The Structure of the Mass, Its Elements and Its Parts

THE GENERAL STRUCTURE OF THE MASS

27. At Mass that is, the Lord's Supper the People of God is called together, with a priest presiding and acting in the person of Christ, to celebrate the memorial of the Lord, the Eucharistic Sacrifice.[37] For this reason Christ's promise applies in an outstanding way to such a local gathering of the holy Church: "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst" (Mt 18:20). For in the celebration of Mass, in which the Sacrifice of the Cross is perpetuated,[38] Christ is really present in the very liturgical assembly gathered in his name, in the person of the minister, in his word, and indeed substantially and continuously under the Eucharistic species.[39]

28. The Mass is made up, as it were, of two parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. These, however, are so closely interconnected that they form but one single act of worship.[40] For in the Mass the table both of God's word and of Christ's Body is prepared, from which the faithful may be instructed and refreshed.[41] There are also certain rites that open and conclude the celebration.

THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF THE MASS

The Prayers and Other Parts Pertaining to the Priest

30. Among the parts assigned to the priest, the foremost is the Eucharistic Prayer, which is the high point of the entire celebration. Next are the orations: that is to say, the collect, the prayer over the offerings, and the prayer after Communion. These prayers are addressed to God in the name of the entire holy people and all present, by the priest who presides over the assembly in the person of Christ.[43] It is with good reason, therefore, that they are called the "presidential prayers."

31. It is also up to the priest, in the exercise of his office of presiding over the gathered assembly, to offer certain explanations that are foreseen in the rite itself. Where it is indicated in the rubrics, the celebrant is permitted to adapt them somewhat in order that they respond to the understanding of those participating. However, he should always take care to keep to the sense of the text given in the Missal and to express it succinctly. The presiding priest is also to direct the word of God and to impart the final blessing. In addition, he may give the faithful a very brief introduction to the Mass of the day (after the initial Greeting and before the Act of Penitence), to the Liturgy of the Word (before the readings), and to the Eucharistic Prayer (before the Preface), though never during the Eucharistic Prayer itself; he may also make concluding comments to the entire sacred action before the dismissal.

32. The nature of the "presidential" texts demands that they be spoken in a loud and clear voice and that everyone listen with attention.[44] Thus, while the priest is speaking these texts, there should be no other prayers or singing, and the organ or other musical instruments should be silent.

33. The priest, in fact, as the one who presides, prays in the name of the Church and of the assembled community; but at times he prays only in his own name, asking that he may exercise his ministry with greater attention and devotion. Prayers of this kind, which occur before the reading of the Gospel, at the Preparation of the Gifts, and also before and after the Communion of the priest, are said quietly.

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL

St Philip Neri and the Orb of Fire

St Philip Neri illustrates this new power in the way he treated a couple of sacristans at his church in Rome. They were renegade monks who had fled their monastery. For some reason they hated Philip, and made his life miserable. They knew his hatred of dirt, so they gave him the dirtiest vestments they could find.

When he was about to begin Mass, they would interrupt his preparation and send him to another altar. They would lock the sacristy door when he wanted to say Mass. Of course, St Philip got frustrated with all this. Once during Mass, he looked at the crucifix and complained: "Why don't you hear me, Jesus? I've asked you again and again to give me patience. Why is my soul still filled with thoughts of anger and impatience?"

He seemed to hear an answer: "Do you want patience, Philip? I will give it to you, if your heart desires it. You will earn it through these temptations of yours."

And God gave him the power to love these two gadflies. In fact, the story has a happy ending. One day, one of the monk sacristans started insulting Philip. The other monk began to feel remorse, and defended Philip.

He ended up punching Philip's tormentor, and Philip had to come to the rescue. Moved by this, both monks asked his forgiveness and returned to their monasteries.

Christ commands us to love others, especially those who torment us. And, like St Philip Neri, with God's grace we're capable of that.

