Snow Day Mass

With the recent blizzard, most things are closed, canceled, or postponed. Honestly, I think that this is the worst blizzard we have had since I was ordained. Even in the parishes, all things are canceled except Mass.

As a priest, I know that the most important thing I do is celebrate Mass with deliberateness, decorum, and dedication. Whether Mass on Sunday or weekday, whether the Church is full or empty, the Mass is still sacred and efficacious. The parishioners I serve (and all Catholics of all time and space) deserve it. After all, as so many have reminded us, the Mass is not the priest's nor the parishioners. It is the Church's, past, present, and future. It is not just offered in this place, but is united with all places. Yes, truly this is the mystery. His Holiness Pope John Paul II wrote so beautifully in his last encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia (find it here), that the Eucharist is a cosmic event:

This varied scenario of celebrations of the Eucharist has given me a powerful experience of its universal and, so to speak, cosmic character. Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world. It unites heaven and earth. It embraces and permeates all creation. The Son of God became man in order to restore all creation, in one supreme act of praise, to the One who made it from nothing. He, the Eternal High Priest who by the blood of his Cross entered the eternal sanctuary, thus gives back to the Creator and Father all creation redeemed. He does so through the priestly ministry of the Church, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity. Truly this is the mysterium fidei which is accomplished in the Eucharist: the world which came forth from the hands of God the Creator now returns to him redeemed by Christ. EDE ¶8

While so much of what His Holiness writes in this excellent Encyclical is powerful, I find this paragraph as inspiring. Whether are celebrating Mass in an empty Church or with a congregation of millions, we are never alone. We are joined by the saints and angels, though unseen, no less than present. And Christ, Himself, is no less present!

What greater act of praise can we offer than to celebrate Mass!