Homily: 1st Sunday of Lent - Pre-Cana Mass

[I did not preach at the main parish masses this weekend. This homily was given at Mass with our pre-cana couples]

We celebrate the first Sunday of Lent, in which we prepare for the celebration of the Paschal mysteries.  

I think as Catholics we take preparation very seriously.

The two most important feasts of the Church year, Easter and Christmas, are both preceded by periods of preparation.  The season of Advent helps us to prepare for Jesus’ coming, and the celebration of his birth at Christmas.  And the season of Lent helps us to prepare for the new life available to us through Jesus’ Passion Death and Resurrection celebrated at Easter. 

In the life of the Catholic there are periods of preparation preceding the reception of the sacraments of initiation.  An adult preparing for baptism goes through a lengthy process of learning the Church’s doctrine, learning about the prayer life of the Church, learning about the moral teachings of the church before they are made members of the Church in the sacrament of baptism. 

Hopefully, it isn’t too distant of a memory, but when you were preparing for your first holy communion, you learned about the Mass, you learned about how the Lord nourishes us with His body and blood in the eucharist.  In the 80s we had to make special felt banners with wheat and bread and grapes and chalices. 

And as young people you also prepared for the sacrament of confirmation; you learned about the gifts of the holy spirit: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, piety, fortitude, which are strengthened in you in Confirmation.

In preparation for the Sacrament of Holy Orders, I prepared in seminary for 8 years, preparing for a life of ministry as an ordained priest.  And now you find yourselves in a period of preparation for married life. 

Even before we come to Mass, we kneel down in our pews, in silent prayer, to prepare for the great mystery we are about to celebrate.  Even better, is to prepare for Sunday Mass by reading and reflecting on the Scripture readings during the week.

We take preparation very seriously? Why? 

For one reason, I think, so we know what we are getting into.  The adult preparing for baptism needs to know what being a Christian entails.  He needs to know the demands that are going to be made on him, he needs to know that being a Christian involves sharing in the Lord’s cross.  He needs to know, that Jesus promised that we would be persecuted for the faith, and that temptation continues after baptism, in fact, the temptations of the devil may be even greater than before baptism. 

The priest preparing for Holy Orders needs to be prepared for the challenges of ministry.  He needs to know his theology, he needs to gain some skill in ministering to the sick and the dying and the doubtful.

The couple engaged for marriage needs to be prepared for the challenges of being a married couple in the 21^st century.  What will be your temptations?  Will there be a temptation to skip Sunday mass?  Yes!  Will there be the temptation to use contraception! Perhaps.  Will there be a temptation to call it quits when things get difficult?  God forbid, but maybe. 

So we prepare well, by learning the Church’s teaching, and growing in awareness of the ways we are tempted. 

Secondly, I think we take preparing very seriously, so that we can come to a greater understanding of how God works through the Sacraments.

The adults I’ve worked with in preparing for baptism have told me that they have a profound encounter with the Lord Jesus and his purifying grace; that they truly feel infused with new life in their baptism.

In working with the 2^nd graders, you can detect their excitement as the day of their first Holy Communion comes, and many of them speak of profound moments of grace when they receive the Lord in the Sacrament of Holy Communion for the first time.

Personally, I’ll never forgot that moment, and the closeness I felt to Jesus upon receiving him for the first time.

Nor will I ever forget laying down on the cold marble of the Cathedral, and kneeling before the bishop with my hands in his, swearing obedience to him and his successors, promising to remain celibate, to pray daily for the Church.  I will never forget celebrating Mass for the first time as a priest, and saying the words of institution: “this is my body, this is my blood”. 

Nor, I hope will you ever forget your wedding vows.   But I pray you may also have that deep, profound experience of God’s presence as He binds you and your future spouse together in the Sacrament of Marriage indissolubly. 

But again, if you aren’t going to Mass, as you should, if you aren’t praying daily as you should, if you aren’t practicing chastity as you should, your wedding day is not going to be as it should, your wedding night, will not be as it should. 

Lent is a call to return to God with all our hearts.  And I pray, that this Pre-Cana day is helping you, break down some barriers that might exist, have some difficult conversations that you may not have had, and helped you recommit to following God’s plan for your marriage. 

The season of Lent is a period of intense prayer, fasting, and almsgiving for Christians to help renew our commitment to Christ, to purify us from all that keeps us from witnessing to Jesus.  Easter can come and go without us really being affected by it, if we don’t take seriously this time of preparation. 

Jesus himself was tempted in the desert as he prepared for public ministry.  You too will be tempted in preparation for marriage.  But just as he was faithful to his Heavenly Father, you can be faithful to God when you are obedient to His commandments, and pray and fast with Jesus.

Again, please know of my prayers for you and the prayers of the pre-cana team as you prepare for the new life of marriage, with all of its responsibilities and challenges, may you know the strength that comes from being faithful to God and having his Holy Spirit dwelling in you, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.