I want to continue with our Advent journey to come closer to the Lord by the graces of the Mass. The first week I talked about preparation. This week I want to talk about expectation. Question, what are your expectations from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? Preparation and expectation kind of go hand in hand. We prepare for what we expect. The graces of the Mass are abundant. Are we expecting this abundance? Our expectations are informed by our hope and faith. Although the grace is present and given to us, our realization and utilization of the grace is dependent upon our faith. Do I believe what the Lord as said and revealed by the apostles through the Church? (This includes the Bible. Scripture comes to us from the Church. It came from the Catholic Church and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.) Grace is put forth when we use the Holy Water in recalling our baptism, grace is received when we gather with others in Christ, when we praise Him with song, when we receive absolution at the beginning of Mass, when we pray together, hear God’s Word, profess our faith with the creed, revere the Lord as He becomes present in the Eucharist. Abundant grace is put forth in the reception of Holy Communion and a special grace in imparted by the final blessing at the conclusion of Mass. Do you see how many opportunities there are to access God’s grace? It only takes our faith and sincere participation. And here’s a side note: grace is also shed upon your family, work, school, community, state, nation, and the whole world. Think about this. Remember last summer when most all the Masses in the nation were put on hold? What happened in our nation? All hell broke loose, and I mean the devils hell. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass matters and your participation matters! Yours in Christ our Lord, Fr. Sid.