faithful and the holiness of the church.

At one of their annual plenary assemblies, the Canadian Bishops discussed the varying circumstances in their respective dioceses and drafted a response in answer to the Pope's request.  In it they committed themselves to do everything possible to foster communal celebrations of reconciliation in which penitents are able individually to confess their sins and individually receive absolution (the Second Rite of Reconciliation).  This step was to be taken along with that of encouraging priests to make themselves readily available to individuals for confession (the First Rite of Reconciliation).

Atonement, reconciliation and the forgiveness of sins are writ large in today's scriptural readings from Isaiah (“speak tenderly to Jerusalem...that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins”), the second epistle of Peter (“strive to be found...at peace, without spot or blemish”) and Mark's gospel.

Greek manuscripts did not use punctuation marks.  So the opening verse of Mark's gospel may be a title or the start of his message.  If the latter, Mark was stressing that, “the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was John baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet....” 

In other words, the gospel begins with repentance, confession and forgiveness!

We learn that when John preached repentance in view of God's offer of forgiveness, people who came to him for baptism were engaged in “confessing their sins”.  This was their response to the Baptist's invitation to “prepare the way of the Lord (=Jesus), make his paths straight”.

When Isaiah proclaimed the text John quoted, it told of God's arrival in the wilderness to bring people home from the Exile.  However, early Christians for whom Mark wrote understood it to refer to Jesus. And the exile that he released people from was the alienation from God in sin.

Though the Dead Sea Community—the Essenes of Qumran near where the Baptist preached—also practiced ritual washings, their ablutions were repeated.  John's immersion, however, occurred only once, like Christian baptism.  The ceremony either expressed their repentance or conveyed God's forgiveness and cleansing to the penitent.  The water ritual was understood to be effective only when the convert was truly contrite.

There is no reason that John's invitation to repent should not include Christians.  For the gospel-inspired call to repent post-baptismal sins has echoed through the ages, leading to various confessional practices in different eras. 

Lent especially and Advent have been liturgical seasons favouring celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the confession of one's sins. It’s that time, then, this Advent for a spiritual check-up with one’s confessor to taste the renewal of life Christ offers his disciples in confession—the Sacrament of Reconciliation, of Healing, of Peace.

The Dismissal of the NEW ROMAN MISSAL - Bienheureux / Blessed Bernardo de Hoyos

Tuesday of the First Week of Advent

O God, who have shown forth your salvation to all the ends of the earth, grant, we pray, that we may look forward in joy to the glorious Nativity of Christ.  Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

* * * * * *

THE ROMAN MISSAL

(conclusion of the series on the changed texts)

The Dismissal

Mass ends with a Dismissal or a ‘commissioning’. Instead of ending with a casual ‘good-bye’ or ‘see you soon’, the priest or the assisting deacon send God’s people forth into the world with one of four different dismissals.

These dismissals recall Christ’s commissioning of his disciples before his Ascension to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19).

They remind us that we are to be witnesses to the Gospel in our daily life outside the walls of the parish church.

Two of the options are very simple: “Go forth, the Mass is ended” or “Go in peace”. But even these simple dismals are reminders to us of our duty to spread the Gospel. “Go forth” has a forceful ring to it and “Go in peace” reminds us that we go forth from the church carrying not the world’s idea of peace, but rather to share the peace of Christ.

The other two options make our commission to witness to the Gospel even more beautifully explicit: “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord” or “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life”.

We are sent out into the world to be witnesses to the Gospel and to glorify our good and gracious God by how we live. We respond to all of these great commissions in gratitude and love by responding: “Thanks be to God”.  – Rev. Geoffrey Kerslake

* * * * * *

Bienheureux Bernardo de Hoyos

Aujourd’hui la Communauté jésuite marque le mémorial facultatif du Bx. Bernardo de Hoyos. Alors je présente l’article que j’ai écrit pour Catholique Ottawa et qui sera publié dans quelques jours :

Pourquoi la dévotion au Sacré-Cœur a encore sa place dans le monde d’aujourd’hui

Cette année, notre participation aux Journées mondiales de la jeunesse comprenait un séjour de quelques jours dans l’Archidiocèse de Valladolid. Cela nous a permis de mieux connaître le vénérable père Bernard Hoyos, un jésuite né il y a 300 ans et qui fut béatifié récemment. Le père Bernard Hoyos est décédé moins d’un an après avoir été ordonné prêtre.

Bernard, tout comme sainte Marguerite-Marie, eut l’expérience mystique du Sacré-Cœur. Un jour, Bernard sentit que le Seigneur lui confiait une mission : « Je te confie la tache de diffuser à travers toute l’Espagne la dévotion à mon Cœur sacré. » Dès ce moment, il fit tout ce qu’il pu pour suivre cette directive du Seigneur. Il forma d’abord des collaborateurs dévoués qui s’efforcèrent de transmettre aux autres l’essentiel de ce qui devait constituer le culte du Sacré-Cœur.

Bernard distribua des textes et des images un peu partout et fonda des associations en honneur du Sacré-Cœur. Cependant, la recette principale de son succès à diffuser la dévotion au Sacré-Cœur réside dans son témoignage personnel de l’amour du Christ.

Les papes ont fait régulièrement des demandes semblables à la Compagnie de Jésus, ce qui a mené la fondation du réseau mondial intitulé l’Apostolat de la prière. Sainte Thérèse de Lisieux s’est joint à ce service de prière et j’ai fait comme elle quand j’étudiais à l’école secondaire.

Pourquoi la dévotion au Sacré-Cœur a-t-elle encore sa place dans le monde d’aujourd’hui?

D’abord, parce que la dévotion au Sacré Cœur met notre foi en lien avec notre vie de tous les jours.

En effet, les membres de l’Apostolat de la prière sont invités à prier les yeux ouverts sur le monde en offrant à Dieu chacune de leurs journées alors qu’ils font leurs prières du matin et à faire cela en lien avec l’Eucharistie. Les chrétiens sont également invités à terminer leurs journées par une réflexion sur ce qu’ils ont vécu et à planifier ainsi leur lendemain.

Lorsque les disciples unissent leurs vies à l’amour ardent du Cœur de Jésus, leurs cœurs s’enflamment. Il s’agit là d’une spiritualité qui prend tout son sens en ces temps-ci alors que nous vivons à un rythme effaré. Essayez cette formule chaque matin. Vous verrez pourquoi plusieurs en sont venus à dire : l’essayer c’est l’adopter. De plus amples renseignements sont disponibles sur le site web de l’archidiocèse www.archottawa.ca et à l’adresse www.apostolat-priere.org.

* * *

Bernard Francis de Hoyos y Seña (1711-1735) is the latest name added to the list of Jesuit Blesseds.

Fr Hoyos had lived a life of ‘heroic virtues’. His reputation for holiness spread immediately after his death. However, because the Society of Jesus found itself opposed by the Jansenists, the cause for beatification was not introduced at that time.

Later the Society was suppressed. It was only on 11 February 1914 that the process for his sainthood was started. Pope John Paul II decreed Bernard “venerable” on 12 January 1996. Pope Benedict XVI authorized his beatification on 17 January 2009. His beatification ceremony was held on 18 April 2010 in Valladolid, Spain.

The liturgical feast of the Blessed de Hoyos is held today, November 29, the day of his death in 1735.

* * * * * *

The New Missal's Invitation to Holy Communion - Retraite des diacres francophones

THE NEW ROMAN MISSAL (continued)

“Behold the Lamb of God”

In the New Missal, we will see more clearly the close connection between many of the prayers at Mass and Sacred Scripture.

At the “Invitation to Communion,” the priest shows the consecrated host to the people and says: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those who are called to the supper of the Lamb.”

These words echo the words of John the Baptist to his disciples when he identified Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1: 29 and see also John 1:36).

