Presence and Reverence

Message from Fr. Jose Koluthara, CMI

Help me, O Risen Lord!, grant me the grace to recognize You and respond to your presence in the breaking of the bread.

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In today’s second reading (1 Peter 1.17-21) St. Peter urges his readers to “conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning”. Reverence is an essential aspect of good worship, though it is not always as evident as you might wish when we gather for liturgy.

Often reverence is compromised by our penchant for haste. Fostering an atmosphere of reverence requires enough time to enter into the mystery present in our midst. As the revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal notes about the liturgy of the word, it “must be celebrated in such a way as to promote meditation. For this reason, any sort of haste that hinders recollection must be clearly avoided” (#56).

Beyond haste, our problems with reverence often flow from a lack of appreciation for the ways that Christ is present in the liturgy. Reverence means recognizing and responding to the presence of the divine. If we do not recognize Christ’s presence, we are not likely to respond with reverence.

Today’s gospel (Luke 24.13-35) account of the journey to Emmaus gives us a good example of this problem. Only after the two disciples recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread did they respond with awe and reverence. Through most of the account they simply do not recognize that Jesus is with them.

When we take part in the Eucharistic celebration, are we aware of the various ways that Christ is present amidst us: in the assembly, in the presider, in the word proclaimed, and in the sharing of Christ’s body and blood in communion? If liturgical ministers are intensely aware of Christ’s presence and manifest that in the way they carry out their ministries, this will be conveyed subtly but effectively to the assembly. Let us ask ourselves the following questions. Do the lectors wait until all are really ready before they begin proclaiming the word? Do musicians allow significant time for silence before starting the responsorial psalm and gospel acclamation? Do eucharistic ministers handle the body of Christ with care and grace? Is it not advisable to spend 5 to 10 minutes in silent reflection just before the mass?