Earlier this month we had altar server training, and we had a veritable slew of young people attend, many new, and some seeking a refresher course. It was great seeing so many young faces, excited at the opportunity to serve the Lord with gladness. Naturally, we threw a lot at them, and so one of the things that will prove helpful as they try to become excellent servers is to have their parents help remind and refresh them as they grow into this role. This is true even for our current servers: having a parental reminder of what makes for good performance – much like when they play sports or engage in other activities – can make a big difference! I want to share a few notions (which I’ve borrowed from a very good priest) to help shape and sharpen our vision for what serving can look like in our parishes.
The first thing for our servers to keep in mind (and, in fact, this is good for everyone at Mass to keep in mind) is: what is the Mass, and why does it matter? If we know the answer to this, it can shape our approach and attitude to how we behave while celebrating the Sacred Liturgy; in other words, “know your why!” When we know the “why?”, things more easily fall into place. The Holy Mass is the greatest of all treasures given to us by Jesus; if there was something better, He would have given it to us. St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, once said:
All the good works of the world are not equal to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, because they are the works of men; but the Mass is the work of God. Martyrdom is nothing in comparison, for it is but the sacrifice of man to God; but the Mass is the sacrifice of God for men.
That’s what makes the Mass so incredible: at Mass we are brought to the foot of Jesus’ cross on Calvary, to become participants and sharers in the salvation that comes from that sacrifice! It’s a mystery, but our faith in Jesus confirms this reality, because it was by His design that the Mass came into existence, and for that purpose. All the grace of Calvary is made present and available – grace without which we cannot be saved – because of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. To be present at Mass, then, is an honor, a privilege, and a joy. The Holy Mass is the perfection of prayer and worship, because it is Jesus’ own prayer and worship, and He alone is capable of offering the Father this perfect prayer and worship; we can only offer the Father perfect prayer and worship if we offer it as Jesus did, through Him and with Him and in Him. That’s why the Mass is perfect adoration, perfect thanksgiving, perfect atonement, and perfect petition, and because it is perfect, it is effective. And if that weren’t enough, through the Mass we have the greatest gift this side of Heaven: to receive Jesus sacramentally in the Eucharist through Holy Communion. In fact, Jesus is Heaven, and to receive the Eucharist is to enjoy Heaven on earth; those who receive the Eucharist while in the state of grace truly enjoy every grace and heavenly blessing. And it is all made possible because of the gift of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
All of this goes to show that being at Mass is an awesome privilege, which none of us deserves, and without which none of us can be fully alive. And an even greater privilege is to be able to serve God in His sanctuary! The server is not just there to help move things around; the priest could do that by himself, though it may take a few more moments. The server is there first and foremost to give glory to God by the manner with which he performs his service. And just like there is a difference between the athlete who just shows up and the athlete who shows up with the desire to perform excellently, there is a real difference between the server is “just shows up” and the server who is there to serve excellently. And we want our servers to be excellent! I am grateful for our servers being at Mass, but we should all be grateful to be at Mass, and the way we conduct ourselves says something about how much we realize the great gift we have in the Holy Mass. When we come to Mass, we are coming to participate in the work of our salvation. The altar server has the important job of helping the priest perform his duties at the altar, but far more importantly the altar server is truly serving Jesus Christ, who is the priest at every Mass. Because the server is serving Jesus, he should try to do his work with diligence and love for the Lord.
This love and diligence are manifest when the server strives for excellence at all times; it will totally change how he prays and experiences the Mass, as well as how the congregation prays and experiences the Mass. The server becomes a guardian of the great mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, and by his actions he reveals what he believes, and so he should make every effort do all things well and use the opportunity of serving Jesus at the altar to proclaim his faith in the Lord’s Presence in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We have recently published some videos for reference, and we will be sending out some helpful pointers and FAQ’s to our parents so that they can help us in this process, so if you notice your server missing a detail or if they seem uncertain, please help us to help them get more and more excellent in their very important job of serving the Lord at His altar with gladness. May God bless all of you in the week ahead, and may Mother Mary lead you more deeply into the Sacred and Merciful Heart of Jesus. I remain,
Affectionately Yours in Christ,
Fr. Hess
