The Most Powerful Prayer

The Most Powerful Prayer

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

By Lorraine Vincent

June 7, 2018

 

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Why Pray?

In our busy lives full of so many things to do, we should give top priority to prayer. Prayer unites us to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. “To pray ‘Jesus’ [which means ‘Yahweh Saves’] is to invoke Him and to call Him within us. His name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC, 2666). Our Holy Catholic Church encourages us to have a personal relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ. Daily prayer will help us to deepen our faith, fight against our short-comings and learn how to do His will. Jesus said, You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Even in our most difficult trials, while accepting and loving our crosses, as we lay praying in silence, sick and dying, we can be united with Him and He will give us hope and peace of heart. Jesus is the “Prince of Peace”.

Prayer is a powerful weapon against the evils of this world. The accumulation of SINS in the world enables the devil to do more damage. The accumulation of PRAYER in the world enables the Holy Spirit to inspire more souls to repentance and conversion. Our prayer opens our hearts and other people’s hearts to God’s graces, giving us consolation and heavenly light. We can help save souls by offering up our cross, our suffering, trials and pain, in union with the sufferings of Jesus on the Cross. We can help melt hearts of stone. The sanctity or the fall of each individual soul has an effect upon the whole Church. When enough of us become saints following Jesus, then the problems of the world will be overcome.

The Most Powerful Prayer!

Jesus gave us the most powerful prayer—the Holy “Sacrifice” of the Mass! The saving power of the crucifixion and death of Jesus on the Cross is made present at every Holy Mass. During the Mass, silently in our hearts, we can offer each Holy Mass for souls whom we hold dear, in union with the sufferings of Jesus on the Cross. This is powerful because Jesus offers Himself, along with our intentions, to His Father, His Body and every drop of His Blood for us! Holy Mass should be the center of our prayer lives. The highlight of the Mass is when we receive the living Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and are united with Him. I recommend studying our Catechism which teaches us about the Holy Eucharist, particularly numbers 1324, 1329, 1330, 1341, 1348, 1358, 1360, 1368, 1374, 1380 and 1381.

The Parts of the Mass

Introductory Rites

  1. In silence before Holy Mass begins we must prepare ourselves to participate in the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist and pray to be open to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. The priest celebrant will be carrying out the acts of Jesus Christ Himself that Jesus executed and entrusted to the Apostles at the Last Supper.
  2. Entrance Hymn, Procession and the Greeting – The presence of Christ is represented in His ministers with different vestments, according to the Liturgical Calendar. The Greeting is proclaimed by the priest.
  3. Penitential Act – We acknowledge our sins, with humility and with the spirit of conversion in our hearts, asking God to have mercy on us and to forgive us.
  4. Glory to God – This is an exuberant, cheerful, praise of God showing our love for God, that we want to be transformed by the Holy Trinity and that we trust in Him, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for our salvation.
  5. Collect – Then the priest reads the Opening Prayer or Collect that is appropriate for that day.

Liturgy of the Word

  1. Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son, is the “Word”.
  2. The written Word of Scripture – We meditate on God’s messages in the Liturgy that we hear in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, that is, the Old Testament as interpreted through the person and life of Jesus, and the New Testament of Christ as a fulfillment of the Old Testament and the history of Israel. That is why we respond, “Thanks be to God” and “Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.”
  3. The proclamation of the Gospel, read by the priest, is the climax of the Liturgy of the Word.
  4. The Homily – The priest or deacon guides the faithful to discover the meaning of the Word of God and how it applies to their daily lives.
  5. The Creed, the Profession of Faith
  6. Prayer of the Faithful – This is an expression of the faithful, with petitions, our needs and our responsibilities for ourselves and the world.

Liturgy of the Eucharist

The Offertory

  1. Preparation of the Gifts – The bread and wine are placed on the altar.
  2. Prayer over the Gifts – The Celebrant offers and gives thanks for the bread and wine which will be transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Then a small jar of water is handed to the priest. He carefully pours one drop of water into the wine. This drop of water represents us and we become part of the wine. This is an important time to offer ourselves to Jesus, our whole life—all our cares and worries and all our good intentions as we try to do His will. The priest prays quietly, “By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.”
  3. The Preface – The priest proclaims this prayer of thanksgiving and praise to our Triune God.
  4. Holy Holy – The Preface concludes with the “Holy Holy” as we unite our voices with the Angels and the Saints who sing unceasingly. We become united to the entire heavenly Church, which reminds us that the Liturgy on Earth is a participation in the Liturgy of Heaven. This is a Divine Act in which the Lord makes each one of us take part.

