St. Mary's Church Elizabeth, IL

6/1

Ite, missa est

Ite, missa est - these are the concluding Latin words addressed in Mass of the Roman Rite in the Catholic Church, and in the Divine Service of the Lutheran Church. The response of the people is Deo gratias - thanks be to God.

When we enter the church to attend Mass we make the sign of the cross - we bless ourselves. When we genuflect, or bow toward the sanctuary, we bless ourselves by making a sign of the cross. We begin the Mass with the sign of the cross - we bless ourselves. We bless ourselves over our forehead, lips and heart, before the Gospel. And now, we come to the final blessing at the end of the Mass. The priest or a deacon is letting us know that our gathering for the Eucharistic celebration is concluding and the Lord has come into our lives. Now, in the same way as the Lord sent out his disciples, He is ending us out, too.

The word Mass, derives from the concluding sentence of the priest or deacon, at the end of the Eucharistic celebration: Ite, missa est. It is a Latin phrase that literally means: Go, you are sent, or Go, you are dismissed. These words point to the purpose of the Mass: we are being sent on a mission.

In his letter to the Church in Rome, St. Paul says: "How are they to call on him on whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in him of whom they have not heard? How are they to hear without someone to proclaim the good news to them? How are they to proclaim the good news unless they are sent to do so?" (Romans 10:14-15). You cannot call upon God unless you believe in him. You cannot believe in him, unless you hear about him. You cannot hear about him, unless there is someone to proclaim the good news. Mass never ends! We are commissioned by God to proclaim the good news. We are the very messengers of God who, after accepting the good news and being strengthened by our Lord through Holy Communion, bring the knowledge of the of God to the world. We are those who dispel the ignorance from neglect of the knowledge. People cannot be blamed for not knowing for what they never had a chance to know. We, however, can be blamed for neglecting to know truths that have been opened up to us.

Our Lord does not send us out, into the world, powerless. He equips us for the journey through His Word which we have heard proclaimed. He feeds us with His Presence for our missionary activities. He sends us in peace but has high expectations of us. Leaving the church can be a great test of our faith. How can we start? Can we take a few small steps away from our fears and prejudices toward the universal vison of peace? Are we ready to forget injuries and grudges, forgive unkind words and actions - as we beat swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks? Can we be mindful of others who are set out to do the same thing. Keep the Lord's Presence in mind. He walks with us in whatever part of the world we find ourselves. Invoke the Holy Spirit's help! May we always be alive with the spirit of your love.

Mass never ends. You and I are sent on a mission!

Fr. Joachim