Quotes to reflect upon (5)

"The people of God have every right to experience the Mass the way it is intended by the Church, pure and unadulterated. They have every right to the fullness of faith and truth the Mass imparts without any manipulation, no matter how well-intentioned. They have every right to the purity of ritual, reverence, sacredness, and awe that will lift them heavenward and give them the strength, hope, and peace they so deeply need. The Mass should never be reduced to mere entertainment or amusement or to a place that emphasizes human accomplishment.

Now, perhaps more than ever, the people of our world are weary and need to drink deeply of what will refresh, nourish, and inspire them. They need the liturgy given to them by their Saviour and their Church for their salvation and the salvation of the world. The Mass celebrated well will accomplish what Christ intended: to transform the lives of its participants, who will in turn transform the life of the world. The result of the Mass not celebrated well we have already seen.

Posted in the sacristies of many churches are words that I have always held close to my heart: “Remember, priest of God, celebrate this Mass as if it were your first time, as if it were your last time, as if it were your only time.” Rev. William Dillard, pastor of St. John the Evangelist parish in San Diego.