These words also remind us of the Book of Revelation where John reports the angel saying to him: “Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb” (Rev: 19:9).

The people’s response repeats, with one change, the words of the Roman centurion in Luke’s Gospel when he asked Jesus to cure his servant: “Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my servant [we will say instead “my soul”] shall be healed” (cf. Luke 7: 6-7).

The Lord, the Lamb of God who takes away our sin, does truly come to us because of His great love.  – Rev. Geoffrey Kerslake

* * * * * *

Retraite à Pierrefonds (QC)

Samedi matin, j’ai participé à la retraite des diacres francophones et leurs épouses à Villa Saint Martin (Pierrefonds, QC) du 25 au 27 novembre.  

Le prédicateur était un laïque, M. Alain Dumont de Trois-Rivières.

A l’heure du repas, j’ai pu visiter mes confrères jésuites pour le dessert et café.

 

A New Liturgical Year Begins with a New Roman Missal

GRANT your faithful, we pray, almighty God,

the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ

with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand,

they may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom.

Through our Lord.

* * * * * *

The Invitation to the Lord’s Prayer

In the current, 2nd edition of the Missal, the priest can choose between different invitations to the Lord’s Prayer but the New Missal uses has only invitation: “At the Saviour’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say”. This is a literal translation from the original Latin text that was not translated in the previous English editions of the Missal.

At the time of Christ, no one would have dared to address God so personally and intimately as my “Father” but Jesus taught us that God is indeed our heavenly Father and so he revolutionized the way we relate to Him.

In the New Missal we see how the language of the prayers emphasizes God’s great power, majesty and goodness and with this particular invitation in the New Missal we are reminded that it is only because Jesus commanded us to pray using the words of the “Our Father” that we dare to so intimately address God as Father. 

– Rev. Geoffrey Kerslake

* * * * * *

Why “for the Many”.... - Closing the Liturgical Year - Confirmations récentes

Why for “the Many” and Not “for All”?

Another change in the Eucharistic Prayers occur when during the consecration of the wine into the Blood of Christ, the priest prays: “…the Blood of the New Covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins”.

This is a change for an important theological reason from “for all” that we are accustomed to hearing.

Jesus Christ suffered and died on the Cross so that all humanity might be redeemed from the power of sin and death we brought on ourselves through Adam because of original sin.

We all are redeemed because of Christ’s suffering and death and not because of our personal worthiness but we do not get a ‘free pass’ into heaven.

The choices we make in this life have eternal consequences and when we reject God’s grace and refuse to repent of our sins, we separate ourselves from God. So, Jesus’ suffering and death is not a guarantee that all will automatically be saved regardless of our choices but rather it provides the freedom for us to choose for or against God.

This change in the Eucharistic Prayers makes it clear that our freedom to choose for or against God matters and that Christ’s death is not a guaranteed ‘free pass into heaven for all’ because God respects our free will and our choices. – Rev. Geoffrey Kerslake

* * * * * *

A PRAYER FOR THE CLOSE

OF THE LITURGICAL YEAR

34^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Stir up the will of your faithful, we pray, O Lord, that, striving more eagerly after your divine work's fruition they may receive in greater measure the healing remedies your kindness bestows. Through our Lord.

* * * * * *

Pope Benedict XVI on the New Roman Missal

In remarks today to the Bishops of New York, the Holy Father commented on the role of a renewal of liturgy in the renewal of society:

In these days, the Church in the United States is implementing the revised translation of the Roman Missal. I am grateful for your efforts to ensure that this new translation will inspire an ongoing catechesis which emphasizes the true nature of the liturgy and, above all, the unique value of Christ’s saving sacrifice for the redemption of the world.

A weakened sense of the meaning and importance of Christian worship can only lead to a weakened sense of the specific and essential vocation of the laity to imbue the temporal order with the spirit of the Gospel. America has a proud tradition of respect for the sabbath; this legacy needs to be consolidated as a summons to the service of God’s Kingdom and the renewal of the social fabric in accordance with its unchanging truth.