Pray for those who persecute you

Jesus gives us a very practical way to love those who annoy or attack us. In the Gospel of Matthew 5:44, Jesus says: "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."

We all have people who persecute us. Perhaps it's unintentional, but they make our life very difficult. Maybe it's someone who speaks badly about me behind my back. Maybe it's someone who can't open his mouth without being biting and sarcastic. Maybe it's someone whom I trusted and then let me down. Maybe it's someone at work who is angling to get my job.

Whatever it is, the Lord is asking me to pray for that person. (And he doesn't mean to pray that this person gets a one-way ticket to his eternal reward.) What if I don't want to? Then ask for the grace to want to pray for that person.

And then get started. Maybe at first it will just be a simple Hail Mary prayed through clenched teeth. But don't give up; you're imitating Christ, who prayed even for those who crucified him.

When we receive Christ in the Eucharist today, let's beg him for the grace to love those who persecute us, especially by praying for them.

22. The celebration of the Eucharist in a particular Church is of utmost importance.

For the diocesan Bishop, the chief steward of the mysteries of God in the particular Church entrusted to his care, is the moderator, promoter, and guardian of the whole of its liturgical life.[33] In celebrations at which the Bishop presides, and especially in the celebration of the Eucharist led by the Bishop himself with the presbyterate, the deacons, and the people taking part, the mystery of the Church is revealed. For this reason, the solemn celebration of Masses of this sort must be an example for the entire diocese.

The Bishop should therefore be determined that the priests, the deacons, and the lay Christian faithful grasp ever more deeply the genuine meaning of the rites and liturgical texts, and thereby be led to an active and fruitful celebration of the Eucharist. To the same end, he should also be vigilant that the dignity of these celebrations be enhanced. In promoting this dignity, the beauty of the sacred place, of music, and of art should contribute as greatly as possible.

23. Moreover, in order that such a celebration may correspond more fully to the prescriptions and spirit of the sacred Liturgy, and also in order to increase its pastoral effectiveness, certain accommodations and adaptations are specified in this General Instruction and in the Order of Mass.

24. These adaptations consist for the most part in the choice of certain rites or texts, that is, of the chants, readings, prayers, explanations, and gestures which may respond better to the needs, preparation, and culture of the participants and which are entrusted to the priest celebrant., the priest must remember that he is the servant of the sacred Liturgy and that he himself is not permitted, on his own initiative, to add, to remove, or to change anything in the celebration of Mass.

25. In addition, certain adaptations are indicated in the proper place in the Missal and pertain respectively to the diocesan Bishop or to the Conference of Bishops, in accord with the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy [35] (cf. nos. 387, 388-393).

26. As for variations and the more substantial adaptations in view of the traditions and culture of peoples and regions, to be introduced in accordance with article 40 of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy because of benefit or need, the norms set forth in the Instruction on the Roman Liturgy and Inculturation [36] and in nos. 395-399 are to be observed.

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL

My dear brothers and sisters, in today's Gospel, Luke 9:51-62, show us Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem for the last time. Along the way, he meets three men who have heard his call in their hearts.

These encounters teach us three tough lessons about what it means to follow Christ. 1) Following Christ Means Transferring Our Security; 2) Following Christ means persevering through difficulties; 3) following Christ means actively taking risks. This reflection just focusses on the first lesson.

To follow Christ, we must transfer our sense of security. We have to relocate it from ourselves to God. We have to unlearn the lesson we have been taught our whole life long, to rely only on ourselves for success and happiness. We have to learn to rely wholly upon God, plugging all our efforts in life into his grace.

This is what Jesus means when he says that "foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to rest his head." Christ is trustworthy, but he is not predictable.

When we follow him, we have to agree to go one step and one day at a time - he refuses to give us a full-life outline in advance. When we follow him, we have to stop pretending that we can keep our lives under control by our own efforts. By accepting Christ's friendship, we agree to follow him, to put our lives under his leadership.

