Yesterday at Mass, God blessed me with an idea/vision of what is really going on at Mass to share with others.  So, I am finally getting a chance to write it down for the world to see.

Imagine the following:

You enter into your parish Church for your Sunday obligation.  You are tired because you didn’t sleep well the night before and really could care less about being here.  But, today is different.

As the opening song begins, the walls of the building begin to disappear.  You notice as you look around you there are people, of every race, color and creed stretching far as the eye can see.  You can see dead relatives smiling and looking with anticipation as the High Priest enters into the Sanctuary.

The alter sits at the center of this vast area, above and behind the alter is a bright light, too bright to look at but, still, not burning your eyes.  A beautiful woman, clothed in while is sitting in a place of honor in the front pew, and the High Priest smiles at her as he walks by.

The Mass begins with the opening prayer.  This would seem normal to you, except that everyone around you understands what is being spoken, even those from other regions of the globe!

Then the Gloria starts.  Up until this point, you hadn’t noticed the angels.  Angels that had been there all along, singing praises to God, now raised their voices all the louder to the High Priest and the light above and behind the alter.  The sound is so powerful, so awe inspiring, that it brings you to tears and inspires you to join in the praise of the Lord.

The high priest is seated and the readings begin.  They are read by volunteers from several nations, each speaking in their native tongue, but, all understanding.

The psalms are lead by a Cherubim and all sing aloud in response.  The Alleluia before the Gospel, again causes the angels to sing in such a manner that is unfathomable to mortal ears, yet you hear it none the less.

Then the High Priest speaks.  He preaches the Gospel in a way you have never heard before.  He speaks with authority and unflinching integrity.  You have never seen a priest like Him before, nor will you, for He is the Priest of priests, from whom all priesthood stems from.

The High Priest proceeds to explain the Gospel and other readings.  You can’t help but feel like He is speaking about your very life, directly to you.  Clearly, He couldn’t be, after all, there are billions around you.  But, somehow, the message applies directly to some of your greatest struggles, and you come away from the homily, knowing that God is with you in those struggles.

After the homily, all the members gathered arise and as one voice declare their statement of belief, in the Trinity, the Church and the Resurrection.  You are struck by the sheer amount of people surrounding you, professing the same belief as you.  You have never felt so connected, and feel that you will never be alone in your beliefs.

The community then joins in prayer for one another, and for those who couldn’t be present.  There are those who’s attraction to sin prevents them from taking place in the celebration.

The High Priest begins the Eucharistic prayer and the sacrifice is prepared.  The Priest offers Himself, and is joined and surrounded by every priest who is or who was, con-celebrating the Mass.  After all, their priesthood is His and they all in one voice pray together.

This leads to the grandest and loudest angelic proclamation of all.  For, this proclamation is what the angels sing day and night, and for one moment, the entire world of believers is united in their song of praise.

“Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might, Heaven and earth are full of Your Glory, Hosanna in the Highest”…

The High Priest then outstretches his arms, facing His Father, the great light behind the alter.  He then sacrifices Himself for all present, the woman in the front pew has tears of pride, joy and sorrow in her eyes, for she is His mother.

The High Priest’s Body begins to glow as he lifts bread and a chalice of wine, in turn towards the heavens and the congregation.

“This is my body, This is my blood”

As these words are spoken the glow envelops the bread and wine, and they are no longer bread and wine.  They are Him, they have become His Body, His Blood, His Soul and His Divinity all in one.  They are, the divine food ridding all of hunger and the divine drink ridding all of thirst.

The entire congregation cries Amen as the High Priest completes the offering.  Then, all join in the very prayer that He handed down to the nations, a prayer He gave when asked how we should pray.

The congregation then re-assert to the High Priest that all the kingdom, all the glory and all the honor belong to the Father, flowing through the High Priest and the Holy Spirit, for we are nothing without them.

The High Priest then breathes on the crowd and wishes them peace.  A single dove floats down from the light and flies forward towards you.  As it does, a fire flames out from its tail feathers, and as the dove circles, the fire encompasses all, for He is the Holy Spirit and brings the peace of God the Father and God the Son to all.

The congregation then greet each other and offer signs of peace.  Every nation on earth, reaching out to one another in a single peaceful moment, almost as if there was no division amongst them.

Then comes the greatest moment of the celebration, the feast.  Each person, knowing full well what the High Priest is calling then to receive, declares their unworthiness before the Lord.  Yet, He invites them still.

As you receive the Eucharist and declare that it is, in truth, the Body of Christ, you feel the light and presence of the Lord, the High Priest, Christ Himself, within you, transforming you and making you more like Him.

The High Priest smiles at you as you bow to him in full reverence.  It is almost as if He is saying “well done, my good and faithful servant”.

Everyone returns to their pews and kneel, praying in thanksgiving, for the Gift which they have been given.

The High Priest stands, as does the congregation, and all participate in the final prayer of sending, the Lord encouraging all to bring Him out into the world.

As the final song is sung, the High Priest exits and you began to look around you.  You simply see your home parish and the people you know and Break Bread with every Sunday.  But, very few seem to be aware of what you have just seen, in fact, many seem like they had not ever really been there in the first place.

You begin to make your way out of the building, knowing that you CAN’T be the only one to have experienced this,  You walk up to the priest and tell him how amazing the celebration was.  He smiles at you and says, “thank you, but it was not me, but the Spirit and the priesthood of the Lord that make this Mass what it is.”  You can’t help but notice a slight twinkle in his eye as he speaks with you.  He knows!

So you walk away from the Mass, a changed person.  You now feel the strength of the Lord in you and decide to work to amend your ways and to be a sign of God for those around you.  You will gladly give anything to experience what you saw, and experienced this day again.  But, you will experience it, every time you enter into the Catholic Church for Mass, and for all eternity thereafter, for, there is only one Mass, and only one High Priest, who is Christ the Lord.