This Sunday marks the end of our Church year. The new one begins next Sunday with the beginning of Advent. With this beginning we will be starting the new year with an attempt to engage the Mass at a greater depth. What do I mean? We have a very enculturated misconception of the Mass. We fail to appreciate the many unique ways the Lord reaches out to us through the Mass. I know through conversations that many feel they are not getting much out of Mass. I suspect this is because we have embraced a very narrow view picked up from non-Catholic Christians. They put a huge importance on good preaching and music. Now don’t get me wrong, those items are very important and can powerfully hold our attention in an ideal world they would both be good. But in reality, they are not always so. But here is what must be understood for us as Catholics, preaching and music are not the focus of the Mass. Jesus is, His eternal sacrifice made present for us in every valid Mass. The attention is and should always be Him! Whose attention? Ours! Each one of us! Good preaching and music make it easier, but they are not essential for us to be personally present to the Lord, to worship Him with loving affection. So, during the season of Advent, a season of spiritual journeying, we will utilize the new missalettes and strive to personally engage our Lord’s presence in the Mass by participating and listening through the readings, prayers, and yes, the preaching and hymns. Through the Mass the Lord wants to minister to your body, soul, mind, heart, and the whole of your life. Yours in Christ our Lord. Fr. Sid.