The Church's Liturgy & Social Justice, part 2

One important aspect of achieving social justice is also a part of our liturgy: reconciliation. Justice is a matter of right relationship. If something is keeping us from right relationship, such as a past wrong or unfair discrimination, we must be reconciled in order to return to a right and just relationship. Reconciliation involves (1) acknowledging our faults to the offended party, (2) asking for and receiving forgiveness, and (3) making reparations and/or doing penance.

       To model that for us in our interpersonal relationships, we have the Sacrament of Penance and the Penitential Rite of the Mass by which we are reconciled with God. The Sacrament of Penance provides the fullest expression of reconciliation (as outlined above) and is our only way of reconciling serious sins against God's law. The Penitential Rite of the Mass heals the lesser offenses so that we can be properly disposed for our reception of Holy Communion.

       The challenge for us is to take these opportunities for reconciliation seriously. This Sunday, when the liturgy comes to the Penitential Rite, make a serious examination of your conscience, fervently ask God for forgiveness, and then feel the forgiveness God offers through the words of the priest.

The Church's Liturgy & Social Justice, part 1

At the end of every Mass, we are urged to "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord." The new language of the Order of Mass which will be implemented in the US next year has a new option, which is, "Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life." The two are seen as equivalent by the Church: loving and serving the Lord means living the faith. 

       It means being the "good Samaritan" as we heard about last Sunday. 

       It means striving for justice in our world, as we are told time and again by Jesus and the prophets who came before him. 

       It means being a force for reconciliation, not only between ourselves and one another, but also between polarizing forces in our world.

       And it is (or should be) the Church's liturgy that causes us to see what must be done and to provide an example of how we are to live between Sundays. More on this in the coming weeks.