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It's nice to see a decent explanation of the "Mass" and the so-called "sacrifice" of it. I've had to explain this to many ex-Catholics who joined the various churches and try to tell them not to spread a somewhat false idea they had. Many of those attending the congregation I now affiliate with are ex-Catholics and occasionally one of them will bring up this "sacrifice" as a non-Christian ritual. It's hard to realize that many ex-Catholics had this idea when I never had it as a Catholic. Hmmm...maybe things are changing for the good, and the "dark age" preaching and dogmatic statements are slowly fading away. BTW, I did hear this false idea presented by Priests many, many years ago.

Yesterday, we celebrated Cana Sunday. It's a small congregation and those that generally show up for Mass on Sunday, are fairly knowledgeable in the faith. He used his homily to address the Real Presence. He always delivers excellent homilies but this one is up there at the top of the list. He went into detail, in clear English (not his native tongue) and made it quite clear to all of us that, unless one is properly disposed, they should not present themselves for communion. "This is not hokus pokus" he said. :-) I'm still grinning ear to ear.

BTW - Lent began for us today, Ash Monday. Mass is at 7pm with distribution of ashes (he makes his own and mixes them with holy water), painted on the forehead (as in the following news photos). The entire parish will be there tonight, even the infants, with large black +s on their foreheads.

A priest uses ash to mark a cross on a Christian Maronite's forehead at a church during a traditional Ash Monday service in Beirut February 15, 2010. Monday marked the first day of the 40-day period of the Christian season of Lent in Lebanon.

The First Week of Lent
Ash Monday

2 Corinthians 5:20-6:7
So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: "In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you." Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We cause no one to stumble in anything, in order that no fault may be found with our ministry; on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God, through much endurance, in afflictions, hardships, constraints, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, vigils, fasts; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, in a holy spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech, in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left. Praise be to God always.

Matthew 6:16-21
"When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. This is the Truth. Peace be with you.