* * * * * *

Confirmations récentes...

à Saint Isidore de Prescott:

à la paroisse Saint Gabriel, Gloucester:

“CHALICE” NOT “CUP” in the New Roman Missal - St. Catherine of Alexandria - Le Renouveau charismatique

THE NEW ROMAN MISSAL (continued)

Why “Chalice” and not “Cup”?

In the Eucharistic Prayers during the consecration, where God transforms ordinary bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ His Son, the priest uses the words of Jesus at the Last Supper.

In the New Missal during the consecration of the wine into the Blood of Christ, the priest prays: “Take this all of you and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood…”. Using the word “chalice” instead of “cup” helps us remember the Cross as well as the Last Supper because we only use chalices for Mass, whereas we drink from cups all the time in daily life.

The Mass is not only the Last Supper – a sacred meal – it is also the Offering of Christ on the Cross – a sacred Sacrifice. Also “chalice” reminds us that we are participating in the Heavenly Banquet when we celebrate Mass and not just a festive meal shared with our friends at home.

The special altar vessels we use – the chalice, paten (the plate) and the ciborium (the covered dish) - are made of precious metals to remind us of the most precious substance they contain, the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ in the Eucharistic Species. – Rev. Geoffrey Kerslake

* * * * * *

Saint Catherine,

Virgin and Martyr

Almighty everlasting God, who gave Saint Catherine of Alexandria to your people as a Virgin and an invincible Martyr, grant that, through her intercession, we may be strengthened in faith and constancy and spend ourselves without reserve for the unity of the Church.  Through our Lord.

* * * * * *

La Vie dans l’Esprit

 

Récemment au Centre diocésain, j’ai passé un peu de temps un samedi matin avec membres—des jeunes d’Esprit Jeunesse et des plus âgées—du Renouveau charismatique de l’archidiocèse.

Un trinitaire—le père Michel Vigneau de Granby, QC—était le conférencier pour les sessions de prières et partage.

Voici quelques photos :

The Eucharistic Prayers in the New Missal - St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest, and Companions, martyrs

Eucharistic Prayers

After the Preface, we typically use one of four Eucharistic Prayers at Mass for the prayers that consecrate the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.

The First Eucharistic Prayer (the Roman Canon) is most often used on Sundays and special feasts and it dates back to the 4th century under Pope Damasus I (who also commissioned St. Jerome to produce the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible).

The Second Eucharistic Prayer is even older as its origins can be traced back to the third century; we often use this prayer at weekday Masses.

The Third Eucharistic Prayer, used as well on Sundays and festive days, was composed after the Second Vatican Council and it resembles the Second Eucharistic Prayer in many ways.

In the New Missal, the English translation will be much closer to the Latin original. Isn’t it amazing to know that what we will be praying very closely resembles what the Church has celebrated for over almost 1,700 years in both the West and the East? – Rev. Geoffrey Kerslake

* * * * * *

VIETNAMESE MARTYRS

O God, source and origin of all fatherhood, who kept the Martyrs Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and his companions faithful to the Cross of your Son even to the shedding of their blood, grant, through their intercession that, spreading your love among our brothers and sisters, we may be your children both in name and in truth.  Through our Lord.

* * * * * *

Preparing for Advent: "Keeping Watch" - Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayers - Saint Columban

First Sunday in Advent (Year "B") - November 27, 2011

              

SHOULD ONE FEAR THE YEAR 2012?

[Texts: Isaiah 63.16b-17, 19; 64.1, 3-8 [Psalm 80]; 1 Corinthians 1.3-9; Mark 13.31-37]

Several years ago, a student told me of a relative who belonged to a church that “takes the Bible seriously”.  He said this uncle had received news from church elders that Christ would be returning later that week.  He was anxious to speak to me about this.

In reply, I suggested an interview time a few days beyond the given date.  When he protested this might be too late, I quoted Jesus' words in today's gospel, “about that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels, nor the Son, but only the Father”.  I teased him that he needed to heed this scriptural verse as earnestly as he did warnings about the imminent “rapture”.

