4 September 2021
Saturday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
When he had grown old and infirm, St. Ignatius Loyola did not have the strength to say mass every day. He would arise early in the morning and attend a private mass said by one of his brother Jesuits. After mass, he would keep himself in prayer for two hours, with strict orders not to be disturbed by other business. Why did St. Ignatius make so much time in his busy schedule for mass and prayer after mass?
Consider St. Paul’s statement to the Colossians: “God has now reconciled you in the fleshly Body of Christ through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him” (Col 1:21). The mass is the memorial of the sacrifice of the fleshly Body of Christ on the cross. At the mass we receive the fleshly Body of Christ in the Eucharist, in an unbloody manner. As we receive the Body of Christ, we are reconciled to God over and over again. By receiving communion we are transformed into Christ, becoming holy, without blemish and irreproachable. What a great time to be presented to God!
Go to mass frequently, and keep yourself in prayer afterward. Allow yourself to be presented to God, holy, without blemish and irreproachable, like St. Ignatius used to do.