More than words

A prayer meeting organized by the Taizé community.
Credit: Christian Pulfrich, CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED, Wikimedia 

As human beings, we are sentient creatures with the capacity to taste, hear, see, touch, and smell. God speaks to all our senses, not merely to our intellects or inner hearts. When we receive and taste what appears to be bread and wine in the Eucharist, we participate in something sacred and real. When we hear the Word of God proclaimed, we are listening to words of both divine and human authorship. Saint Paul reminds us that ‘faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ’ (Romans 10:17). When we see beautiful works of art in a church, we are often moved to awe, praise and thanksgiving.

The God who draws near

Saint Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619) whose feast day is celebrated, today, in the Roman Catholic Church was a Capuchin friar and priest as well as one of the Doctors officially recognised as such by the Roman Church. Among his many gifts were a wide range of languages including Hebrew and Greek helping him to preach in ways that were thoroughly grounded in sacred scripture. This was of particular significance at the height of the controversies that ensued from the protestant reformation in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. He was also known as a great listener, diplomat and peacemaker. As oneFranciscan source said about him:

His constant devotion to Scripture, coupled with great sensitivity to the needs of people, present a lifestyle which appeals to Christians today.

Obligation or privilege?

Question: is it a mortal sin to miss Mass on a Sunday?

Answer: This, I suggest, is the wrong starting point.  The first question should be: How could a Christian possibly miss the celebration of the Lord’s death and resurrection on the Lord’s own day?  And, how could anyone, knowingly and intentionally, miss such a wonderful opportunity to unite one’s sufferings and joys with those of Christ and to do so in communion with other believers in a parish or specific geographical community?  Legally speaking, attendance at Mass is a strict requirement for Roman Catholics on Sundays and Holy Days (the latter as appointed by the local Church authorities).  It is written into Canon Law and is seen as part of the fulfilment of the Third Commandment to keep the Sabbath holy. There is no disputing that.

I recall being taught that there was a gradation of seriousness in missing parts of Mass, and that arriving after a certain point in the liturgy could mean that one had not fulfilled the Sunday obligation. My recollection was that the Gospel marked an important dividing line, though the actual moral theology was probably more nuanced than a simple venial-versus-mortal distinction. There were, also, the question of knowledge and consent. So, for example, a farm worker might have been delayed due to the lambing season or a family member suddenly got sick and had to be attended.

Just by way of reality check and based on my own personal calculations, a parish in Ireland today would count its good fortunes to get a turnout of more than 20% among nominally Catholic parishioners or 5% among those between the ages of 12 and 40. And, frankly, I would not vouch for the *orthopraxis* (as distinct from orthodoxy) of many of those who do attend.

As Catholics we need to grow up more and take responsibility for the wonderful faith in, and gift of, this sacrament. And, if the homily is less than inspiring and if the presence of others whose lives might appear to be less than exemplary we have yet another occasion to make our daily offering of suffering [thankfully the homilies are inspiring in my parish!].  After all the Church could be seen as a Refugium Peccatorum – a refuge of sinners (applied often to Our Lady who was of course without sin) - and there is always room for one more – me!

*orthopraxis* - denotes right practice (living according to those beliefs)

'....and around you thousands will be saved'

St Seraphim of Sarov

According to St Seraphim of Sarov, a Saint of the Russian Orthodox Church (1754-1833):

‘Acquire a peaceful spirit, and around you thousands will be saved’.

In his monastic life he touched the lives of many though he lived much of his life as a hermit. He lived in communion with the Church and by all accounts the gifts of Holy Spirit were showered on him in abundance.  Seventy years after his death he was canonised by the Russian Orthodox Church. His relics were confiscated by the Bolsheviks after the 1917 revolution but rediscovered in 1991 having been hidden in an anti-religious museum during the Soviet era.

Let the sanctuary speak

Church of the Holy Spirit, Ballyroan, Dublin

The sanctuary is the focal point of any Roman Catholic or Orthodox church. It is the area where the altar (or Holy Table in the Orthodox tradition) is located, together with the ambo for the proclamation of God's Word and the chair of the presiding priest. The reserved Eucharist is normally given a place of special honour, often within the sanctuary or in a prominent chapel associated with it.

Why can only priests say Mass?

Question: Why can only priests say Mass

Answer:  Catholics believe that the Mass links back, directly, to the Last Supper. At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Eucharist and, commissioned the apostles to continue the commemoration of his Passover in the breaking of bread.  The Letters of St Paul and the Acts of the Apostles testify to the key importance of the Eucharist in the life of the early Church. Over time, practices became more ritualised and the person presiding at the breaking of bread was recognised as someone who had received authority through the apostles to preside on behalf of the Church.

A God of second chances

Sunday 19 July 2026

Lectio Divina:*

Wisdom 12:13-19 Psalm 86(85)

Romans 8:26-27 Matthew 13:24-43 The Last Judgement – fresco paining by Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337). Source is here.

Meditatio:

‘Let anyone with ears listen!’  (Matthew 13:43)

Commentary:

In today’s first reading from the Book of Wisdom - one of the books included in the Catholic and Orthodox biblical canon - we encounter a God who offers second chances to those who stray. He is a God who never ceases to seek out people and invite them into his Kingdom. As the reading tells us about God, ‘you judge with mildness’ (Wisdom 12:18). Some translations render this phrase as, ‘you govern us with great lenience’.