Today is the feast of St. Matthew, apostle.
Since he was a Gospel writer, we will look at the role of the Gospel in the
Mass.
Scripture for
mediation; Nehemiah 8:5-6
Ezra opened the book in
the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when
he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen,
Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
Scripture for reflection: Luke 4:21
And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture
has been fulfilled in your hearing."
Edward Sri tells
us: While the whole of the Bible is inspired, Vatican II taught that the
gospels rightly have “a special place… because they are our principal source
for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Savior.” (Dei Verbum, no.
18) The Mass reflects this preeminence. Notice how the liturgy shows special
reverence to the reading of the Gospel. For this particular reading the
priests, deacons, and people do things they that they did not do for the other
readings from Scripture. Standing: First,
the people stand to welcome the Lord Jesus who is about to be proclaimed in the
Gospel reading. Standing was the reverent posture of the assembled Jews when
Ezra read from the book of the law (Neh 8:5). As we prepare to hear Jesus speak
to us in the Gospel, it is fitting that we welcome him in this way, expressing
our reverence and our readiness to listen to him. Alleluia: Second, the people say or sing “Alleluia” which is a
Hebrew expression of joy meaning, “Praise Yahweh!” or “Praise the Lord!” It is
found at the beginning or end of many Psalms…and was used by the angels in
heaven to praise God for his work of salvation and to announce the coming of
Christ to his people in the wedding supper of the lamb (Rev. 19:1-9). This
joyful praise is a fitting way to welcome Jesus who will come to us in the
Gospel. Procession: Third, during the
Alleluia, the deacon or priest begins to process in the sanctuary…. To prepare
himself for the sacred task of reading the Gospel, the priest quietly prays at
the altar: “Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God, that I may worthily
proclaim your holy Gospel.” This prayer recalls how the prophet Isaiah’s lips
needed to be purified before he proclaimed the word of the Lord to Israel. When
an angel touched his mouth with a burning coal, Isaiah’s sin was forgiven and
he was then called to begin his prophetic ministry. (Is 6:1-9)…. Sign of the Cross…the priest or deacon…traces
the sign of the cross on his forehead, mouth, breast, and the book. The people
also make the three-fold sign of the cross over themselves, a ritual by which
we consecrate our thoughts, words and actions to the Lord, asking that his Word
in the Gospel be always on our minds, on our lips, and in our heart…. When the
Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and
Christ, present in his own word, proclaims the Gospel.” (A Biblical Walk through the Mass: Understanding What We Say and Do in
the Liturgy, Ascension Press, 2011)
Prayer: God be on
my mind, that I may be open to your word; God be on my lips, that I may
joyfully proclaim your word; God be in my heart, that I may always love your
word. Amen
My thoughts: I highly recommend the book, “A Biblical Walk
through the Mass” by Edward Sri. So many people today say that they just don’t
identify with the Mass anymore, that they don’t see the point in what we do
there. Many don’t believe there is any real value in what is said and the
ceremonies that are preformed. Edward Sri takes the time to tell us why we do
what we do in the Mass. This is a book worth reading. It will change your
attitude toward the Mass for the better, whatever your attitude may be. So now,
when you enter into the time for the Gospel to be read, you will now know why
you do and say what you do! How great is that!
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