How we can receive more from the Mass – 29 (Dismissal II)

“…the dismissal of the people by the deacon or the priest, so that each may go out to do good works, praising and blessing God.” (GIRM 90c)

The Dismissal is very much one of us being sent and not a mere casual departure.  In the same way that we are called to be consciously and actively engaged with the celebration of Holy Mass, so are we called to be consciously and actively involved in sharing in the sacrifice, the self-giving, of Jesus Christ in our everyday life; offering up our lives to God in everything – yes, everything that we do.

In the Penitential Act, we acknowledge that we have not always been true ambassadors for the Kingdom of God; as we go out into the world from Mass, we resolve to be better signs of the Kingdom this time.

An athlete takes on good nourishment so that he/she can win the race, and in holy Mass we have been nourished by Word and Sacrament so that we have the strength to “Fight the good fight of the faith and win the eternal life to which you are called and for which you made your noble profession of faith before many witnesses.” (1 Tim 6:12) 

And it can be a fight, a struggle.  We are fallen creatures and can fail to cooperate with God’s grace and so live the lives that we should.  The prophet Micah tells us succinctly how we should live  “And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Allow those words to sink in.

Each Sunday we profess our Christian faith in the words of the Creed; and people are attracted to the Christian faith first and foremost by what they see in the lives of those who profess to be Christian.

“Preach the gospel at all times and, if necessary, use words.”