This letter is a response to the article, "Catholic school made for repetitive days" by William Boucher. I was surprised that "Your HUB" published a story so negative about a major religion and I was saddened to see such a surface-only understanding of what is the heart of Catholic faith - the Mass and Communion. There does not seem to be an appreciation for the scriptural imperative for the Mass or much understanding of what the Catholic Church teaches about the mass.

One of the "high holy days" for the Jewish faith is Passover which is celebrated by the Seder Supper. Catholics believe and scripture teaches that Jesus used the occasion of Passover to institute the New Covenant in His blood. At the Seder Supper, time stands still and every devout Jew makes present the Passover as an event in his or her own life. It is as if they are with Moses when the Jewish nation was born and they personally passed from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. The eating of the lamb and the putting the blood of the lamb on the doorposts spares their firstborn from death and starts the journey that leads them through the Red Sea and into freedom.

Jesus uses this celebration of deliverance and freedom to offer himself as the new Lamb of God who brings deliverance and freedom from the slavery of sin. On Holy Thursday Jesus and his disciples celebrate Passover with a lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs and the traditional four wine toasts of the Seder Supper. It is here that he takes some of the unleavened bread, blesses it, and gives it to his disciples commanding them to eat it and telling them that it is His body. Then he changes the third toast, the cup of blessing, and tells His disciples that this is the cup of His blood, the blood of the new covenant which is shed for the forgiveness of sin. Jesus does not drink the fourth cup, the cup of wrath, until the soldier gives him sour wine as He is hanging on the cross. This is the closing of the Seder Supper and the new Passover is complete. Jesus exclaims that it is finished and hands His spirit over to His Father in heaven. Salvation, freedom and access to the Father are now available and open to everyone.

Catholics believe that just as time stands still for devout Jews at the Seder Supper, so time stands still at the Mass. The Last Supper and Jesus' death on the cross are made present in the Mass. Therefore, Jesus' offering of Himself and His drawing all things to Himself is made present to those participating in the Mass. The priest officiating at the Mass does nothing on his own but acts in the person of Jesus - our new and eternal high priest seated at the right hand of the Father. For Catholics, the Mass is the summation of their whole faith. It is their way of worshipping the Father by uniting themselves with Christ as he draws all things to Himself in His one time offering of Himself to the Father. The Mass is the Last Supper, the crucifixion, the resurrection and the ascension all rolled into one and made present to those participating.

Communion is a Catholic altar call where Catholics unite themselves to Christ as their Lord and Savior. Since we believe the host really is Christ's flesh, then the two can become one flesh. Sad to say, but many Catholics do not fully understand what occurs at "repetitive" and often for them "boring" Mass and walk away from this great mystery of faith unchanged.

Steve Kurz

Business Administrator, St. Augustine Catholic Church, Brighton, Colorado