The Eucharistic Prayers Following the offertory at Mass, the Eucharistic Prayer follows. There are a total of ten Eucharistic Prayers found in the Roman Missal that contains all the prayers for Mass. The Eucharistic Prayers are trinitarian in their nature. They are addressed to God our Father. The prayers invoke the Holy Spirit to make …
As we begin the new secular year of 2024, I don’t want to talk about resolutions today. It’s not that I think I’m perfect such that I don’t need to make improvements in my own behavior. I know I am not perfect. I need God’s help to take better care of myself and to be …
Christmas is our celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Thus, it is too important to celebrate with a single day. As Catholics, we celebrate Christmas as a season that begins on Christmas day and continues until we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord (which falls on January 8th this year). There are …
The Liturgy of the Eucharist – “My Sacrifice and Yours” As we transition from the offertory to the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest says, “Pray my brothers and sisters,, that my sacrifice and yours, may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.” Of course, there is no greater sacrifice than that of Jesus willingly sacrificing his …
The Nativity of the Lord (Mass During the Night)Isaiah 9:1-6Titus 2:11-14Luke 2:1-14December 25, 2023 We come today to celebrate something very special and we do so with “abundant joy and great rejoicing.” We come into church from a world with darkness and gloom. How many shootings have there been this year? How much senseless violence? …
We are about to start a very busy weekend in the Church. This Sunday (December 24th) is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Then Christmas arrives on Monday. That means there will be the normal Sunday Masses. Then, at 4 pm in the afternoon we start our Christmas Eve Masses. (Please be aware that some parishes …
The Liturgy of the Eucharist – The Offertory Part 3 When the gifts of bread and wine have been placed on the altar, water is used twice. The first is as the priest or deacon pours wine into the chalice followed by a drop of water while silently saying “By the mystery of this water …
As we approach Christmas, there are specific readings for daily Masses on the final eight days before Christmas. The gospel readings focus on the events just before the birth of Jesus including the announcements of the pending births of John the Baptist and Jesus. It begins on December 17th (which was a Sunday this year, …
Continue reading ‘Why the Genealogy of Jesus is Important’ »
In our present season of Advent, we are called to reflect on our readiness for the Second Coming of Jesus. This means we need to make a thorough examination of conscience. The color violent is a color that symbolizes penance and sorrow for our sins. We need to recognize our sins and ask God to …
Continue reading ‘Gaudete Sunday! 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B’ »
The Liturgy of the Eucharist – The Offertory Part 2 After the gifts of bread and wine have been brought to the altar, the priest holds up first the bread and then the wine and says (silently if music is being played), “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we …
