What a privilege it
was to serve Mass this morning! It is not something I have had the honor to do
more than 3 or 4 times in my adult life.
For someone who
just recently received his Medicare card, today was both a day for gratitude
and for awe – gratitude for the gift of life and awe for the privilege to be so
close to the holy altar of sacrifice.
Who am I to have
been privileged to unlock Jesus’ cell door this morning in anticipation of Father
carrying Him out to be with those Whom He so dearly loves?
Or to have prayed
with Father in the sacristy before we processed into the sanctuary and after we
returned upon the completion of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?
I marvel at the undeserved
honor given me this day to carry the chalice, paten and unconsecrated host to
its altar home prior to Mass.
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| (Not My Parish But St. Vincent Ferrer, NYC) |
How can I ever explain
the overwhelming sense of unworthiness and the simultaneous joyful awareness of
being so privileged to kneel in the sanctuary just feet from the Last Supper and
Calvary, surrounded by our Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, all the saints, the
heavenly angels and the souls of purgatory?
Why did God bless
me with this privilege on this the feast day of St. Joseph
What an honor it
was to hold a paten under the hands and mouths of those who came to receive the
Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of their Risen Lord and Savior and to return the purified
chalice, paten and corporal to its table.
I have known
intellectually for some time that the Mass is the greatest event occurring on
the face of this earth each day. Today, I
was privileged to intimately live that Truth, up close and personal.
As I put out the
candles and retrieved the chalice, paten, corporal and cruets from the table
for return to the sacristy, I was prompted to glance over my shoulder. My loving
Lord had yet one more gift for me this day.
There, as he frequently
does, kneeling in the sanctuary, giving public, powerful but silent witness to his
abiding love for the Eucharist, was my pastor – never too busy to spend time
with His beloved Lord.
Thank you Lord for
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass! Thank you Lord for Your holy and faithful priests! Thank you for today!
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I identify with your experience. Many years ago, as a Lector, I also had to fill in as an altar server, and felt so honored. I could not have expressed it as well as you. But I'm female, and some would have looked upon my service with disdain. But I thank God for the blessing of being so close to Him, both as a Lector, and occasional altar server.
ReplyDeleteFaith:
DeleteWe are all God's servants. If we are faithful ones, such as yourself, we will respond to His spontaneous and unexpected invitations to serve. You did not seek to change the norm; you served when asked - no reason for anyone to look upon you or any other servant with anything other than appreciation.
Your thinking reminds me of my Ministry to the Sick days. God does work through the unworthy.
ReplyDeleteThanks Christian. What an amazing Lord we have!
DeleteSeeing your pastor praying - if only all priests would realize how important it is for us to see them praying! Yes, you really are blessed to be able to serve Mass. I hope you have the opportunity to do it more often.
ReplyDeleteMy apologies Barb - another reply of mine that never made it.
ReplyDeleteWe must pray that all our priests will regularly and unhesitantly spend time in front of the Tabernacle and invite us to do likewise.
I have been invited to Lector and serve at the Tuesday morning Mass. May I never treat either role other than as an undeserved and magnificient privilege.