May 15, 2013 By Katheryn Marie Fiacco Robinson
A parishioner in one of my parishes recently asked me what attending daily Mass does for me? I pondered this for a few days and wrote the following. As I am baking chocolate chip cookies on a very cold, rainy day, I ponder God our Father, Jesus, Son of God and the Holy Spirit and the Mass. I add the instructed ingredients into the bowl, stir them together as directed and soon it becomes the cookie dough. I think Jesus began His ministry when God answered Him while in prayer to seek John the Baptist and be baptized. He then began to gather the disciples. These men dropped everything and followed Jesus. The seed of faith planted in their hearts by God came to life when called by Jesus. These men followed Jesus all the way to the resurrection. When I attend Mass each day I receive communion, which gives me the nourishment I need to follow Christ. Jesus prayed often and listened to God’s message and did what was asked of Him for our Father in heaven. He gathered the people to hear the message from God and to live the ways of God. At the last supper He gave all of the apostles the ultimate sacrament, the Eucharist. His body and blood, which we receive at Mass today. Just as I have gathered all the ingredients for the cookies, the Eucharist holds in it Jesus’ body and blood. These are the ultimate ingredients to receive for they contain an infinite union with out Lord. The cookies bake in the oven and are removed in a few minutes in a completely different form. These cookies have a very tasty flavor, which leads me to ponder the taste of the Eucharist that I receive at each Mass. Each Mass I attend changes me into a little less of me and more into what God is calling me to do for Him. My personal ingredients are all my life’s experiences. The choices I made brought confusion, loneliness, and despair. These ingredients only brought a very terrible taste to others and to me. I found that I was at a total loss and felt like a baking ingredient in the wrong recipe. I needed to sit on a shelf and pray. I did and it wasn’t long before I was given my direction to follow. The most profound prayer that I pray is the Mass. I attend Mass almost everyday and feel loved by God without any worry of not tasting right in His mixture. The celebration of Mass is the most profound experience of praising and thanking God for all we have. These experiences enlighten my center being to His presence and feel His unconditional love. Oh, believe me it took time for me to reach this enlightened level of God’s love for me. Slowly as I began to attend Sunday Mass, I felt the Holy Spirit move me to attend daily Mass. The result of this brought a better understanding of Jesus’ life and many answers to His journey for me. I gain more of an openness to the gifts that God has for me and am thankful for Him taking my hand. The gift I cherish the most is the Eucharist. As I receive this Sacrament in my heart, I know that Jesus is present. This is the time that we are the closest to Jesus. The few seconds it takes to receive His body makes me feel like I am not in this world but in God’s world. Jesus is there and we know this because He told us where two or more are gathered in His name that I He is present. The cookies have a good taste but the Eucharist has a lasting taste. The Eucharist gives me a new growth that stays in my heart and doesn’t lose its flavor. The spiritual nourishment is lasting. God is continually shaping me for His work. I pray to keep my heart open to hear the works that He wants for me to do. |
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