Parish Calendar

THE HOLY MASS
At Mass or the Lord’s Supper the People of God is called together, with a Priest presiding and acting in the person of Christ, to celebrate the memorial of the Lord or Eucharistic Sacrifice. In an outstanding way there applies to such a local gathering of the holy Church the promise of Christ: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst” (Mt 18:20). For in the celebration of Mass, in which the Sacrifice of the Cross is perpetuated, Christ is really present in the very assembly gathered in his name, in the person of the minister, in his word, and indeed substantially and uninterruptedly under the Eucharistic species.
Introductory Rites
The Mass begins with the entrance chant/song. The celebrant and other ministers enter in procession and reverence the altar with a bow and/or a kiss. The altar is a symbol of Christ at the heart of the assembly and so deserves this special reverence. All make the Sign of the Cross and the celebrant extends a greeting to the gathered peo-ple in words taken from Scripture. The Penitential Act follows the greeting. At the very beginning of the Mass, the faithful recall their sins and place their trust in God’s abiding mercy. The Penitential Act includes the Kyrie Eleison, a Greek phrase meaning, “Lord, have mercy.” This litany recalls God’s merciful actions throughout history. On Sundays, especially in Easter Time, in place of the customary Penitential Act, from time to time the blessing and sprinkling of water to recall Baptism may take place. On Sundays, solemnities, and feasts, the Gloria follows the Penitential Act. The Gloria begins by echoing the proclamation of the angels at the birth of Christ: “Glory to God in the highest!” In this ancient hymn, the gathered assembly joins the heavenly choirs in offering praise and adoration to the Father and Jesus through the Holy Spirit. The Introductory Rites conclude with an opening prayer, called the Collect. The celebrant invites the gathered assembly to pray and, after a brief silence, proclaims the prayer of the day. The Collect gathers the prayers of all into one and disposes all to hear the Word of God in the context of the celebration.
http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/introductory-rites/index.cfm

An important aspect of the miracle of the loaves and the fishes is its connection to the events of Jesus’ life. Matthew provides that connection for us at the beginning of today’s gospel. He says, “When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.”
Now Jesus’ relationship to John the Baptist was a deep one. So when Jesus heard of the violent murder of John by King Herod, it was a deep blow. Jesus decided to withdraw to a deserted place to grieve his loss. This reaction by Jesus shows his true humanity, but it also stands for all the times in our lives when we have to absorb a deep loss or carry a heavy burden. It could be, as it was for Jesus, the loss of someone in death. But it could also be a fractured relationship because of divorce or misunderstanding, the consequence of a disastrous decision made by ourselves or someone we love, or a turn in our own health that reduces our abilities and leads to fear. When such blows and burdens come to us, we want to be alone. We need time to heal. Like Jesus, we desire to withdraw to a place by ourselves.
But the gospel goes on from here. Although Jesus wanted to be alone, the crowds followed him on foot. They wanted to be cured. They wanted to be fed. He would have every right to say; don’t these people know what I am dealing with? Yet Jesus was moved with pity. He cured their sick and fed them with the loaves and the fishes.
Jesus reacted in this way because he was committed to his ministry. But also, on a deep human level, Jesus understood that sometimes the best way to heal our losses and carry our burdens is by reaching out in service to others. When life strikes us with a blow, we have every right to withdraw and lick our wounds. But that consolation has a time limit. If we withdraw for too long, our solace can become isolation and our comfort can become unhealthy. So if you are grieving, if you feel empty and unloved, depressed or alone, you can withdraw and reflect. But be quick to reach out. There is a real power in helping another person, and that power can raise us above our losses and our burdens ============================================