Pray with the Pope: The Eucharist at the Centre

Every month Fr Chris Chatteris SJ reflects on Pope Francis’ prayer intention

Pope’s prayer Intention for July: We pray that Catholics may place the celebration of the Eucharist at the heart of their lives, transforming human relationships in a very deep way and opens up an encounter with God and their brothers and sisters.

It is always impressive to meet daily Massgoers. Obviously, it is not possible for everyone to go to Mass daily, but one practical way of placing the Eucharist at the heart of one’s life is to attend every day. For the celebrant, it is particularly uplifting to say Mass for those good people who rise at the crack of dawn to attend an early Mass before they go work.

I noticed that attending an early morning Mass is a widespread custom in parishes in Zambia, and I said Mass for one of them in Kitwe a couple of times on a visit there some time back. Those who come are people of deep faith who clearly feel the need to “do this in memory of me” daily, I would imagine as a helpful preparation for meeting their brothers and sisters in their workplaces. I would see them as good leaven in the community “transforming relationships in a very deep way”.

In some of our Jesuit communities in Zambia where there are these early morning weekday Masses, the congregation is a mixture of laypeople, religious Sisters and members of the Jesuit community.

A powerful example

I know for a fact that some of my Jesuit brethren would prefer to have Mass in the evening, but I think that most would admit that they value the powerful example of the laypeople and their fellow religious who not only get up early but also travel to our community for the Mass!

My sense is that Catholics in South Africa generally do not share this tradition of the daily Mass. It would be interesting to do a survey on the subject, looking at which parishes actually provide a daily Mass, at what times, and who is attending. Obviously, if the weekday Mass is at 10 in the morning, working people cannot be there.

Lest I give the impression that one can put the Eucharist at the heart of our lives only by attending daily Mass, I would hasten to add that this is clearly not the case. Most practising Catholics would say that the Sunday Mass is the high point of their spiritual lives.

Sunday is the big day, our Sabbath. People gather to pray, to listen to the Word of God, to receive Communion, and to reconnect with their fellow believers in the Body of Christ. If the pastoral service is good; if the homily is well prepared and delivered; if the liturgy is celebrated with dignity and depth, this will make the Mass less of an obligation and more a time of growth in the knowledge and love of God and neighbour.

In other words, there is a serious responsibility on the presider of the celebration to help the faithful to live out this intention of the Holy Father; his prayer that, whether we attend Mass every day or only on Sundays, the Eucharist may be at the centre of our lives.

Published in the July 2023 issue of The Southern Cross magazine