To whom or what is the Holy Mass geared for?

In the parable of the Prodigal Son there are three characters within a stage play. Each has a role to portray one message that should leave the viewer with a penetrating perspective. The main thrust of the story is not the son who squanders his inheritance or his older brother who becomes judgmental. The theme lies directly with the loving father who wants what is best for both sons. It is the same with us when we attend Mass. Every prayer or mention during the Eucharistic prayer is to the Father, not Jesus. The sacrifice we relive at every Mass revolves around Jesus, but the essence of the sacrifice is geared to the Father. Go back to the time Jesus was preparing for the imminent arrest, torture, crucifixion, and death on a wooden cross and see to whom he was praying. Three times he asked his Father to remove this cup (a metaphor that stands for our lives filled with many unwanted things) but your will is my desire.

When we receive holy Communion it is the Body and Blood of Christ, but a sharing in the sacrifice that the words and transubstantiation of the three day Easter Triduum we just shared as a complete action to the Father which makes this the greatest prayer a believer will be able to share with Christ to his Father.

Have you noticed that every time Jesus went alone to pray, even though he is truly God, he always asked his Father for the faith and understanding that his mission was pleasing to the Father. Undoubtedly the Holy Trinity was always present, as is now, and each of the three persons is always active within the ministry of our God. Still there is a mystery how God is portrayed in a singular action, while being complete as one God while appearing to be alone in the action. After the risen Christ ascended into heaven the Holy Spirit, his Spirit, descended upon the world at Pentecost and is Christ who is with us through the third person of the Trinity and acting on our behalf by all three persons of the Triune God. No one can even try to discern the meaning of these dictates since the Holy Trinity is one mystery with no cognitive understanding.

I wrote an article titled “To whom should I pray? Father, Son, Holy Ghost” in which the real essence of prayer to God is to the three persons of the Trinity. We do not commit sacrilege because we place one of the three persons over the other two. When we seek God in our need or give praise to him, it is the Triune God to whom our connection is directed.

Too often some people attempt to place their understanding of Catholic Theology that suits their own choice of how the mysteries of God should be interpreted. However, we must rely on the latest accepted catechetical teaching of the Catholic Church.

There is another problem that too often appears regarding the Eucharist. A person whose daughter has gone over to an evangelical church who one time answered her question about belief in their communion rite about real presence. He told her to believe whatever she wanted as to the real presence of Christ. Now, I heard the minister is consecrating the communion hosts at his discretion. What he is doing, along with enticing many Catholics to use his facilities for worship, is bordering on Cultic symbolism. For a person to be a cultic leader they are usually charismatic, believe they are like Christ, or Christ himself, and are able to lead people to the most severe conditions that could bring the followers down, at his discretion. Two of the most illogical cult leaders were Jim Jones at his retreat called Guyana where most committed suicide at his command. The other one of recent memory was David Koresh during the Waco, TX massacre of the Branch Davidians fighting and all dying because of the cultic adherence of this leader gone mad. My concern for this ex-catholic and other Catholics following this minister is the obvious power one like him is able to have such an influence over good people who are ripe for someone to do their thinking for them. This is exactly what Jim Jones and David Koresh did to those who were indoctrinated with a leader’s captive ability to lead to who knows where.

I realize there are many religious groups who conduct communion services with their congregations but rarely if ever use the action of transubstantiation in their service. This minister passes himself as the one responsible for the consecration. A Cathoilic priest does not become the entity that makes the bread and wine convert to the Body and Blood of Christ. He stands in for Christ and the Holy Spirit is the one who consecrates. The priest is only the human factor used, not the one performing the miracle.

Ralph B. Hathaway