Sunday Mass and the meaning of time

 

Credit: Timothy McIntyre

The Mass is rightly referred to as a ‘Memorial’ of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.  However, this does not mean that the Mass is merely a recall event in which past events are remembered and for which we give thanks.  It is infinitely more than that. Through the Eucharist, the saving events of Christ's passion, death and resurrection are made present in a living and active way here and now, whenever bread is broken, wine is poured and the prayer of consecration is offered.  We are more than just verbally proclaiming our faith in the crucified and risen Christ: we are caught up in the mystery of that death and resurrection in the midst of our turbulent and troubled world.

At a general audience in St Peter’s Basilica, yesterday, Pope Leo XIV spoke of the special place of Sunday Mass in the liturgy of the church. The full text of his address is

Sunday matters - an update

 

A recent family visit to Toronto offered a welcome opportunity to experience the celebration of Mass in a truly cosmopolitan and culturally diverse setting. Canada, like every nation, faces serious challenges, and the behaviour of its closest neighbour does not always make life easier. Yet Canada remains a striking example of how an extraordinary diversity of cultures can live, work, and worship together in relative harmony.

Why Mass?

 

An imaginary conversation:

Another: “Why go to Mass? None of my friends go. It is meaningless and irrelevant. Anyway, the Church is a completely discredited and misogynistic institution. Nobody should be supporting it by attending their rituals or encouraging any role for it in society”.

Why Sunday matters #3

The Irish Catholic Bishops Conference issued a short but significant document last year entitled “Why Sunday Matters”.  This Sunday, I address the following question they posed:

Do we need to review Mass times or the number of weekend Masses?

The answer to that, I think, is patently obvious: yes! 

The best is yet to come

Sunday 22 March 2026

Ezekiel 37:12-14 Psalm 130(129)

Romans 8:8-11 John 11:1-45

“Lazarus, come out!” he cries in a loud voice.
“Unbind him, and let him go,” he commands.
breathe upon us with the power of your Spirit, that we may be raised to new life in Christ, and serve you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

 Lectio Divina:*

Meditatio:  “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (John 11:16)

 Commentary:

We stand before the sealed tomb with the two sisters of Lazarus, their much‑loved brother now dead and laid to rest. Jesus himself is “greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved,” and he weeps for his friend. It is a moment of suspense. What will happen next – and where do I stand in this story?

Why Sunday matters #2

 

Last Sunday I reflected on how our experience of Mass might be enriched. Today I turn to a related question: what makes our Sunday celebration come alive?

From time to time it does us good, I think, to step outside our own parish and savour a different atmosphere or approach. Earlier today I attended Mass in my local “Mother Church”: the Cathedral of the Assumption in Carlow, a town of some 30,000 souls in the South East of Ireland. The Cathedral serves one of the town’s three parishes.

I was not disappointed.

Why Sunday matters

The Irish Catholic Bishops Conference issued a short but significant document last year entitled “Why Sunday Matters”.  In the remaining Sundays of Lent I am going to explore, a little, a few aspects of this document and some of the questions raised therein. Today, I explore the following question:

“How can I enrich my experience of Mass and make it a central part of my life?”

I suggest just a number of approaches: