The Mass: drawn into God's life and love
Large-scale prints of these pictures were exhibited in Notre Dame de France, the ‘French Church’, Leicester Square, London in Spring 2004. To see larger versions of each picture, click on the thumbnail picture within an exhibition.
 | God the Father loves us as his children God the Father’s love for everyone is powerful, and unchanging. It is as fervent as the love which a bridegroom has for his bride, and a good King for his subjects, and a mother for the infant on her lap. Yet it is by Baptism that we become His adopted children. ‘As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.’ (Ps 103:13). OIL-S:2550 |
 | Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary, died to save us Jesus Christ is God-made-man. Sinless and holy, He left the glory of Heaven, to give up His life for us. Only because of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection and Ascension can sinful people like ourselves now live in hope of reaching the Father, and coming to Heaven. ‘So it is proof of God’s own love for us, that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.’ (Rm 5:8). OIL-M:0216B |
 | The Holy Spirit can touch and transform us God the Holy Spirit has been sent by Christ, from the Father, so that we can share the life of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit is ‘on fire’ with Divine Love. He Who transformed the soul at Baptism helps us to grow in holiness. If we open our hearts in prayer and in the sacraments we receive the Divine Love by which we can love and forgive others in a powerful new way. ‘…because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.’ (Rm 5:5). OIL-M:1941 |
 | We gather at Mass as sinners in need of God’s mercy At Christ’s Last Supper, before He offered His life on the Cross, for sinners, He gave us a living memorial of His Sacrifice, to offer for all time. As we gather to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, to offer that once-for-all Sacrifice, we pause to say sorry for our sins. We see the contrast between God’s blazing holiness and our weakness. ‘It is not those who say to me ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in Heaven.’ (Mt 7:21-23). OIL-L:0070 |
 | The glory of Christ shines through his Word The light of Christ is seen streaming out towards us, as the deacon or the priest lifts up the book of the Gospels. He invites us to venerate the Word of God, and to allow our hearts and minds to be penetrated by the truth and wisdom of the Holy Scriptures. ‘Stand firm then, brothers, and keep the traditions that we taught you whether by word of mouth or by letter.’ (2 Th 2:15) . OIL-L:0612 |
 | We pray for those held in our hearts At every Mass we pray in Christ’s name for the needs of the Church and the world; and we bring to God in fervent prayer all our works and our sufferings, every hope of our hearts, each person we care for, and each special group or project which concerns us. ‘…there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet.’ (1 Tm 2:1-2). OIL-M:0532 |
 | With the Angels and Saints we worship the Holy Trinity United in worship, God’s people stand together on the brink of Heaven’s glory. God’s graces pour upon us at Mass as we honour the Mystery of the Holy Trinity, adding our voices to the thanks and praise of the Saints and holy Angels. ‘…I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim…And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory”.’ ( Is 6:1-4). OIL-L:0442 |
 | At the Mass we are present to Christ’s one Sacrifice Christ, the innocent Victim, died for our sins, nearly two thousand years ago. We could not be present at Calvary, yet we can be present at Mass, where that same Sacrifice is re-presented on our altar, though in a different, ‘sacramental’ manner, as bread and wine are changed into Christ’s Sacred Body and Blood. The Church teaches us that at every Mass it’s as though we stand at the foot of the Cross with Mary, as we unite ourselves with Christ’s sacrificial prayer. ‘We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.’ ( Heb 10:10). OIL-M:1271 |
 | Christ gives his Sacred Body and Blood as our spiritual food and drink On the Cross, nearly two thousand years ago, Christ poured out His life-blood for our sakes. Today, at the Consecration, our Saviour is made ‘wholly and entirely present’: His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. He is ready to share His Divine Life with us in Holy Communion. He, our Risen Lord, gives Himself to us as our spiritual food and drink: to give us joy, and to make us holy with His holiness. ‘….the blood of Christ, who offered himself as the perfect sacrifice to God through the eternal Spirit, can purify our inner self from dead actions so that we do our service to the living God.’ (Heb 9:14). OIL-M:0753 |
