Daily Excerpt: Tale of a Mission Cat (Sula) - The Mass
Excerpt from Tale of a Mission Catt (Sula)
The Mass
The Mass is
where the community of believers gather to worship in obedience to Jesus’s
words at the Last Supper, “Do this in remembrance of me.” The Mass has several
parts, and, depending on my assignment for the day, I may be expected to take
part in one or more of them.
The
introductory rites include the entrance of the priest and the ministers, who
join the already gathered people of God. I may walk down the aisle at the end
of the line. I rarely do that, but sometimes I need to. If not, I may watch
from the altar, seeking out the special parishioner, who is my mission for the
Mass. Sometimes, I can just wait patiently in a pew or on the lap of a parishioner.
After the procession,
the priest leads the people in the sign of the cross. This reminds all of us of
how Jesus conquered death.
Then the
priest reminds us that the Jesus is present among us, and all the people are
led to think about their sins, asking God and Jesus to have mercy.
I sit
quietly during the opening prayers. This is the time for everyone, even my
special mission for the Mass, to revel in the presence of the Trinity and to
reflect on their own lives. That requires quiet.
After the
prayers comes the Liturgy of the Word. That is when the lector reads to us from
the Bible, the “Word” being the Word of God. The reading is important because
that is God speaking to us through the lector’s words. Part of the Liturgy of
the Word includes the responsorial psalm. That is when the people have a
dialogue with God. I, of course, cannot have the same dialogue because I don’t
talk, but I can purr. Depending on my mission and where I am sitting, I often
do purr. The Liturgy of the Word ends with the people saying the creed, that
is, professing their faith, and intentions, prayers in which they ask God for
what they need.
After the Word comes the Eucharist. The word, Eucharist, comes from Greek “efkharisto,” which means “thanks.” During the Eucharist, parishioners bring the gifts of bread and wine to the priest, where they will be turned in the blood and body of Christ on the altar.
After
prayers, including the Lord’s Prayer, the one that Jesus taught us and the one
that is followed by people offering each other peace, the parishioners go down
the aisle to receive Communion. When that happens, I usually stay in the pew,
waiting for the parishioner who is my mission for the Mass to return. Many
parishioners will notice me and pet me as they pass by. I like that. That tells
me that they, too, think my mission is important.
After
Communion, there is the final blessing and, again, the sign of the cross, as
the priest reminds us to go out into the world and bring the love of God to
everyone. That is what I try to do every day. That is what the Boss has charged
me with doing. He has also charged everyone with doing that. If everyone did,
can you imagine what a kind and gentle world we would live in?
To read more posts about Sula and her books, including more excerpts from this book, click HERE.
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