Dear Brother Knights,
In July, over 50,000 Catholics gathered together in Indianapolis for a National Eucharistic Congress. The attendees came together for talks, fellowship, the celebration of Mass, and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
The Eucharistic Congress was, in part, the culmination of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, where Catholics across the country adored Jesus present in the Holy Eucharist in a manner that has never taken place in our nation’s history. The Eucharist, made visible in the monstrance (a metal vessel used to “show” the Eucharist) was processed by foot, van, and boat from the north, south, east, and west, beginning in San Francisco, Lake Itasca, Minn., New Haven Conn., and Brownsville, Tex. and arriving in Indianapolis for the Eucharistic Congress.
What a great witness this was to the faith and a reminder of the presence of Jesus in our midst. The word Mass comes from the Latin word missa meaning, “sent.” If a Mass were to be celebrated in the Latin, the words of dismissal are “Ite, Missa est,” which is translated literally as “Go, it is sent.” In the 13th Century, St. Thomas Aquinas commented on these words of dismissal saying, “And from this the Mass derives its name … the deacon on festival days ‘dismisses’ the people at the end of the Mass, by saying: ‘Ite, missa est,’ that is, the victim [Jesus] has been sent to God through the angel, so that it may be accepted by God.”
St. Thomas describes the heart of what the Mass is all about: the re-presentation Christ’s offering of himself to the Heavenly Father. And then this gift of Christ to the Father pours forth to the Church in the reception of Holy Communion. Christ offers himself as a sacrifice to the Father, and in doing so he also offers himself to the Church in giving us his very body and blood.
Thus, the dismissal at the end of Mass is not an ending but a beginning. Catholics who attend Mass have asked for forgiveness of their sins, listened to the Word of God, reflected upon its impact on their lives through the homily, entered into the redemptive work of Jesus, and received him in the Eucharist. Actively participating in the mystery of the Mass changes the hearts of Catholics. It necessarily moves us into mission. So, the dismissal at Mass is not just a declaration that it’s over and it’s time to go home, but a call to take the fruits of this Mass to be missionary disciples.
As thousands of Catholics processed across the country and took our Lord to the streets, it’s a reminder for all of us as Catholics to bring Jesus wherever we may find ourselves.
May God bless you and your families.
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Nicholas Kipper