Even foxes and birds have the security of their instincts and natural habitats, but Christians are on an unpredictable adventure. We simply don't know where God will lead us or what he may ask us to do. When we join Christ's army, we have to hand him a blank check.

Elisha's Example

The prophet Elisha gives us an eloquent example of this transferal of our security. When Elijah comes and calls him [Elisha] to become his successor as Israel's prophet, Elisha goes back home to tie up loose ends. And he really ties them up.

He was a farmer. His whole livelihood, his whole way of life, was linked to his farm. This was how he made his way in the world. Up until the time of his calling, this was the source of his security. But when God makes his will known, Elisha doesn't hesitate to break completely with that former way of life.

He doesn't just leave the farm behind. He actually slaughters his most important farm animals and burns his most precious tools - offering them all to the Lord as a sign that from now on he will depend on God for his livelihood and his happiness.

Not everyone is called to serve God in this way, by consecrating their lives completely to the Church. But all Christians are called to make a spiritual offering to God of our oxen and our plows, of those things, talents, or activities that we tend to depend on instead of God.

God can only fill our lives with the meaning and fruitfulness we long for if we put him first, trusting that he will lead us better than we can lead ourselves.

Keeping Christ First

This transfer of security can be misinterpreted. Through the centuries, some Christians have mistakenly used it as an excuse to be irresponsible. "God will take care of me," they say, "so I don't have to do anything." This is not true. Jesus calls us to put our hands to the plow, to do our part, to use our minds, talents, and opportunities intelligently and efficiently.

But he always wants us to keep him first, to follow his example and the teachings of the Church, because only he can give our lives dependable stability and security. Sometimes following the Ten Commandments is not the most convenient or comfortable alternative. In those moments, we have to trust that God knows what he is talking about.

Sometimes loving our neighbor as ourselves is a difficult, costly task. Those are the moments when we show that we are truly followers of Christ, not just superficial, hypocritical, cardboard-cut-out Christians. Sometimes forgiving our enemies makes our hearts bleed. Those are the times when we can follow Christ most closely, and hang with him on the cross.

We don't know ahead of time what path God will choose for us - we are not foxes or birds. But we do know where that path will lead us: closer and closer to Christ, closer and closer to the fulfillment, the interior peace, and the lasting happiness that we all long for and that we can't achieve by ourselves.

Dear brothers and sister, when Christ comes once again in Holy Communion to strengthen us for the journey, let's renew our promise to follow him, to anchor our hopes in him. Let's hand him the blank check of the rest of our lives. After all, his bank account is more secure than ours.  

Many Catholics found the mass celebrations boring and dry. It is really unfortunate that many of us have lost sight of what is really essential in the liturgical celebration. Why? One of the reasons is people do not understand the celebration of the Eucharist. So, for the next few weeks we try to understand the part of the Eucharist. Our hope is that by understanding the Eucharist, we celebrate the Eucharist with enthusiasm and joy and we will get the fruits of the Eucharistic.

The Importance and Dignity of the Eucharistic Celebration

16. The celebration of Mass, as the action of Christ and the People of God arrayed hierarchically, is the center of the whole Christian life for the Church both universal and local, as well as for each of the faithful individually. [22] In it is found the high point both of the action by which God sanctifies the world in Christ and of the worship that the human race offers to the Father, adoring him through Christ, the Son of God, in the Holy Spirit. [23] In it, moreover, during the course of the year, the mysteries of redemption are recalled so as in some way to be made present. [24] Furthermore, the other sacred actions and all the activities of the Christian life are bound up with it, flow from it, and are ordered to it. [25]

17. It is therefore of the greatest importance that the celebration of the Mass that is, the Lord's Supper be so arranged that the sacred ministers and the faithful taking part in it, according to the proper state of each, may derive from it more abundantly [26] those fruits for the sake of which Christ the Lord instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of his Body and Blood and entrusted it to the Church, his beloved Bride, as the memorial of his Passion and Resurrection. [27]

