Pope Francis praying at St. Mary Major on the day after his election, in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows. Today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Snows, which always follows the feast of St. John Marie Vianney. You may know the story of how St. Mary Major in Rome came to be on the Esquiline Hill. Nobody can say for sure if all the details are as they have come down to us, but we do know that Our Lady in some way directed the building of that parish church, as she does for the universal Church until the Parousia. Within 24 hours of his election as Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis went to pray at this church, dedicating his Petrine ministry to Our Lady of the Snows.
A few weeks ago I stood at Our Lady’s altar on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (July 16), preparing for Mass. The server and I were reciting the “prayers at the foot,” in which (in the Latin Mass) the people prepare for the Sacrifice before even ascending the altar steps. Its white marble, newly-polished and adorned with fresh flowers, gleamed under bright lights. I looked up at the gleaming statue of Our Lady and the inscriptions at its base, asking prayers for those who had given this magnificent art to the parish in 1914. Our Lady of Mount Carmel has won my heart in many ways: my mother is a lay Carmelite, as are many good friends; I offered my first Mass at the Cristo Rey Carmel on Parker Avenue in 1991; and I am fond of climbing mountains, because every solitary height on earth is the abode of God.
In all my years as a pastor I’ve been haunted by numbers: how many were at Mass on Sunday? How many showed up for Bible study? How much did we receive in the Sunday offering? How many men do we have in the seminary? How many will come to our Lenten mission? But on Our Lady’s feast last month, as I looked up into that altar, she granted me the grace to stop counting. It helps that in the Latin Mass the priest faces the altar rather than the people. I did not know how many were at Mass, and perhaps for the first time I was not worried about numbers. I beheld the beauty of the altar, adorned for the feast, and offered the festal prayer with simple joy. A priest is not responsible for filling his church; he is responsible only for offering the Mass with fidelity and joy. “You are doing what my Son asks of you,” Our Lady seemed to say. “Offer his sacrifice to the Father with me, and he will provide for the rest.” The priests and the people of any parish don’t need to do anything spectacular. It is enough, and more than enough, to simply offer the Holy Mass at his altar with purity and joy. He will provide for the rest.
A few weeks ago I stood at Our Lady’s altar on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (July 16), preparing for Mass. The server and I were reciting the “prayers at the foot,” in which (in the Latin Mass) the people prepare for the Sacrifice before even ascending the altar steps. Its white marble, newly-polished and adorned with fresh flowers, gleamed under bright lights. I looked up at the gleaming statue of Our Lady and the inscriptions at its base, asking prayers for those who had given this magnificent art to the parish in 1914. Our Lady of Mount Carmel has won my heart in many ways: my mother is a lay Carmelite, as are many good friends; I offered my first Mass at the Cristo Rey Carmel on Parker Avenue in 1991; and I am fond of climbing mountains, because every solitary height on earth is the abode of God.
In all my years as a pastor I’ve been haunted by numbers: how many were at Mass on Sunday? How many showed up for Bible study? How much did we receive in the Sunday offering? How many men do we have in the seminary? How many will come to our Lenten mission? But on Our Lady’s feast last month, as I looked up into that altar, she granted me the grace to stop counting. It helps that in the Latin Mass the priest faces the altar rather than the people. I did not know how many were at Mass, and perhaps for the first time I was not worried about numbers. I beheld the beauty of the altar, adorned for the feast, and offered the festal prayer with simple joy. A priest is not responsible for filling his church; he is responsible only for offering the Mass with fidelity and joy. “You are doing what my Son asks of you,” Our Lady seemed to say. “Offer his sacrifice to the Father with me, and he will provide for the rest.” The priests and the people of any parish don’t need to do anything spectacular. It is enough, and more than enough, to simply offer the Holy Mass at his altar with purity and joy. He will provide for the rest.
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