Eucharistic Prayer

  1. We Offer the Gifts  Together with the priest, we offer the gifts of bread and wine to God our Father and ask Him: “make holy these gifts we have brought to You for consecration; that they may become the Body and Blood of Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose command we celebrate these mysteries.” We offer these gifts for the Church, our Pope, the Bishops, all who are gathered here, and all the faithful, that we may hold fast to the True faith. We offer You, Father, this Sacrifice of praise for the redemption of their souls, in hope of health and well-being, in communion with Mary, Joseph, the Apostles and all the Saints.
  2. The Consecration takes place, by an act of the Holy Spirit as the priest repeats the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, “This is My Body… This is My Blood… Do this in memory of Me.” The bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus. The Sacrifice and death of Jesus on the Cross is made present. Jesus offers all of us in union with His Sacrifice to the Father, in atonement for our sins, and the sins of the whole world. At this moment we are united with the Church in Heaven with all the Saints. In this way Jesus, our Saviour, reconciles all humanity to the Father. As a result, the closed gates of Heaven are now open to receive us.
  3. Post Consecration – The Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus are now proclaimed. This is a time of reflection on the nourishing presence of Christ in our lives.
  4. The Memorial – The Sacrifice continues. In a memorial we call to mind Jesus’ death and Resurrection. This Act of Love took place in the past, but God who is eternally present, truly makes present this event in the Eucharistic Celebration. In thanksgiving for our salvation we recall our offering to the Father of this spotless Victim, “this holy and living Sacrifice … by whose death You willed to reconcile us to Yourself”.

The Petitions – The Church assembly unites itself with the entire Universal Church. May this Sacrifice of our reconciliation, we pray, O Lord, advance the peace and salvation of all the world.” We ask our heavenly Father to remember all of us, your servants. We come to Calvary with our sorrows, with our sins, with our failures, our spiritual ambitions and our simple attempts at love, and unite them to the Sacrifice of Christ. We pray for the living and the dead, and all who are dear to us. “May all who have gone before us with the sign of faith attain fellowship with Your holy Apostles and Martyrs.”

Final Doxology – The Eucharistic Prayer ends with the final doxology: our praise to God the Father, through Jesus in the Holy Spirit. We express our participation in the Lord’s Sacrifice, which has been celebrated and which has been offered to the Father for us

Communion Rite

The Lord’s Prayer

We pray the Lord’s Prayer, the prayer to Our Father that Jesus gave us, which includes love of God, adoration, petition and expiation. We pray, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”. We can forgive others by praying for the good of their souls and offering Masses for them.

Sign of Peace

The Sign of Peace opens with the words of Jesus, “My peace I leave you, My peace I give you.” The priest says, “The peace of the Lord be with you always. Let us offer each other a sign of peace.” We are called to see Christ in each other and live His new Commandment, “Love one another, as I have loved you.” Jesus is Love! May we become what He is and be changed into love. In the hymn, “Lamb of God” we hear how much Jesus loves us. We hope to become like Him and we pray for forgiveness and for peace, in order to stand worthy in His presence.

The Breaking of the Bread and the Elevation

This is an element of the Last Supper, representing Jesus Who offered His life on the Cross, that is, Jesus broken and elevated on the Cross. The priest proclaims, “Behold the Lamb of God”. We kneel and adore Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Also this gesture of the Breaking of the Bread is what allowed the disciples from Emmaus to recognize Jesus, the Risen Lord. The faithful are invited to the banquet: “Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.” The people pray, “Lord I am not worthy …”

Reception of Holy Communion

At this time the faithful, who have no mortal sin on their soul, come forward to receive Holy Communion. It is the Father’s will that all mankind be saved. When we receive Holy Communion, we are receiving the “living” Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus in the Consecrated Host. It is Christ Himself in all His humanity and all His divinity. He offers Himself as a gift to us, as food for our journey. The more we believe, the more graces we receive. With each Holy Communion we can draw closer and closer to Jesus. He will transform us even if it takes a couple of years. He lifts us up to Himself so that we may become what He is and He is “Love”! He was kind to sinners who hated Him and prayed to the Father that their souls may be saved. We can pray for souls, too. When we receive Jesus in Holy Communion we become part of His Mystical Body which is the Church. It is also a participation in the Heavenly Banquet. It is a pledge given to us by Our Lord to be One with Him forever in the Kingdom of Heaven. After we have returned to our pews, let us not forget to pray silently and tell Jesus how much we love Him and thank Him for all that He is doing for us. Jesus is our Best Friend.