18. This will best be accomplished if, with due regard for the nature and the particular circumstances of each liturgical assembly, the entire celebration is planned in such a way that it leads to a conscious, active, and full participation of the faithful both in body and in mind, a participation burning with faith, hope, and charity, of the sort which is desired by the Church and demanded by the very nature of the celebration, and to which the Christian people have a right and duty by reason of their Baptism. [28]

19. Even if it is sometimes not possible to have the presence and active participation of the faithful, which bring out more plainly the ecclesial nature of the celebration, [29] the Eucharistic Celebration always retains its efficacy and dignity because it is the action of Christ and the Church, in which the priest fulfills his own principal office and always acts for the people's salvation.

It is therefore recommended that the priest celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice even daily, if possible.[30]

20. Because, however, the celebration of the Eucharist, like the entire Liturgy, is carried out through perceptible signs that nourish, strengthen, and express faith,[31] the utmost care must be taken to choose and to arrange those forms and elements set forth by the Church that, in view of the circumstances of the people and the place, will more effectively foster active and full participation and more properly respond to the spiritual needs of the faithful.

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL

The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is one the most difficult to explain. Pope Benedict's uses the analogy of electricity to explain the existence of God.

No one actually sees electricity, he explains, but we do see its effects, and so we know it exists - the light bulb goes on, the vacuum cleaner goes on, the alarm clock goes off. Just so, no one actually sees God directly, face to face, but we do see the works of God - the Church, the saints, and, of course, the beautiful, amazing world around us.

The Psalm 8 says: "When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place... What is man that you are mindful of him?" This expresses the sense of wonder that we have all experienced at one time or another in the face of the beauty of creation. Sometimes we are so awed by the magnificence of a sunset, or a moonrise, or an ocean view, that it almost overwhelms us.

The Book of Proverbs chapter 8 expresses the Wisdom of God is personified, and describes himself as pre-existing all the mysterious wonders of the visible world: the mountains and hills, the oceans and skies, the very foundations of the earth...

Before all these things came into existence, God's wisdom was already at work. The point the Proverb is making is that all those wonderful, beautiful things, as impressive as they are, are only a dim reflection of the wonder and beauty of God who made them.

Today as the Church turns our attention towards the inner nature of God himself, the blessed Trinity, she does so by turning our attention to the Trinity's glorious work of art: creation.

Pope Pius XII Praises Creation

As Catholics, we should be the biggest fans of nature's beauties.All of creation is for us!God has given it to us to teach us about himself, and for our sheer delight.All the recent popes have stressed this often overlooked or distorted aspect of our Catholic spirituality.

I would like to read one example, from a speech made by Pope Pius XII back in 1955. He was addressing a group of filmmakers, and as he discussed the power of movies as an art form, he gave special attention to documentaries that present the beauties of nature.

First, he summarized the Christian concept of nature as a mirror of God's wisdom: "Nature, which offers itself to the inspection of the attentive observer, reveals an inexhaustible wealth of goodness and beauty, reflecting back with transparent sincerity the infinite superabundance of the perfection and beauty of nature's Creator."

He went on to praise that beauty: "Sometimes one is enchanted and overcome by the majesty of towering mountains, at other times by the irresistible fury of the ocean tempest, the solitude of polar glaciers, the vast stretch of virgin forests, the melancholy of the desert sands, the loveliness of flowers, the limpid quality of water, the violent rush of waterfalls, the distinctive beauty of the Northern Lights... Greater astonishment and wealth of knowledge are offered by... the secrets of the animal kingdom... in forests and in inhospitable deserts, on rivers and in the depths of the sea. What a testimony to the richness and manifold variety of nature... to soothe, recreate and refresh the spirit."

Those are the words of a man who had discovered the real secret of nature - not the secret of how nature works, but the secret of what nature is for: to show us the smile and strength of our God.

