If you read my article last week, I shared that I will be discussing the meaning of each of the four separate ways to experience Christ’s presence in the Mass in my next few articles. We’ll discuss them in this order: 1. In the proclamation of the Word; 2. In the community that is gathered; 3. In the person of the priest; 4. In the Real Presence of the Eucharist. We start now, with how we experience Jesus in the proclamation of the Word, but maybe I better expand that statement to include the Trinity. Let me explain.
Recently, I took a class where Dr. Robert Fastiggi stressed the unity of the One, True God. He mentioned that God, in God’s entirety is present in every sacrament. Even if we humans focus in on one person of the Trinity, like praying to Jesus, for example, it is all three Persons of the Trinity who are present. That reality is important as we discuss Jesus’ presence at Mass. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal shares that it is “when the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his word, proclaims the Gospel” (GIRM, no. 29). How can this be? While I could say that it is one of the mysteries of the faith, that statement is a copout. How I have come to understand this presence is in a way that cannot fully explain it,but can give us a fraction of the deeper reality by relating it to our lived experience.
I have come to understand God’s presence in the reading and hearing of the scriptures at Mass by equating it to the sharing of the foundational stories of a family when they are gathered. Just like hearing the story of an uncle who lived a tough life “back in the old country” and chose to immigrate to the United States conveys the backstory and reason that a family is gathered together today, the scriptures provide the “backstory” and the “reason” for the people of faith. Further, in hearing the stories of a family, we keep the stories “alive” and we make those long-lost relatives present in a way that, at times, can feel palpable. Obviously, this explanation provides a pale comparison between something easy to understand and a much deeper reality. However, I have found it helpful to think about the importance of family stories and that urgency of wanting to know more and to tell those stories to future generations as I hear the scriptures read at Mass. If we think about the stories of our own family, we can easily see why the Jewish people and then the first Christians felt the urgency to write down all of those important stories of their history. It is such a blessing to be able to share them during our worship.
For a great article on the topic, search online for the US bishop’s website and “Hearing the Word of God.” Also know that I am happy to research and discuss any topic on faith, spirituality, or Church teaching. Reach out to me if you have something that you’d like to hear more about.