Concluding Rite

Prayer after Communion The priest recites the Prayer after Communion. Then he dismisses the faithful and gives the final blessing, making the Sign of the Cross and calling upon Jesus. Thus, through the priest representing Jesus, the Lord blesses the people of God gathered together in the Eucharistic Celebration of the Holy “Sacrifice” of the Mass. Lastly, the priest dismisses the people so that each one may return to their good works, praising and blessing God.

 

 

Mass – Solemnity of Pentecost

Livestream Mass

Solemnity of Pentecost

“All of them where filled with the Holy Spirit”

May 24, 2015

Presider:  Rev. Barry J. Anwender

Special Thanks to Our Decor Group

Paula, Fe, Rose & Joe

Special Thanks to our Livestream Crew

Camera Operators:  Steven & Angela

ATEM Switcher & Livestream Operator:  Marcus

ATEM Graphics & Macros:  Fr. Barry

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Easter Vigil with RCIA

Resurrection of the Lord – April 4, 2015

Presider:   Rev. Barry J. Anwender

Mary at Tomb

The Easter Vigil celebration is the most important of all celebrations because on this night, the world was redeemed.  It is the Lord’s vigil, celebrated in honour of his resurrection. It is known as the “mother of all vigils.”  There are four parts to the liturgy.  The vigil this year is abundantly special at Blessed Sacrament Parish because Loretta, Hansini & Lief are celebrating the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.

Photos:   Courtesy of Fe Hipolito
The Gathering

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Part I – Rite of Light

The first part, the Rite of Light, reminds us in several ways that Christ is the light of the cosmos.  We begin with the blessing of the new fire and the lighting of the paschal candle. During the procession with this candle, we are called to respond by singing, “Thanks be to God”, when we hear the words, “Christ Our Light.”  Our own candles are lit from this one candle.  Then comes the singing of the Easter Proclamation, which points out how great the Messiah is who has redeemed us from our sin.

Part II – Liturgy of The Word

The second part, the Liturgy of the Word, is the telling of the story of our salvation history.  We begin with the story of the creation, the first reading from Genesis.  We continue with the reading from Exodus, next we hear the reading of the Prophet Isaiah.  A responsorial Psalm and a prayer will follow each of these readings.  Before we hear the first New Testament reading, from Paul to the Romans, we sing the Glory to God.  Before the Gospel we sing the solemn alleluia, a word, which we have not heard since Ash Wednesday.  We then hear the story of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

Part III – Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA)

The third part of the liturgy is devoted to the blessing of new water and baptism, reminding us of our own baptism.  Adult catechumens are baptized and candidates are welcomed into the parish community.  After their profession of faith with the assembly and their confirmation, we renew our own baptismal promises, since in baptism each one of us shared in the dying and rising of Jesus through our own dying to sin and rising to new life. The sprinkling is a reminder of the water of our baptism.

Part IV – Liturgy of The Eucharist

The fourth part is the Liturgy of the Eucharist and we now move from fasting to seven weeks of Easter feasting.  The new neophytes, who were just baptised and received into full communion with the Church, will share for the first time in the sacred banquet of the Eucharist, and we all go forth singing alleluias.

Holy Saturday – Preparations

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Mass – Holy Thursday

Celebration of The Lord’s Supper

“I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”

Holy Thursday Mass – April 2, 2015

Presider:   Rev. Barry J. Anwender

•  Reception of the Oil of The Sick, Oil of Catechumens & Oil of Chrism blessed by Archbishop Bohan at Holy Rosary Cathedral during the Chrism Mass.

•  Washing of The Feet after the homily.  In the spirit of the Holy Gospel to honour Christ, who came to serve and not to be served.

•  Special Collection for Papal Charities.

•  Celebration of the Holy Eucharist in remembrance of the Lord’s Supper, then stripping of the  Altar & Tabernacle until Easter Vigil.

