One of my catchphrases when teaching RCIA is, "A mystery is something that can be experienced even if it cannot be explained." From time to time at the altar, as a priest, one glimpses the mystery in a new way which is astounding and so real that it makes ordinary reality seem pale and insubstantial. It happened like this tonight:
On Wednesdays I hear confessions from 5:15 to 6:15. At this time there is a holy hour concluded by Benediction. Then at 6:30 I celebrate Mass. I do so on Wednesday evenings ad orientem. Tonight the Mass was simple and dignified. Deacon Ballard assisted. Two children served. We celebrated the memorial of John Neumann. I was reminded earlier in the day of his extraordinary missionary zeal, his knowledge of many languages so he could minister to the immigrants, his love for children, for the poor, of his tireless work and how he literally died of exhaustion. While preaching about him, for a moment I was overcome with a sense of awe at his life. Then, at the altar I was aware of a presence--the presence of a little man so full of energy and zeal that he burned like a radiant light. Then after Mass, while deacon tidied the altar the presence was again so strong in a way I cannot explain.
It was like I could understand at once the power and the eternal radiance of the saints. I could see that the power and zeal and supernatural energy of the true saint was something far greater and more astonishing a human capability than that of any sports star, celebrity, genius or human marvel. I saw that a saint is infused with a supernatural quality which is humanity at its zenith, humanity having reached its true and amazing potential. I am now trying to put into words what was simply an impression which was powerful and real, but which only lasted for a brief moment. It was a flash of insight and then it was gone.
At once I understood at a deeper level than ever before why we say that the saint or blessed is 'elevated to the altar'. Through the Eucharist time is suspended. Heaven and earth are met. The saints above connect with the world below and it is as if (and I do not mean to be irreverent) that the saint at that moment is 'beamed down' to the altar and we somehow share in the supernatural graces of Christ through the saints who make up the Mystical Body of Christ and that through the sacrament we too have a share in a communion far far greater and more marvelous than our blinkered eyes and hardened hearts can usually experience, and this share that we have is actually always present and always real. It is just that we are not usually vouchsafed the realization.
14 comments:
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing such a beautiful moment with us with such candor.
Awesome story, Father! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for continuing your blog - especially since I just found it and am enjoying it very much. Today's post was wonderful.
Wow what a marvelous experience!
And you have articulated it in such a way as to be able to - in some small way - 'feel' the experience with you.
"the saint at that moment is 'beamed down' to the altar"
I think of the Mass as supernatural wormhole.
there is a lovely icon of
st john neumann at the roman catholic
cathedral in santa fe new mexico
another one has him with his hnd on
a newspaper boy's shoulder
pray to the Holy Mother and She will assist you in this new, vast, foreign land...
if only we could keep from forgetting such times of aid
and help those in turn who need just the slightest kind word and assurance of our prayers ...
then the darkness retreats so quickly and the victory is so much more than power plays...
All best wishes for Orthodox Nativity
as i tell hugh
supranatural is more trig and avoids confusions
Powerful! I read the whole thing and then went back to the first sentence.
"A mystery is something that can be experienced even if it cannot be explained."
Thank you for the words I couldn't find!
What a wonderful experience. I'm so glad you continued this blog so that you could share this.
I understand completely Fr. Longenecker's experience of a saintly presence. It happened to me twice : once in our house and once in the hospital, completely out of the blue. It was the presence of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus -- very briefly and its difficult to describe.
Thomas
I would love to post your moment on my blog, "Patron Saint of the Year 2011". I think it would really help people decide if they want to undertake a "heavenly walk" through the new year. Please let me know if I can use it. Thank you and God bless you!
Your experience remembers me on a holy mass in a church of cicercian nuns. After the holy communion I was knealing, and praying I had bowed my head down. I looked up very shortly only to know if the priest was still occupied on the altar or already sitting in his seat and then I bowed my head again. Suddenly I was confused. From my canthus I had caught a glimpse of the sisters standing in two rows left and right of the altar.
But they were all dressed in white and all of them where standing looking towards the altar....
I looked up againg - and there they were kneeling, some of them sitting and most of them were dressed in brown with black veil as usual (only the novices are dressed in white).
So what had I just seen? I knew immediately it was their guardian angels standing behind them.
From here in the Philippines, my prayers so that God may continue to give you inspiration and go on with your inspiring blog.
From the Philippines, I pray that you continue with your apostolate. It will save many from damnation.
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