FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK - JANUARY 20, 2023

Dear St. Martin’s Parishioners,

“I don’t get anything out of Mass.” This is a common refrain from young Catholics, but not only from the young. Many have become disaffected and have simply opted to forego Sunday Mass. I think underlying this common problem is a more basic one: “I don’t know what the Mass is.” To begin with, the Mass is true worship of God the Father, through Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit. In other words, Mass is our deepest participation in the life of the Trinity. God desires us to participate in his inner mystery of life and love that he has revealed to us, and the way in which we do so is through the Mass. If we’re at Mass and are not aware of who we are praising and are unaware of our communion with the Trinity, it stands to reason that we will miss a lot.

Secondly, the Mass is our participation in the perfect sacrificial offering of Jesus Christ to the Father for our salvation. In the Mass we offer Christ to the Father, and ourselves with Christ. Each of the baptized has a priesthood to exercise, and that is fulfilled perfectly in the Mass. We unite our sacrifices with those of Christ at the Mass, and God in turn accepts that sacrifice and bestows eternal life upon us through Eucharistic communion. I think it is fair to say that we only receive from Mass what we bring to it. The more we are able to offer ourselves wholly and unreservedly to the Father in Christ, acutely aware of our need for salvation, the more the Mass will transform us.

St. Padre Pio said that it would be easier for the world to exist without the sun than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The great truth is that God always wants to give us more. His greatest desire is to pour out his life in ever greater abundance. So if you are struggling to “get more out of Mass,” bring that desire to God the Father: God, I desire to receive ever more from you, especially in this most holy encounter with you at Mass.

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, our St. Vincent de Paul Society is in great need of donations. That continues to be the case, but I also ask your generosity towards our parish pantry. The past couple weeks we have given out more donations than we have received. The supply of food and other essentials is currently very low. Thank you for your generous response to the needs of both the St. Vincent de Paul Society and our parish pantry.

In Christ,