•  Transfer of Holy Eucharist for Adoration in commemoration of the Lord’s Agony in The Garden of Gethsemani.

Photos:   Courtesy of Fe Hipolito

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Mass – Palm Sunday

Livestream Mass

Palm (Passion) Sunday

Commemorating The Lord’s Humble Entrance to Jerusalem

March 29, 2015

Presider:  Rev. Barry J. Anwender

Special Thanks to our Livestream Crew

Camera Operators:  Steven & Angela

ATEM Switcher & Livestream Operator:  Marcus

ATEM Graphics & Macros:  Fr. Barry

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Mass – Ash Wednesday

Livestream Mass

Ash Wednesday

February 18, 2015

Presider:  Rev. Barry J. Anwender

Special Thanks to our Livestream Crew

Camera Operator:  Steven

ATEM Switcher & Livestream Operator:  Angela

ATEM Graphics & Macros:  Fr. Barry

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Mass – Epiphany Sunday

Livestream Mass

Solemnity: Epiphany of The Lord

January 4, 2015

Presider:  Rev. Barry J. Anwender

Special Thanks to our Livestream Crew

Camera Operators:  Steven & Angela

ATEM Switcher & Livestream Operator:  Marcus

ATEM Graphics:  Fr. Barry

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Mass – 2nd Sunday Advent

Livestream Mass

Second Sunday Advent

December 7, 2014

Presider:  Rev. Barry J. Anwender

Special Thanks to our Livestream Crew

Camera Operators:  Steven & Angela

ATEM Switcher & Livestream Operator:  Marcus

ATEM Graphics:  Fr. Barry

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Canada Day Livestream

           First Livestream Broadcast               for the Archdiocese of Regina

Livestream & Camera Operator:  Rev. Barry J. Anwender

Photos Courtesy of Fey Hipolito

Blessed Sacrament Parish celebrated its annual Canada Day Mass with Archbishop Daniel J. Bohan presiding.  This event is a joint effort of the Father Hugonard 4th Degree Assembly of the Knights of Columbus, the Father John Riffel 4th Degree Assembly of the Knights of Columbus, Santo Nino Council of the Knights of Columbus and Blessed Sacrament Parish.   The Canada Day Eucharistic celebration highlights the Knights of Columbus fourth pillar of patriotism.

 “The Order is dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism.”

This year July 1st was preceded by three days of torrential rains that resulted in severe flooding across several Regina subdivisions, as well as numerous municipalities throughout the south and eastern regions of Saskatchewan.  The rain put a damper on the traditional pancake brunch with sausages, eggs and coffee, as well as the free face painting and popsicles for children that were planned to precede the Mass.  Despite the rain and cancelled outdoor festivities, Blessed Sacrament church was packed with visitors who gathered to celebrate Mass with Archbishop Bohan.

 “Blessed Sacrament Church is the oldest Roman Catholic Church building in Regina, and the city’s second oldest church still in use.”

In the spirit Regina’s Pioneer Catholics, this year’s Canada Day Mass was also the first event in the archdiocese to be broadcast as a livestream video feed on the Internet.  The Archdiocese and Blessed Sacrament parish websites promoted the Canada Day event with URL links to Livestream.com who hosted the internet broadcast. Livestream.com reporting that 150 viewers watched the live video of the Mass from their computers, mobile phones and tablets.

 “I had indeed noticed this on our website and took some pleasure in thinking about our “oldest Roman Catholic Church building in Regina ” leading the way here in things like Livestream … !!!!! The Livestream viewers continue to grow … the quality is wonderful–so clear—and a pleasure to watch.”        ~ Loretta

“Saw the beautiful Canada Day Mass celebration.  THANK YOU for filming it so all can enjoy … a spectacular end product, the sound was clear as a bell and your church was showcased beautifully.  Blessed Sacrament really is a beautiful church.”        ~ Sharon

Blessed Sacrament parish is home to Catholic immigrants from many countries.  Several parishioners reported that their relatives watched the Mass on the internet from different provinces in Canada, as well as various countries around the globe.  One week after the event, Livestream.com reported that 250 viewers had watched the archived event.  You can watch the original livesteam broadcast of the Canada Day Eucharistic Celebration by clicking/tapping on the graphic banner below:

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