Leading a Well-Balanced Life

We should thank God for the gift of creation, this first book of revelation that shows so much about God's power, beauty, and wisdom. But we should also make good use of it. The world of nature is meant to be the environment in which we live out our life's vocation, and that vocation involves the whole person, body and soul. That's why weaving contact with nature into the busy schedule of modern life is so important - it helps keep us balanced.

Lack of balance is one of the causes behind stress and depression, which, according to statistics, are among the most common negative effects of today's lifestyle. As human beings, we are meant to interact creatively with our environment - building houses and cities, making works of art, learning to use the earth's resources.

All those things are natural for us. But at the same time, we were not meant to isolate ourselves from our natural environment. We are not robots. We are not artificial. When we treat ourselves as if we were, stress and depression are the result.

We need to follow the rhythms of night and day, of the seasons. We need contact with earth, the sea, and the sky. That's how God made us. It helps us keep our balance - psychological, emotional, physical, and spiritual.

It doesn't have to be complicated and expensive. It can be as simple as family trips to the park, taking walks under the stars, as eating Sunday dinner together.

God's beautiful creation is a gift that he renews each day. Today, when we receive the Creator himself under the appearances of bread and wine, the "fruit of the earth and fruit of the vine," let's thank him for this gift, and let's promise to use it wisely. 

ILLUSTRATION: Pope John Paul II's Funeral

Most of us (maybe) remember the events surrounding the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005. Those extraordinary few weeks gave us a brief glimpse of this work being done by the Holy Spirit through the Church, this work of gradually uniting all of mankind.

More than three thousand foreign journalists descended upon Rome as John Paul II was dying. Almost overnight hundreds of media broadcast tents sprang up on the outskirts of Vatican City.

Worldwide media gave around-the-clock coverage to viewers across the globe, of every age and ethnic group. During the week before the funeral, 2 million pilgrims paid their last respects in person to the pope as he lay in state.

Some of them waited in line for 24 hours to do so.

On the night before the funeral, more than 800,000 pilgrims spent the night praying and waiting in the streets and plazas of Rome.

Most of these were young people who had come from all five continents. All night long you could see them waiting in line for confession at makeshift, outdoor confessionals that Rome's priests had set up on doorsteps and under lamp posts.

The funeral itself was followed closely by millions via television and radio. The amount of world leaders who actually came to be physically present was extraordinary. It included four queens, five kings, seventy prime ministers or heads of government, and more than 100 other recognized dignitaries. Dozens of Orthodox, Protestant, and Jewish leaders joined them. It looked and sounded like the first Pentecost.

The whole series of events was like a living symbol of what God is doing, has been doing, and will continue to do through his Church until the end of time: making one family out of a divided world.

APPLICATION: Breaking Down Barriers

We are members of this Church, and so we have all benefited from its mission of unity - the Church has reached out to each of us and brought us into God's family. But as members, we are also responsible for carrying this work forward.

One way to do so is by breaking down barriers. Barriers are things like fear, misunderstanding, prejudice, jealously, envy, resentment, grudges. These are at the root of all the conflicts that threaten world peace. But all those large-scale conflicts can always be traced back to conflicts in individual hearts. If we learn to break down barriers in our own hearts, we will become more effective builders of unity in the world around us.

One of the barriers that come up most frequently in our daily lives is that of misunderstanding. This is also known as "lack of communication" or "miscommunication". An international business consulting firm did a study a few years ago about the most common obstacles to productivity.

They concluded that over 85% of problems in the business world stem from miscommunication. In family relationships, I would estimate that the percentage is even higher.

Jesus has given us the method for breaking down this ubiquitous barrier. Before allowing ourselves to pass judgment on someone, we should make an effort to see things from their perspective. Until we can express the other person's point of view even better than they can, we should refrain from passing judgment on it.

That's what Jesus did. Instead of passing judgment on sinful humanity, he came down from heaven and lived among us. He showed that he knew our perspective. And so, he was able to break down mankind's misunderstanding of God and open the way for a renewed relationship of trust.

