Experiencing the Paschal Mystery

By: Victoria BrooksMusic By Chris Tomlin

Connections in the Research Throughout my research's I have noticed that Ordinary Time, All Souls’ Day, and Advent prepare us for the coming of Jesus. Although these occasions have different meanings they all link back to the preparation of Jesus’ passion, death, and Resurrection. Advent prepares us for Jesus’ birth because, through his birth we are celebrating what is later to come, that He has come to save us from sin. All Souls’ Day urges us to pray for those in purgatory just as Jesus tells us to do. Ordinary Time is when Jesus began his public ministry with his healings and teachings. At His first miracle at the wedding in Cana Jesus thought he wasn’t ready, but Mary believed in Him. Jesus did as his mother asked of him and changing water into wine was His first public miracle. This is the beginning of his mission and already people are starting to believe in Him just as Mary did. She knew there was something great to come and I think today we know there has to be something greater than this world, that there has to be a purpose of why we are here. We are put on this earth to do as Jesus did by helping others and loving as deeply as He did. These liturgical seasons help us to understand Jesus’ life and his Paschal Mystery, but it encourages us to live our life like Jesus, to prepare us for the second coming, and to prepare us for the life we are going to life with God in Heaven.

Liturgical SeasonsOrdinary TimeThe English name is intended to translate the Latin term Tempus per annum which means "time through the year.” It refers to two intervals within each year. One starts on the day following the Baptism of the Lord and ends at Ash Wednesday. The other runs from the day after Pentecost until the day before the first Sunday of Advent. This is the part of the Church year which is outside the seasons; it is also known as the green or growing season. Ordinary Time may have no special celebration but there is nothing dull about it, it is a time to emphasize that we are called to live out the Gospel one day at a time. The Church counts the thirty-three or thirty-four Sundays of Ordinary Time, inviting her children to meditate upon the whole mystery of Christ. His life, miracles and teachings in the light of his Resurrection.

All Souls’ Day All Souls’ Day is a day on which Catholics remember the dead and pray for them recognizing that they may still need to be brought to perfection. All Souls Day is in the liturgical season of Ordinary Time and it falls on the date of November 2. The official name of is "The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed". The liturgical colors are black, white, and violet. Black represents sorrow and mourning . White represents purity, joy, innocence. Violet symbolizes penance, humility, and melancholy. The Church devotes the month of November to prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The faithful on earth can assist these souls in Purgatory in attaining the Beatific Vision through their prayers, good works, and the offering of Mass . On All Souls’ Day, we not only remember the dead, but we apply our efforts through prayer, almsgiving, and the Mass, to their release from Purgatory.

Advent The word Advent derives from the Latin word meaning coming, “The Lord is coming.”Advent begins on or the Sunday which falls closest to November 30, and lasts through Christmas Eve, or December 24. This is the liturgical period proceeding Christmas preparing us for the coming of Christ. The aspect it invites us to focus on in the Paschal Mystery is the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. During Advent, we emphasize hope, peace, joy, and love, which God sent with Christ. The Advent colors are purple, pink, and white, and more . Each of these colors are represented in the candles of the Advent wreath. Purple is a color associated with repentance as a reminder to prepare internally the coming holiday. It is also associated with royalty, in anticipation of the birth of the coming king. Pink is used during the third Sunday of advent and it represents joy. It marks a shift in the season away from repentance towards rejoicing. White is associated with purity.

Growing as a Disciple of Jesus

I have grow as a disciple throughout this project by making changes in my life for the sake of other people and trying to make my relationship better with God. My sins through actions and words towards other people have not only hurt my relationship with God but it has hurt other people. I have been selfish for a long time and I still am but I am trying hard to change. Some of the changes I have made in my life is trying to help my mother. She is a hard working woman that does everything for my family. She takes us everywhere we need to go, works two jobs, cleans, and cooks. I have never seen her rest in years besides when she is going to bed. Me and my siblings aren’t very nice to her because we all have short tempers and we get impatient with her. I used to argue with my mom about everything. One night I came to realize how much pain I caused her and that completely devastated me. So I am trying to be a better person for her by helping her with anything she needs and being patient with her when I am frustrated.

