The softly lit Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Denver hosted a kaleidoscope of people as the Sunday evening Mass began. A guitarist, violinist and pianist played soft, warming music as people filled the aisles. The aura of the church was clearly meant to be welcoming and revitalizing. A continual flow of people visited the four confessionals located on both sides of the cathedral. To a non-Catholic the big brown confession booths seemed slightly intimidating. The high ceiling and tall white columns gave a sense of freedom and purity and the stained glass windows were pieces of art in themselves.
After the seminarians carried the crucifix to the front of the church, Archbishop Chaput welcomed his congregation and said “In the name of the father the son and the holy ghost. Amen.” The beginning of the mass consisted of several readings from the old testament, the new testament and the gospel. At the Cathedral the Mass is celebrated by the Archbishop, and he is assisted by one or two priests and several deacons.
After several more Catholic rituals, the Archbishop began his homily. He reminded us that that the important season of lent is just around the corner and that each of us should begin to frequently think about its significance. “Lent,” he said, “used to be a time to prepare for baptism.” The Archbishop clearly assumed an audience well versed in Catholic doctrine. He spoke about how nowadays most people tend to get baptized when they are born so lent is meant to rejuvenate each person’s baptism and to appreciate God in the fullest way possible. “One of the best ways to do this” he exclaimed “is to give up something important.” He said that lent doesn’t necessarily mean you must give something up to punish yourself. It is simply to give something up to make yourself a better person.
To gain the congregation’s attention and not merely preach, the archbishop reiterated the heart-warming gospel reading about Jesus’ healing powers. In one case, Jesus cured a crippled man so that he could walk again, simply because of the crippled man’s deep faith in God.
He used this as an introduction to the meaning of lent. As he began explaining lent it seemed that what he was saying could be applied toward any person, not just Catholics, whereas at the beginning of the Mass it seemed like one must be Catholic to understand half of what he was saying. The archbishop explained how there are three main aspects to lent: charity, fasting, and prayer. Charity, being the most important of the three was discussed first. The archbishop meticulously spoke about how lent is a time to give up doing some things one would normally do (such as going out to dinner) so that they can give money to the poor. Archbishop Chaput reminded his fellow Catholics that they must remember those who are in need and appreciate all that they have.
The next topic he talked about was fasting. One should fast completely on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday which are the days that mark the beginning and end of lent. He mentioned that in between those days one should just eat two smaller meals that would normally be equivalent to one regular meal, and one regular meal. In other words, one should eat as little as possible during the day, without getting faint or sick so that they can remember Jesus’ suffering. He finished explaining the idea of fasting by saying that people should completely give up meat on Fridays. The Archbishop clarified that, while it is acceptable to eat fish on Fridays, as it is the “meat of the poor people,” it is not in the spirit of lent to go out and order a lobster dinner. Many people in the audience giggled when he said this. As his congregation went on I felt less and less left out because I could directly relate to what he was saying. If people gave it up more often, they might find it a special occasion to eat meat and would certainly appreciate it more.
The last part of his homily was about prayer. He began by saying, “If you don’t already attend Mass every week, you should start by doing that.” People who already pray devoutly (and possibly even attend Mass several times every week) should cut out time during the day and follow the Liturgy of the Hours which is a set of prayers that one says during certain times of the day. He mentioned that it is extremely easy to get caught up doing activities and forget about one’s faith. Many forget about reflecting on the most important aspects of life whether it be appreciation for what we have, family, etc. and lent is a time to remember these things. Almost every person gets caught up in all the events of the day and forgets about the most important things in life; things we wouldn’t necessarily appreciate unless we lost. Archbishop Chaput went on to say that lent is also a time to put other things aside so that one can really show their love and gratitude for Jesus and his suffering. He also talked about how one should make sure his/her friends are not bringing him/her away from prayer and faith and that one should choose friends that reinforce the importance of faith in everyday lives.
Although this homily was directed towards Catholics it served as an important message for everyone. There are times in life when one must cut back on things and appreciate what they have. Overall the Archbishop presented this idea in an interesting and powerful way. For Catholics, it was a simple reminder of how to be a good Catholic and fulfill their deeds and be respectful and loving to God.
As the homily ended the Mass went into the liturgy of the Eucharist, which is where a person receives the body and blood of Jesus because Catholics believe that this is how people come in communion with Jesus. As the Mass ended people chatted with friends and relatives as they slowly walked out of the cathedral. Everyone seemed to have a sense of relaxation, ready to start the upcoming week with new thoughts on their mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment