Message from Fr. Con

REFLECTION FOR SIXTH SUNDAY OF LENT ( YEAR C)

PALM SUNDAY

WEEK BEGINNING 13 APRIL 2025

This Sunday, the 6th of Lent, we arrive at the 6th and final Reflection in this Lenten series on the parts of the Mass – the “Our Father”, the Communion Rite and then the ‘Dismissal’.
The Communion Rite opens with the Lord’s Prayer – the ‘Our Father’ – the only prayer Jesus ever taught and so the greatest single prayer of all.

“Hallowed be Thy Name” = ‘May Thy Name be held Holy’. (In the oldest Old Testament times, the most faithful of the Chosen People of Israel could hardly bring themselves to even utter openly the very Name of God, for they held it in such very high esteem!)
In our times, as in all times, blasphemy (misuse of the Holy Name of God) is so serious a sin.

“Thy Kingdom come …” points to the reign of God rather than to Kingdom as a place. (The Greek word Basileia refers to ‘Kingship’ – God reigning – rather than to ‘Kingdom’ as a place – a delineated & dimensional plot of territory).
In receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion, His Real Presence within us will give us real union with Him (i.e. as we leave the confines of Mass and church, to return to our daily duties and commitments in the limitedness of the world).
We take with us the unlimitedness of His full Presence – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. How we so need to have a thankful Heart!
The actual and formal conclusion of the Mass is known liturgically as ‘the Dismissal’. We are literally ‘dismissed’ – sent out on ‘mission’, to share & spread the love we have received from above whilst at Mass – for the Eucharist is all about Love.
Our very word ‘Mass’ comes from the Latin ‘Missa’ – from which come the words ‘mission’, ‘missal’, ‘missalette’ etc.
At each & every Mass, we have been ‘Christed’ – anointed by Jesus Christ, the Anointed One.