Dear Friends,
May the grace and peace of the Lord be with you! Now that Archbishop Perez has restored the obligation and has allowed us the joy to attend Mass in parish Churches as of August 15th, I offer the following thoughts and reflections as encouragement to you as you make your way back to the community of believers at St. David Parish.
Pope Francis, in a recent address, said the following about Sunday Mass:
“It is so important to go to Mass every Sunday because that’s where people receive Christ who saves, forgives and unites everyone to his Father, the church, and to each other.”
The Pope continued this thought by reflecting on the Word of God, which is proclaimed at every Mass:
“We need God’s word so that we can hear, amid the thousands of other words in our daily lives, that one word that speaks to us not about things, but about life.
His call to the faithful comes during holy Mass where they hear God’s word.”
After so many months of not having Mass, then Mass with restrictions, then limited numbers allowed and no obligation to attend Mass, we now find ourselves back to the pre-pandemic Church where, to quote the popular hymn, “All are Welcome.”
Waiting for you at church you will find a copy of “A Minute in the Church: The Mass” by Gus Lloyd. In this book, you’ll find 51 one-minute teachings about the Catholic Mass. From the names of the vessels and vestments to the deeper meaning behind the rituals and gestures, this book will help Catholics and non-Catholics alike come to a greater understanding and deeper appreciation of the Mass…in a minute!
I hope that your return to “active and full participation” at Mass in St. David’s, along with insights gleaned from Lloyd’s book, will help to deepen your appreciation of what the Second Vatican Council called, “The Source and Summit of Christian Life.”
See you Sunday!
God bless,
Fr. Windle