On the afternoon of the day on which Jesus rose from the dead, the risen Lord gave us the pattern for Christian worship. We begin with the liturgy of the word. We walk about seven miles with Jesus as He interprets for us "every passage of Scripture which referred to Him" (Lk 24:27). This causes our hearts to burn and be purified (Lk 24:32). Then our eyes are opened to recognize the risen Christ in the breaking of the bread (Lk 24:31).
However, our worship is not over yet. Following the liturgy of the Eucharist, we get up immediately, return to the circumstances of our everyday lives, and recount what has happened to us and how we came to know Jesus "in the breaking of bread" (Lk 24:33, 35). We spread the gospel of God so that those who believe our message "may be offered up as a pleasing sacrifice, consecrated by the Holy Spirit" (Rm 15:16).
Our major way of worshipping God is called "Mass," that is, "Sent." When we worship the Lord in Spirit and truth (Jn 4:24), we not only receive God's word and Holy Communion, we also are sent forth to proclaim the good news. For a complete Mass in the pattern of the risen Jesus, we must go when we are sent and then offer up "as a pleasing sacrifice" those who accept the gospel we share (Rm 15:16). May we make our Mass true to its name.
| PRAYER: | Father, may our Masses have such an impact on society that non-Christian governments will be threatened by them. |
| PROMISE: | "Conduct yourselves reverently during your sojourn in a strange land." –1 Pt 1:17 |
| PRAISE: | Praise the risen Jesus, Whose life, death, and resurrection empower us to "go forth in His name." |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College