Today we will receive Jesus in Holy Communion. When we do, let's promise that this week we will follow in his footsteps, doing our little part in this great Pentecost mission of uniting a divided world. 

Today we are brought back to the night of the Last Supper. We take our places with the Twelve Apostles, gathered around the sacred table with Christ, Our Lord.

We listen to his words, which are both mysterious and glorious. It is Christ's last meal with his closest followers. He wants to leave them a parting gift. What is it? What does Christ want to bequeath to his Apostles at the Last Supper?

Peace. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." And what does he mean by peace? Not what we usually think. Jesus said, "Not as the world gives do I give it to you."

Christ's peace is lasting. It is interior peace of heart, which overflows into peace in families, in communities, in entire nations.

It is the peace that comes from knowing without any doubt whatsoever that we are loved by him. It is the peace that comes from knowing without any doubt whatsoever that whenever we offend him, he will always be ready to forgive us.

It is the peace that comes from knowing without any doubt whatsoever that we have a purpose in life, a mission - the very mission that Christ himself has given us: to spread his Kingdom. As today's Psalm puts it, to "make his way known upon earth; among all nations, his salvation."

Only because Christ has given us this peace, by giving us faith in his love, mercy, and mission, he can command us: "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

If our peace were based on anything else, for example popularity, wealth, comfort, or power, that peace would be unstable, because all those things are vulnerable to change. But Christ's peace isn't vulnerable, because it's based on his love, mercy, and mission, and those are everlasting.

Cardinal Van Thuan Converts His Guards

A few years ago, the Vietnamese Cardinal Joseph Xavier van Thuan [twahn] died in Rome, exiled from his homeland. Everyone who knew him during the last years of his life was impressed by his interior peace and joy.

He was someone who had found Christ's peace, the stability that comes from discovering and clinging to the deeper truths.

Before his exile, he was serving as Archbishop of Saigon. After the Vietnam War, when the communists took over both North and South Vietnam, he was arrested by the communist authorities.

He spent the next 13 years in prison, as the communists tried unsuccessfully to destroy the Catholic Church in that country. Nine of those years were spent in solitary confinement, in gruesome conditions and horrible privations. At first the authorities decided to have only two guards watch over the Archbishop, so as not to risk contaminating too many young soldiers with the Archbishop's Catholic ideas.

But after a month, Bishop van Thuan had made friends with both of them and taught them some Christian hymns and prayers. The officials were forced to rotate guards every week in order to avoid such embarrassing conversions.

But the rotation strategy backfired. The holy bishop radiated Christ's goodness so powerfully, even in the midst of his emotional and physical suffering, that he would win over his guards without even trying, sparking their curiosity and interest in his "secret" - that is, his faith.

In the end, they went back to assigning two permanent guards. It was better to lose two than twenty. That's the kind of interior strength and peace of mind that Christ wants to give us.

Sharing Christ's Peace

We need to be reminded that Christ's love, mercy, and mission can give us the interior peace we long for, that as our friendship with Christ grows, so will our experience of that peace. That's why this theme keeps coming up during the Easter season.

Even so, most of us probably don't experience this peace as much as we would like to. And yet, we do experience it.

When life's storms come, we know where to go. We know that Christ is here for us. We can turn to him in prayer. We can experience him in the Eucharist and in confession. We can run to his Mother, Mary, the Queen of Peace.

But so many people around us never experience this peace. They don't know where to go. They don't know that Christ's friendship is the root of peace. They have not tasted his love or mercy. They don't know that God created them for a mission.

If we who believe in Christ and have his friendship still find life so difficult, still struggle to experience the interior peace we are called to, imagine how much more difficult and turbulent it is for those who do not know Christ.

The good news is that we can help them. We can introduce them to Christ. Our prayers, words, example, and actions can bring them the message that Christ has brought to us.