 | With the Angels we celebrate Christ’s glorious Resurrection During the Sacred Liturgy we are one in prayer with the whole Church, in the presence of the holy Angels. It’s as if bright banners are waving around them in celebration as they praise God, with us, for Christ’s triumph over sin. ‘From the angel’s hand the smoke of incense went up in the presence of God and with it the prayers of the saints.’ (Rev 8:4). OIL-M:0805 |
 | We pray that the souls in Purgatory will draw closer to Heaven Some who die in the love of Christ still need to be fully purified before they can enter the bliss and glory of Heaven. These ‘Holy Souls’ of Purgatory are assured of their salvation. They accept this purification willingly. And meanwhile, they remain united in prayer with the whole Church. At every Mass we are one with them, and we pray for them, in and through Christ our Lord. ‘And we, with our unveiled faces reflecting like mirrors the brightness of the Lord, will grow brighter and brighter…’ (2 Cor 3:18). OIL-M:0516 |
 | From the altar Christ prays for us to the Father in the Spirit We need Christ, and the salvation which He has won for us. So we pray together at every Mass “through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,” as we offer Christ’s Sacrifice, and Christ’s praise and thanks, to our Heavenly Father. ‘If anyone should sin, we have our advocate with the Father; Jesus Christ, who is just; he is the sacrifice that takes our sins away.’ ( 1 Jn 2:1-2). OIL-S:0811 |
 | We welcome Christ and ask for his mercy and peace Christ was both Priest and Victim, in His self-offering on the Cross. But now our Risen Lord is Present before us in glory, though ‘hidden’ under sacramental signs. He invites us to welcome Him, to share our thoughts with Him, and to be transformed by His love. ‘Everyone is to examine himself and only then eat of the bread or drink from the cup; because a person who eats and drinks without recognising the body is eating and drinking his own condemnation.’ (1 Cor 11:28-30). OIL-L:0375 |
 | In Holy Communion we can lean on Christ’s heart If we sincerely believe ourselves to be in a state of grace, which means to be free from serious sin, we can meet Christ by receiving Holy Communion. Though we don’t yet see the face of Christ, it’s as though we can put aside our fears and distractions in order to lean on His heart, in real intimacy and joy. ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.’ (Mt 11:28-29). OIL-M:0154 |
 | In Holy Communion we rest within the Holy Trinity In our loving union with Christ, as we make our prayer of thanksgiving, we are drawn further into the life of the Holy Trinity. Christ is never separated from the Father and the Holy Spirit. The all-holy and Triune God embraces and consoles us. ‘In the abundance of his glory, may he, through his Spirit, enable you to grow firm in power with regard to your inner self, so that … you may be filled with the utter fullness of God.’ ( Ep 3:16-20). OIL-L:0461A |
 | Christ sends us to love others with his help When we leave to take up our everyday business, when the Mass has ended, we must do everything in the name of Christ. We can resolve to love and serve God our Father with greater sincerity and courage. With the help of Christ, we can also become more patient and kind, just and truthful, towards everyone we meet. ‘Just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.’ (Jn 13:34-35). OIL-M:0651+0030 |
 | At Exposition we worship Christ in the Blessed Sacrament Even when the Mass has ended, Christ is sacramentally present in our church. With the eyes of faith we can see the glory and holiness of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament as being like a ‘fire’ of praise which soars Heavenward to the Father. We can kneel before the tabernacle, or before the altar at Exposition, expressing our love and gratitude, allowing Christ to irradiate us with His graces. ‘He is the radiant light of God’s glory and the perfect copy of his nature, sustaining the universe by his powerful command.’ (Heb 1:3). OIL-S:2138 |
 | We hope to rise to new life with Christ when we die If we remain faithful to the end of our lives, and die ‘in Christ’, we shall certainly reach Heaven, whether straight after death, or after a necessary purification. Our whole lives should be a preparation for that final ‘home-coming’ to Heaven. There, we hope to meet Christ’s mother Mary, and all the Saints, and to see, face-to-face, our loving God: the glorious and all-holy Trinity. ‘… we come through all these things triumphantly victorious, by the power of him who loved us. For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nothing already in existence and nothing still to come, nor any power, nor the heights nor the depths, nor any created thing whatever, will be able to come between us and the love of God, known to us in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rm 8:37—39). OIL-M:0691 |