Worship Jesus
Together, as a community of believers, we, invite all to “remain united” (Jn 15:4) with God the Father in living a sacramental life through the power of the Holy Spirit. In living the sacramental life of the Church; we turn to God continually through a deepening love for Mass and the Sacraments. At Mass, we experience a renewed opportunity to discover, follow, worship and share Jesus.
A few reflection questions to start…
How do you connect prayer at Mass to your everyday life?
What words or prayers in the Mass find an echo in your heart and remain with you throughout the day?
What can you do to remind yourself that participation at Mass is meant, principally, to praise God and pray for sanctification of the world? How can Mass be your source for caring for the world around you?
Draw Near
The Draw Near video, explores the structure of the Mass overall, its particular parts and their meaning.
Motivation to Go to Mass
You may have heard priests or devout Catholics say something like, “If only people knew what was happening at Mass, they’d be more willing to go.” That may be true, but in this video, Fr. Mike also gets to the more practical—and painfully direct—heart of the matter. He points out that the heart of worship is sacrifice, and ultimately it’s not about how engaged or entertained we are. Mass isn’t about us; it’s about God and what he asks of us.
To learn more about the Mass, check out these study programs from Ascension:
A Biblical Walk Through the Mass (http://bit.ly/2nvGvB1)
Altaration: The Mystery of the Mass Revealed (http://bit.ly/2DOSa56)
Worship Music
Scripture tells us hymns and songs are used to worship God. Generations have argued (and will continue to do so) about what is “good music.” However, we may hear His voice when we stop a moment to consider the substance of what is being presented. Music is not intended to split congregations, denominations, or friendships. If the mode of worship is both Spirit-led and truthful to the inspired Scripture, it is a worthy and genuine mode of worship.
Bible Verses about Worshipful Music
The Psalmist in 147:7 instructed us to “Sing unto the Lord with Thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God.”
Colossians 3:16 proclaims the edification power of song by saying, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
When we become redeemed, the Psalmist in 40:3 spoke of the “new song in [his] mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”