By Rose O’Connor | Correspondent

Mysteries are usually thought of as being something that needs to be solved. But the word mystery takes on different meaning when referring to the celebration of Mass, according to internationally known Catholic speaker and author Joe Paprocki.

Addressing a catechetical formation day, Paprocki, in his keynote address on “Living the Mass: How One Hour a Week Can Change Your Life,” reflected on the entire celebration of the Mass by exploring its various parts and movements.

“The Mass is not a science. The Mass is an experience of a mystery,” said Paprocki, national consultant for faith formation for Loyola Press. 

“A mystery in scriptural tradition is something we enter in to, is something that is revealed and yet remains hidden. The Mass is our encounter with the mysterious presence of God,” he said.

‘Mysterious Ways’

The Feb. 23 formation day, held in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, and hosted by the diocesan Department of Catechesis, provided insight on how the roughly 260 women and men gathered from around the Diocese who serve in catechetical ministry can enhance their knowledge and appreciation of the Mass and, in turn, relay their knowledge to the people they minister to in their parishes.

Paprocki focused on how God encounters people through the Scriptures and used the Old Testament story of Moses and the burning bush as an example.

“God speaks to us in signs and symbols and mysterious ways,” Paprocki said. “Silence is God’s primary language. Our God is a God who reveals his presence through a language of mystery. In our catechesis, we need to integrate this language of mystery into our teachings, and this language of mystery comes to us in the Mass. If you’ve been to Mass, you know the language of mystery.”

Paprocki led an exercise in which he asked the participants to visually demonstrate various signs and symbols that are used during the Mass, without saying a word. Among the examples they shared were making the Sign of the Cross; genuflecting; positioning the hands, one under the other and with palms facing up when receiving Holy Communion;  elevating the host at the Consecration, and  extending the arms with palms facing up when the priest prays the Eucharistic Prayer.

“The Mass is our most profound way of experiencing the mysterious presence of God in using sign, symbol and ritual,” Paprocki said. “Symbolic actions invoke a narrative. You perform a symbol action that is efficacious. They [symbolic actions] bring about a result.”

Paprocki spoke of the “three Rs” that are found in the symbolic actions – rescue, restoration and reassurance – and encouraged the participants to be mindful of those actions when they attend Mass.

“Any time we do any symbolic action in the Church, any sacramental action, we are invoking the narrative of being rescued, restored and reassured,” he said. “And the liturgy does that for us.”

Longing for Connection

Along with Paprocki’s keynote, the formation day included Mass with principal celebrant Franciscan Father Gabriel Zeis, diocesan vicar for Catholic education, and Msgr. Sam Sirianni, Co-Cathedral rector, who was concelebrant.

In his homily, Father Zeis spoke of St. Polycarp, whose feast was celebrated that day, saying catechists must strive to emulate him and remember how “we are called to sit at the feet of the great teacher,” as Polycarp did.

“[Polycarp] heard the powerful witness of John the Beloved Apostle. He studied with the one who received the Word; he is the one who knew the Word, the living Word of God, Jesus Christ,” said Father Zeis, and “so, too, must we learn in the same fashion; we must study God’s Word and spend time with the living Word, Jesus, both in prayer and in reflection.”

Father Zeis continued, “You must share deeply and enthusiastically what the encounter with Jesus Christ has meant to you, how secure he has made you, how profound was the influence of Jesus upon you, how solid is the foundation upon which your faith is built, the rock-solid foundation of Jesus Christ.”

Throughout the day, participants enjoyed sharing about what the Mass meant for them personally as well as how they hope to encourage people in their parishes to develop a deeper appreciation for the Mass.

“[Attending Mass] helps me to understand what God is telling me in my daily life. I pray that God is with me at all times and helps me to succeed in life,” said Ginny Fama, coordinator of religious education in Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Hainesport. “I pray that he will help me in the weeks ahead.”

Mary Verme of Sacred Heart Parish, Mount Holly, said she also feels the long-term spiritual effects of the Mass. “When I leave Mass, I try to take the Gospel message with me and apply to it to my every day.”

“The Mass sets the tone for my week and brings me into God’s plan for me,” said Susan Quartararo, third-grade catechist in St. Martha Parish, Point Pleasant.  “It gives me hope to go Mass. It is my hope and my strength.”

The catechists noted that the conference gave them ideas on how to encourage students and families to attend Mass regularly.

“I tell my students, ‘Mass is heaven on earth,’” said Roberto Muñoz, Confirmation catechist in Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton. “Why would they not want to be there?”

Though attending Mass regularly could prove challenging for many families, Mary Mykityshyn, parish catechetical leader from St. Gabriel Parish, Marlboro, said she believes that families find a much-needed sense of community when they do attend.

“Building community is important so that folks feel a connection with one another,” Mykityshyn said. “I believe families are longing for that connection. We need to offer that sense of community while teaching about the gift of the Mass.”