So, you’re a fallen away Catholic like I used to be and walk into the church one Sunday. It has been a long time since having gone to church. A yearning for that close feeling to God before falling away is beckoning. The Soul’s eagerness is gnawing for God’s Love. Last time at the Lord’s house the message heard went in one ear and out the other and boredom took over.
Joe M. Govea
Again, this time the same kind of good feeling like that after a concert or show is the desired outcome. The hope is that the presiding Priest’s actions and words during Mass will hopefully make a contribution to that state of mind. But unfortunately, after the reading of the Old Testament followed by the New Testament and his sermon the desired feeling like did not happen. Many fallen away Catholic have expected that type of entertainment from church. The truth is they will continue to be disappointed. That type of entertainment is not what the Catholic Church offers.
The type of feeling the Catholicism offers is different. It is a fulfillment feeling. The Catholic Mass involves worshiping in the spirit. That feeling is only obtained when you know your religion and know what is happening during Mass. It is kind of like expecting to understand what is going on in the story of a book after skipping a bunch of chapters and starting in the middle. In fact, the Church’s Biblical readings are all tied together one Sunday to the next. To get the message and understanding of God’s teachings a Catholic has to go to Mass every Sunday to get the whole story. That story teaches us about Jesus being born so that his sacrificial death and resurrection would give the world the Eucharist, the bread of life eternal.
At one time, I also thought that Church should be a place where I was entertained every Sunday. So, I went from one Catholic Church then another looking for that entertaining service. Then one of those Sundays we went to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Southside. During Father Haby’s sermon he said “you remember last week’s scripture when…., well this week’s scripture is tied to it by…., I thought, that’s interesting. The following Sunday he said the same thing and began to explain how last Sunday’s reading tied into the current Sunday readings, with that, It hit me! I finally got it. We get the whole story one episode at a time each Sunday. This made church more interesting. If you don’t know what happened in the prior episode how did you expect to understand what was really going on this one current episode. It was then that I started comprehending how the church’s reading are all tied together. I can’t expect to get it if I missed last week’s episode. I started to realize how important it was to go to church every Sunday because each Bible reading follows what was read the preceding Sunday. The Bible scriptures tell you how God’s plan has come together. The Priest sermon usually explains the scriptures in laymen terms. You hear one episode each week. Father Haby would explain that so well. The good thing about it is that every Catholic Church in the whole world has the same reading and rituals at Mass every day. You can be anywhere in the world does not have to miss the succeeding episode or lesson.
“The Catholic Mass is the Passover celebration with Jesus as the Sacrificial Lamb”
To get to the point I am trying to make everyone should know, Catholics don’t go to church to be entertained, they go to Church to pay homage to God by praying and most of all remembering what Christ did for everyone by suffering and dying on the Cross so that our sins would be forgiven. If you keep this passion of Christ in your mind while attending Mass, you begin to understand what’s going on during this time of Holy worship. We are remembering and thanking him for offering himself as the Sacrificial Lamb that takes away the Sins of the world. His suffering and death establish a covenant. We remember this contract by making an offering of Bread and Wine gifts to God during Mass. That substance then becomes the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. God’s new covenant with each of us is maintained when we consume it during Communion. This ritual is primarily the same thing that Jesus Christ did at the last supper which was actually the Passover Celebration. As part of that original feast which was observed thousands of year prior Christ’s days on earth, a lamb had to be killed as a sacrificial offering to God. It then had to be eaten in order for the Passover contract to be legitimate. This time for that ritual Jesus took bread and made an offering to God then said to his Apostles, “Take and eat for this is My Body that will be sacrificed for all so that sins will be forgiven”. Then he took wine and made and offering to God then said, “Take and drink, this is My Blood”, the Cup of the New Convent. He then commanded “Do This in Remembrance of Me”. The offerings were all similar to the feast of the Passover except this time the Sacrificial Lamb would be Jesus Christ himself. Thus, the Catholic Mass is the new Passover ritual where we consume the body and blood of Jesus as the Sacrificial Lamb.
The old Passover covenant was celebrated for being freed from slavery. The New Passover celebration is for being freed from sin.
I believe that the Catholic Church started by Jesus Christ gives us everything we all need to help us obtain an everlasting life with Jesus our King. The Catholic Church is the Rock upon which Jesus’s Church is built. Study it and you will understand what Jesus has done for us. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.
It has been widely noted that many protestant biblical scholars have tried to disprove the Catholic Church but then have wound up converting to it. They have become some of the best Catholics.
I enjoy going to Mass now and guess what, the more I go to church and also pray the more I feel the Holy Spirit communicating with me. I am not sure if talks to me during my golf game, but I did break 90 the other day, which is good for an old guy like me. I guess it is because I play golf more relaxed nowadays.
In conclusion, I now realized I am being entertained at Church but only in a way I was not expecting.