Enhanced Understanding

My enhanced knowledge of the Paschal Mystery allows me to see what Jesus’ Resurrection did for us and what we must do in return. Jesus went through tremendous amount of pain that no one can ever experience and he did it all for us, to save us from sin. His Resurrection gives us hope for our own resurrection because their will be no death in the new and eternal life, and we will be in full communion with God and with one another. We live in hope because Jesus lives in our hearts and the pain and suffering we go through can be endured because we know something better lies ahead. Jesus spoke the truth claiming that God’s love for us has no limits, that we find fulfillment only by first loving and serving God and then by loving and serving others. Claiming that forgiveness is more powerful and God like than revenge and teaches that the rich must share with the poor and that we must refuse to accept the human made prejudices that separate us from one another.

Prayer Life

My prayer life has changed in many ways. Before this year, I wasn’t close to God. When we said prayers in school or at Mass I would say the words but didn’t give a thought about why I was saying them. At the beginning of the school year in theology when we started to say prayers and Mrs. Barr would explain the meanings, I was fascinated by the deeper meaning. As time went on I began more interested in listening to the scriptures, not just at school but anywhere we are saying prayers because I like to figure out what they mean. In the reading in class today on January 23, 2013 when the man saw Heaven and realized it was the same as Hell but the people were laughing and feeding each other with their large utensils. I caught myself smiling because it was amazing how we are put in the same position everyday but we can choose to be selfish and unhappy or share and be happy. This year has truly changed my relationship with God. I realize I pray to God mostly everyday now and mean it, whereas last year I only did when I needed Him. My prayer life has completely changed since the beginning of this year and when I pray to God and read his scriptures I get excited to see what the deeper meaning there is and how it applies to my life. This project has helped me to connect with God in a way I thought was never possible and I am thankful for that.

Experience and Insight

Throughout this project the things I have experience helped me to also gain insight on the Paschal Mystery. In the readings of each Liturgy, they all have a Old Testament reading that reflects on the New Testament. Such as how in the Old Testament how Adam and Eve, the first male and female, betrayed God. In our theology book, “Paschal Mystery” it refers to how Jesus is the New Adam that has come to save us from sin and death.

My experience in the Liturgy's helped to better understand the meaning of the scriptures and Mass. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist every time we say Amen we are saying yes I believe in the Resurrection, that there is one true God, and that there is a second coming. At every Mass Jesus offers us he body and blood to reassure us that He truly accepted his death and that he died for our sins. This part of the Mass makes me recall every time how grateful I am to Him that He saved my life and how unbelievable His love is for all of us.

Common Themes

The common themes in the Liturgy's was how they were all a way to enhance our knowledge of Jesus and to connect to the deeper meaning of what Jesus did for us. Jesus 'passion, death, and Resurrection are always present at the Mass, from the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the decorations, and the readings. They all teach us that Jesus’ life was for us. His teachings, miracles, and actions we all for us. Just as the disciples and martyrs who died for there faith by wanting so deeply for everyone to experience the amount of love and joy they felt with Jesus. Everything He did was for the forgiveness of sins for all so that we can join Him body and soul into Heaven. All the readings connect to how Jesus wants us to experience this amazing love and all we have to do is give ourselves completely to Him. It is easy but hard for many to do. These common themes help us to understand our mission on earth.

My Daily Life

The readings in each Mass helped my connect to God. When asked to reflect on my personal life I have learned many things about myself that I need to change in order to be closer to him. Towards the beginning of the year I was told of a story about how a camel couldn’t enter into the needle because he had to much material items on his back. The meaning of this is it is harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven because he loves his materials to much. Jesus tells us that we need to completely offer ourselves to God with just us, no material things attached. In this story I see myself as the camel because I am trying so hard to fit in the needle but i have to many items on my back. Its not the material items I have on my back but my sins caused by my own selfishness hanging over me. This project has helped me in every way possible. I am starting to realize my sins more and I working on changing them, I appreciate the prayer time I have and enjoy learning more about the scriptures, and I have gained more knowledge of Jesus’ Life. I am thankful for this project because it has made me realize how important my connection with God is and how this project has changed my life.