Spic and Span

Catholic question: What part of the Holy Eucharist proceeds after the general greeting of the priest? The answer to this will be given later.

First, a growing health concern for the world..

It has been quite a while since the H1N1 virus was detected and monitored around the world with the World Health Organization at the helm in leading all international health agencies. Everyday, there is news about which country has the latest contraction and local transmission. With considerable efficiency, the trace back of an infected person’s itinerary is being established and those people deemed in close proximity to an infected person are advised or forced to initiate self-quarantine. This surveillance and the strong medical and epidemiological capacity is what many perceive to be the difference-maker in solving a future pandemic. These were sorely lacking during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that left millions infected and carriers leading to huge humanitarian loss in the millions.

A lot is still unknown about the latest H1N1 virus, yet the medical community is already certain that transmission is quite easy by any form of droplets from a carrier to other unsuspecting person. The best way to minimize the possibility of being infected is by wearing face masks and keeping ourselves clean at all times possible. The commonest advice is to wash hands thoroughly, as oftentimes as possible.

Before and after eating, we wash hands. When medicating a wound, we wash it first before applying the medicine. Before going to work and retiring at night, we wash ourselves by taking a bath. Most of us know that nurses and doctors spend almost an hour washing their hands, correction, scrubbing their hands clean before going inside the operating room. How about the cooks who keep on washing their hands to make certain their food is not only luscious but hygienic as well?

Washing and cleaning is really essential in our health and good hygiene and it oftentimes precedes an important activity.

Now to answer our opening question.

After the welcome greetings by the priest, the community penitential prayer follows.
The Church of God examines their conscience and prays for the cleansing of their spirit before proceeding with the Liturgy of the Word and Flesh. Every participant is encourage to do this in order to make themselves worthy to receive and partake in the Holy Communion.

The Lord spoke this to us clearly when He said in Matthew 5:23-24, “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

In more simple terms, we must clean our heart first from any anger and other forms of sinfulness before our life offering can be most pleasing to His eyes. In the similar sense of washing and cleaning our physical body, our spirit also needs cleansing from the dirt and stains of sinfulness before the rain of graces and blessings can be well-received and appreciated by us.

For us Catholics, cleansing our spirit is consummated by going to the designated “red light” district of the church or more commonly known us confessional box. It is through the Sacrament of Reconcilliation can we become worthy of receiving God in the Eucharistic form of bread and wine.

Truly we can say, cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness for only a clean heart can stand next to Him in His utmost majesty and glory.

God bless.