Today, when Jesus comes to renew his commitment to us, let's renew our commitment to being messengers of his peace. After all, he's the one who told us: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." (Mt 5:9)

Imagine if God came to earth and told us: "Listen carefully. I'm going to tell you exactly what will fulfill you as a human person. I'm going to tell you exactly what I'm hoping for from you." Would we listen? I think so.

In today's gospel Jesus just did exactly that. First, He tells us that His suffering, death, and resurrection will be His glory. Why is that? Suffering, after all, doesn't seem that glorious.

It all comes back to love. As St. Therese of Lisieux put it, God thirsts for our love. And the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus brought us back to God. It made it possible for us to receive God's love and to love him in return in a new way.

So, after laying this foundation, Jesus tells his friends that he'll only be with them a little longer. He is saying that when they've received the power of the Holy Spirit, they will be able to go out and practice what they've seen him do. Their basic training is almost over.

What is Jesus asking them to do? To love one another as He loves them. He gives them a series of intensifiers here.

• First, he tells them: "I give you a new commandment – Love one another." As Pope Benedict XVI said in his encyclical God is Love, love can be commanded because it has first been given. We are infinitely loved by God; therefore, we can be commanded to love others.
• Then Jesus says: "As I have loved you, so you should also love one another." How does Jesus love us? To the end. He loves us to the point of laying down his life for us. And because of his power in us, we can love others in the same way.
• Finally, Jesus tells us that love is the Christian's name tag. He says "This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Love is meant to be our name tag as Christians. In the 3^rd century, Tertullian said that when the Romans referred to the early Christians they often remarked "See how they love each other." This was how they recognized them as Christians.

And it's not just a love of good feelings. It's a love that brings us to lay down our lives for others, just as Jesus laid down his life for us. This is our great power; this is our great privilege.

God has come to earth and told us what will fulfill us. He has come to earth and told us what he's hoping for from us. "Love one another as I have loved you." Love is a Christian's name tag.

Running with Love

Brothers and sisters, you may know Rick Hoyt. He was born with severe brain damage that impeded him from speaking or using his arms and legs. The doctors told his father Dick Hoyt: "Forget Rick, put him away, put him in an institution, he's going to be a vegetable for the rest of his life."

But his father was determined to love him. He and Rick's mother took their son camping, cross country skiing, and swimming. They encouraged him to attend Boston University.

Then Rick decided he wanted to compete in triathlons. So, they fashioned a special boat and bicycle so they could swim and ride together in triathlons. Dick tows Rick in the boat as he swims, then carries his son to the bike — which has a combined weight of 400 pounds when both Hoyts are locked and loaded.

After they complete their bike ride, Dick carries Rick to the running chair and they tackle the run together. They've done 31 marathons and 252 triathlons together. Love is creative, love doesn't give up. No matter what the sacrifices, love keeps going.

An Ordinary thing with Extraordinary Love

Love is our name tag as Christians. How does our love become practical? Our love becomes practical by doing the little things with extraordinary love.

St. Teresa of Avila said that the devil wants to get us to focus on the past and on the future and forget about the present. But the present is the only time we can really love. It's vital to form the habit of asking the Holy Spirit to show us where he's asking us to love right now.

I'd like to propose one specific way that can help us to do one ordinary thing with extraordinary love. Prayer has a unique power. It may seem ordinary, but when we pray with love, its effectiveness is extraordinary.

So, this week, set aside 15 minutes to pray for someone else. We could pray a rosary for that person. We could go to daily Mass and offer it for that person. We could make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament for that person.

But whatever it is, stick to it. And then let that person know you've been praying for him. In the Eucharist we see how practical Christ's love for us it. He laid down his life for us in an outpouring of love, and he gives us the strength to follow his example.

"Love one another as I have loved you." Let's beg Jesus, really present in the sacrament of the Eucharist, to set our hearts on fire with love, and to give us the strength to love others as he has loved us: to the end.