Through the centuries, this saying has troubled disciples who believe it is not fitting that Jesus be ignorant of the End.  But it is deeply reassuring when prophecies of impending doom and gloom surface, as they have been doing with the imminent arrival of the end of the Mayan Calendar in the Year 2012.

In Catholic circles, warnings of this kind about the end are occasionally attributed to a Marian locution or to visionary insights given some saint.  In a similar vein, regularly at year's end, secular media recycle the “prophecies” of Nostradamus or some equally questionable source.

At present, people point to the large number of natural disasters recently to draw false conclusions about the end of the world.  All such events deserve to be discounted as pointers to the end of history, though they should invite reflection on one's need to be ready at all times for the Lord's coming.

In fact, for the believer the injunction Jesus gives at the end of the apocalyptic discourse (Mark 13.3-37), “what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake” loses none of its urgency.  But it encourages Christians to face the future with serenity, putting aside all anxiety about the coming of the Son of Man, Jesus who is the Lord of history.

As Blessed Pope John Paul II wrote in Tertio Millennio Adveniente [On the Coming of the Third Millennium]: “In Christianity time has a fundamental importance.  Within the dimension of time the world was created; within it the history of salvation unfolds, finding its culmination in the ‘fullness of time’ of the Incarnation and its goal in the glorious return of the Son of God at the end of time” (#10).

“In Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, time becomes a dimension of God, who is himself eternal.  With the coming of Christ there begin ‘the last days’ (cf. Hebrews 1.2), the ‘last hour’ (cf. 1 John 2.18) and the time of the Church, which will last until the Parousia.”

This Christian vision of time articulated by the late Holy Father implicitly urges that the coming of a new phase of history or a new era not be feared.  Rather it is to be celebrated, like the coming feast of Christmas for which Advent prepares the Church, as an ongoing manifestation of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Jesus' parable of the master absent “on a journey” and its associated sayings is meant to engender hope.  For during his absence, he has put “his slaves in charge”.  Seeing Jesus in the absent lord and themselves in the servants (“each with a particular task”), Christians are called to delight in the fact that they have been entrusted with responsibility for safeguarding His church (“the house”).

Disciples should not be led into misguided enthusiasm or become carelessly indifferent.  Rather, they should “keep alert...keep awake”, ready to greet Christ whenever he returns from his presence at the right hand of the Father, whether “in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn”, making reference to the Roman manner of reckoning time.

Paul gives another reason for the confidence of Christians as they look to the future and “wait for the revealing of Our Lord Jesus Christ”.  It is that “God is faithful...  He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

                                                                                                                            

* * * * * *

THE NEW ROMAN MISSAL (continued)

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayers 

The four principal Eucharistic Prayers that we use are very ancient in terms of their content. The New Missal translation is a more literally accurate translation of the language used in the oldest prayers. It is important to recognize that there is a distinctive “Christian way of speaking” in the Eucharistic prayers.

The language and the structure of these prayers sound different because the Eucharistic Prayers are a unique communication between human beings and God. What takes place during the Eucharistic Prayer is a miracle – ordinary bread and wine are transformed into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ!

The different rhythm, formulation and “sound” of the language we use draws our attention to the fact that what we are participating in at the Divine Liturgy is something completely different than any other dialogue or activity we do anywhere else.

The language in the Eucharistic Prayers of the New Missal sounds very humble, for example, which emphasizes our dependence on God’s goodness and mercy. Another difference is the increased emphasis on praising God and thanking Him in more effusive and respectful terms.

These changes will help us remember that what we participating in together is a miraculous, blessed and most special event. – Rev. Geoffrey Kerslake

* * * * * *

Saint Columban, Abbot

O God, who in Saint Columban wonderfully joined the work of evangelization to zeal for the monastic life, grant, we pray, that, through his intercession and example, we may strive to seek you above all things and bring increase to your faithful people.  Through our Lord.