2023 Lenten Series – Bishop Joseph Strickland, “The Mass Is Our Life”

Bishop Joseph Strickland begins with how he chose the subject of this talk inspired by a quote of St. Pio of Pietrelcina: "It would be easier for the world to exist without the sun than without the Holy Mass.” We cannot live without the Food from this altar, Bishop Strickland emphasizes, affirming that the Mass in all forms is to be celebrated with reverence and awe. He shares that he has come to love and recently celebrate the Latin Mass while affirming that the Novus Ordo can be celebrated reverently. Both are the altar of sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and we cannot live without that reality, he said. Many think they can, though, and many do not know the gift of the Mass. Our mission, he said, when challenged or saddened by the brokenness in the Church and by the arrogance of man to act as God, is to remain strong and joyful in our faith and let no one or no thing take us from the Mass. The Word proclaimed and the Eucharist are the same Jesus Christ, he explains, and we should strive for the greatest devotion for both as we approach the mystery of God. We should share the good news of the Mass as our life with others, even if they don’t seem to receive it. He concludes by exhorting listeners to consider the saints, who knew the truth that the Mass is their life and many of whom died rather than turn from the altar, from the Eucharist. He recommends the book "Mystery of the Altar: Daily Meditations on the Eucharist," by Kenneth Howell and Joseph Crownwood, which offers writings by the saints and teachers of the Church aligned with the liturgical calendar.