Ash Wednesday

We explore how the Mass is a true memorial that makes Christ’s passion, death, resurrection, and ascension present now, not a distant memory. We invite you to pray boldly, engage with heart and mind, and treat the Eucharist as the source and summit of life.

• scriptural meaning of memorial and Passover
• the Paschal Mystery made present at every Mass
• witnessing the Cross and Resurrection in faith
• one sacrifice across time, not repeated deaths
• why the Eucharist is source and summit
• bold petitions modeled by the good thief
• practical ways to engage interiorly at Mass
• closing prayers through Jesus and Mary

If you found this time of prayer and reflection fruitful and would like more opportunities to grow in your faith this land, consider joining the Cristeros and purchasing our Lent and Reflection booklet, now available on Amazon.com
The Cristeros app is available on the Apple app and Google Play Store
More information on the Cristeros can be found at the Cristeros.org

Chapters

• 0:03 Opening Prayers And Intention
• 0:45 What Memorial Means In Scripture
• 1:16 The Paschal Mystery Made Present
• 1:58 Praying As Witnesses, Not Spectators
• 2:39 One Sacrifice Across Time
• 3:23 Bold Petitions And Interior Participation
• 4:08 Closing Prayers And Devotions
• 4:36 How To Go Deeper At Mass
• 4:36 Invitation To Lenten Resources

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Ash Wednesday, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. God, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me.

unknown 0:16

Amen.

What Memorial Means In Scripture

The Paschal Mystery Made Present

Praying As Witnesses, Not Spectators

One Sacrifice Across Time

Bold Petitions And Interior Participation

Closing Prayers And Devotions

How To Go Deeper At Mass

Invitation To Lenten Resources

SPEAKER_00 0:19

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day, in union with the holy sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, for the remission of my sins, for the intentions of my family and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen. Mass as the memorial of the Paschal Mystery. In the Old Testament, we hear the word memorial in regard to the Passover. It was a yearly sacrifice offered to God not only to remember what had happened in the Exodus, but through ritual and liturgical prayer to make it present. It was therefore not locked up in the past simply to be recollected, but rather a living reality that can be engaged and entered into today. The same is true of the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ. This paschal mystery is his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension, and it is memorialized at every celebration of Mass and in every sacramental liturgy. This means that when we participate in Mass, we are not just recalling what Jesus did 2,000 years ago. Instead, he is collapsing time, if you will, and making it so that the crucifixion and resurrection are present to us anew on the altar, and we are present to witness Christ crucified and risen, as if it were happening right before our eyes, for indeed it is, even if we can only see through faith. This can really change the way we pray at Mass. We are not meant to be passing spectators who can only watch from the sidelines, rather, we are meant to stand at the foot of the cross with the Blessed Virgin, Saint John and Saint Mary Magdalene, there to recognize the horror of our sins and the depth of God's love for us. We are allowed to be privileged witnesses with the angels to Jesus being raised from the dead, and can gaze in wonder with the apostles as Jesus ascends to the right hand of God. This all happens at every Mass. None of this is to say that Jesus dies again, or that his resurrection happens again either. What happens at Mass is that these mysteries are made present across time. The same sacrifice of the cross is made present on the altar, and we can partake of it. All in all, then, this makes mass more than we can see and think. It makes mass truly the source and summit, the font and apex of our lives, as the church so often reminds us. For in the Mass we have all that Jesus offers us readily available, and if we but take the time to recognize what is going on, we can receive from him more than we can ever ask or imagine. We can receive him and all he has done for us, from the cross to the empty tomb and even unto heaven. Be bold in your prayer. The good thief asks Jesus on the cross for heaven, and you can ask for everything you need as well, from small favors for the day to the depths and heights of salvation. With this in mind, consider how you pray at Mass. Do you sit and stand and do all the external things without engaging mentally and spiritually in what you are doing? Is Mass treated as the most important thing that it is, or just another thing to get done? Do you recognize what the Mass is and all that is offered to you there? Do you ask much of Jesus at Mass, where he offers you everything? All that I have and all that I am, I give to your hands, Jesus, through the heart of Mary, your blessed mother. Amen. Sacred heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. If you found this time of prayer and reflection fruitful and would like more opportunities to grow in your faith this land, consider joining the Cristeros and purchasing our Lent and Reflection booklet, now available on Amazon.com. The Cristeros app is available on the Apple app and Google Play Store. More information on the Cristeros can be found at the Cristeros.org.