Wednesday, April 1, 2009
12:15 p.m.
St. Thomas More Church
When we think about it, every Eucharist is a healing
celebration. In it we receive the Lord Jesus. We are transformed by
Him, and we let Him meet us in our needs. In every Mass, we
celebrate God's love for us. With the priest we offer ourselves in
sacrifice, giving thanks to the Father, through Jesus, our great
High Priest, in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is He who makes us
a community who worships God in Spirit and Truth.
At this Mass of Healing, we will all receive God’s healing but we
invite those who are seriously ill or undergoing surgery to
experience the Sacrament of the Sick. Individuals who seek the
Sacrament of the Sick will be asked to come forward at the end of
Mass to be anointed.
The healing that we all receive as we participate in the Mass
begins at the Penitential Rite when we are healed by the Lord of
our sinfulness. We ask Him to remove our sinful inclinations. We
repent and He makes us whole. When we listen to the Word of God, we
seek to integrate His Word into our lives At the prayer
intercessions we ask that the sick may be made well, and that their
care-takers may be strengthened for their task. At the Offertory we
present ourselves to God, together with our offerings of bread and
wine. In the Consecration we are awed by God's power, as our gifts
of bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. In praise of
Him we may say, "Lord, by Your cross and resurrection, you have set
us free. You are the Savior of the world." The Lord hears our claim
for freedom from fears, injured memories, sicknesses, and the other
effects of sin.
At the Our Father we praise Him and ask that His Kingdom come, and
that His Will be done. We stand on the truth that we are all God's
beloved children. When we pray for forgiveness, He restores our
souls, and then we experience the Lord's gift of peace. Jesus, who
forgave His persecutors, now helps us to let go of our resentments,
grudges, angers, and jealousies.
When we receive the Lord at Holy Communion, our response is "Amen!"
In that, we express our faith in His divine presence and power.