As YCW leaders we are called to serve educate and represent young workers. It is a mandate deeply rooted in our faith, our call to be the co-builders of God's kingdom through the church
We often hear about the importance and centrality of Mass as the most important prayer, the one instance that encapsulates our faith.
What follows are notes taken during a retreat session by Mons John Marsland National chaplain of the YCW England and Wales in 2012, on the centrality of the Eucharist for the YCW experience.
14 moments during mass. 14
moments to teach and remind us how the prayer of mass helps us live up to the
life we are called t live as Young Christian Workers.
Points of interaction between
the the mass and being a YCW.
1. The Journey to Mass. - Think of the words of Cardinal
Van Thuan "I will never be able to express the joy that was mine: each day, with three drops of wine, a drop of water in the palm of my hand, I celebrated my Mass" – how precious the chance to celebrate Mass in prison.
Read more about him by searching his name. |
1. For the YCW this journey
reminds us of how we represent young people. We go and carry those who would
not or cannot go to mass in our hearts.
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2. Dipping our hand in the
holy water: a reminder of our baptism, when we joined God's people and became
sons and daughter's of God
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2. A reminder of our
dignity, our unique value, each being worth more than all the gold in the
world because we are his sons and daughters.
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3. The symbolic clothing of
the priest, reminds us that in that instance he is more than the man we might
know because of the sacred office given him through ordination.
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3. As YCW leaders we are
not just individuals but lay apostles in the priesthood of God’s holy people.
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4.The greeting at the start
of Mass which marks God’s presence among us.
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4. A reminder of our
constant call to invite all young people. All are called to be leaders. All
are welcome
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5. The penitential rite.
The moment when we seek strength & help in our difficulties and
forgiveness for the realities in our lives. We know that God accepts us as we
are.
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5. As YCW we bring the
realities of young people to the Mass: sometimes tough and bitter realities,
representing various situations of sin. This is not just to make us feel
guilty, but to helps us realise our responsibility, our mission to improve
the realities we live in.
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6 The Word of God is
proclaimed. The moment when we are invited to listen to the reading from the
book of God’s word, but also to open the book of our lives and notice how
they relate.
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6. In the review of life
method we take time to look at the realities of our lives and we open the
word, to let it guide our way to action. We open the two books of SEE and
JUDGE.
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7. The Homily. A reflection
on the word. A challenge to facilitate the passing of the message to a very
varied congregation.
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7. A moment that challenges
a YCW leader to think about his/her way of presenting the YCW, the church and
the gospel.
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8. The Creed
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8. The truth of faith that
guides the YCW leader’s process of bridging the reality they live in to the
one they are called to.
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9. The prayers of the
faithful, remembering the needs of the world, the current real issues, sick
parishioners etc
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9. The YCW is an active
representation of these prayers, our actions from the review of life provide
a balance between petitioning God for our needs and our work in fulfilling
them.
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10. The Offertory - the
presentation of gifts
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10. Our work, sacrifices,
good deeds and even good intentions that might have gone wrong somewhere, are
presented at Mass. A reminder that ANY work done through our hands is offered
to him to become part of his sacrifice, and enable us to live life to the
full in His way.
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11. The drop of water mixed
into the wine
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11. This reminds us that
the Lord became one of us. When we work together for Him, He is with us and
we share in His divinity as he shared in our humanity.
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12. The Eucharistic Prayer:
the great prayer of thanksgiving. We remember and tell the story of the first
Mass, the start of the Lord’s passion, the work of our salvation, and
celebrate it. Remembering the TRANSFORMATION that the Lord brought about
through his death and resurrection, a Transformation that takes place at
every Mass when the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ.
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12. In reviewing our
actions, we share them in unity with God's actions. Our actions, any act of
generosity we do is a sacrifice that TRANSFORMS. We cannot expect that our actions
will be easy. YCW is not easy because YCW action is linked in unity to the
sacrifice of Christ. A unity to be celebrated.
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13.Communion- we welcome
and receive the Lord
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13. A reminder of the fact
that we can and need to nourish our inner selves through this special union
with Christ. Christ wants to be part of us and our actions
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14. The final dismissal
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14. A reminder of the energetic
and motivational invitation by our founder Joseph Cardijn to go and
"Conquer the World!!!"
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15. Standing and the
procession
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15. We stand as a way to
express an eagerness to move to the apostolate. Conscious of the needs of
young people and the need for the love of the Lord to reach them. I the YCW
leader am not here for myself but for the spreading of God's message through
my work and actions.
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Next time you feel like mass
has become a boring do, try focusing on one of these links, and make it a
prayer for the YCW leader in you and those sharing the mission around the
world!
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