"THE LITURGY OF THE WORD"

(Thanks be to God, indeed!)

I don’t know what it’s like at other parishes, but in my parish the Liturgy of the Word is actually something to write home about. The lay lectors — those who proclaim the First and Second Readings — are well-trained, and provided with manuals and other aids to their ministry. Hats off to Lector Coordinator Jean Kelley. The Responsorial Psalm is beautifully chanted by our well-rehearsed and totally cool choir. Kudos to Music Director Leo Abbott. The Gospel is always read with the clarity and attention to diction it deserves. Let’s hear it for the deacons!

(Time out here: I’m beginning to sound like His Eminence, thanking everybody and his sister, sheesh!)

Here’s my point: as good as the Liturgy of the Word is, there’s a way for you to make it even better for yourself. More alive. More directed precisely toward you. What’s more, it doesn’t depend at all on who’s proclaiming the Word...it works under any circumstances. It even works if you’re hearing the Word of God in a language you don’t even understand! Sound good? Then let’s go!

First step: prepare to hear The Word of God.

Depending on your schedule, you’ll want to give yourself anywhere from two or three days to a week for this. Find out what the following Sunday’s readings are. I’ve got a nifty Saint Joseph’s Sunday Missal for this purpose. Don’t have a missal? No problem! Point your browser to www.holycrosscathedral.org, and click on "Today’s Readings." Click on the date for the following Sunday and voila! There you are: The First Reading, Responsorial Psalm, Second Reading, and Gospel. Now you’ve got two choices: print off the readings or (and this is my personal recommendation) just jot down the passages. For instance, if I were preparing myself for last Sunday’s readings, I’d make the following notes: Ezekiel 37:12 — 14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:8 — 11; John 11:1 — 45. Easy, right?

Now go to your room!

And take your Bible with you. Choose a time when you’re not likely to be interrupted. If necessary, tell the people you live with that you’d like, say, at least 20 minutes of privacy. Settle yourself in comfortably. Relax. (Relaxing isn’t always easy for me...a few minutes of deep-breathing does wonders, though!) Close your eyes if you like, and pray God to remove from your mind all distractions and anxieties. Anticipate something extraordinarily beautiful about to happen to you. Whenever you feel ready, open your Bible to one of the passages you’ll hear the following Sunday. Don’t hesitate to read several verses before the actual Sunday passage...that’s actually a great idea, and why I recommend just jotting down the Biblical references rather than printing off the actual readings.

Veni, Sancti Spiritu

Sometimes, especially at first, you might find your mind wandering. Or you might feel a sudden urge to look out a window, or check out the dust bunnies on your floor. Not a problem. Ask The Holy Spirit for guidance, and just try again. Remember, you’re not "studying" the Bible. Nobody’s going to test you on what you’re reading. What you’re doing, actually, is praying to God. Now, praying to God is not one of Satan’s favorite things so the prince of pride may try to dissuade you. Don’t worry. Trust in the Spirit of God to keep you safe.

Pace yourself

Give yourself enough time to thoroughly immerse yourself in the healing waters of God’s Word. If at all possible, avoid starting your Sunday reading preparation on Saturday night! I like to begin on the previous Monday, and I’ll tell you why. Sometimes — often! — I’ll find myself curiously and deliciously drawn to a single verse, or even a phrase in the Bible. Before I know it, my prayer time is over and I’ve scarcely covered anything! I used to think that was a bad thing, but a kindly spiritual director set me straight. Meditating on any part of the Word of God is a good thing...just make sure you give yourself enough time to luxuriate in it.

"Were you there...?"

Once, while lost in the haunting beauty of that old spiritual, someone interrupted my reverie by rasping, as if in answer to a literal question, "of course I wasn’t there!" Maybe that man wasn’t, but I was and you can be too! Here’s what I mean.

While meditating, especially on the Gospel passages, it is entirely possible in many instances to actually find yourself "on the spot," so to speak, with Jesus and His friends. In last Sunday’s Gospel, for example, I found myself among the mourners, trying to comfort Lazarus’ sisters while periodically looking down the road, waiting for Jesus to come. Experiences like this are amazing! And while the question of my sanity in many instances may be up for discussion, this isn’t one of them. Finding myself in the midst of the Gospel is one of the richest gifts God has given me. I pray that you receive this gift, too.

As usual, my timing my be questionable, sheesh.

I just realized that by the time this hits the web-site, we’ll be entering Holy Week. Whew! Talk about plenty of reading material! This Sunday is Palm Sunday, with an extra Gospel Reading before the Mass begins, and Matthew’s Passion. Then we enter the Easter Triduum, with the Mass of The Lord’s Supper, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil...all with Bible readings as rich in number as they are in truth! Don’t let it daunt you, though...who knows? This might be the ideal time to become more intimate with The Word of The Lord.

The Lord be with you.

He is with you now. And by preparing yourself to hear His Word, you’ll be more blissfully aware of that irrefutable fact than you ever were before. And that’s an iron-clad, Lady-in-the-Pew guarantee!

May the love of God as evidenced by Christ crucified bring you healing, strength, and serenity during this most blessed Holy Week and every day of your life.