Let’s take another look at what worship and adoration is about. It’s important to understand what we’re doing and why.
In short, God is our all, our everything. But how do we love and serve a God we can not see or touch? God has to help us. He has to give us something to hold onto as belonging to Him or at least pointing to Him. And He has.
“What can be known about God is plain to see, for God Himself made it plain. Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made.” Romans 1:20
So, worship begins by acknowledging that all we see, all that is, comes from God. This is called “Natural Religion,” and it is as old as the human race. So, humans have made offerings to the “gods” of the mountains, the sun, the moon, the fields, the oceans . . .
But, God wished to elevate his beloved creature, man and woman, to a new level of knowledge and love of God. He wanted us to be his friends, not his pets). So, God did the unimaginable. He became a human being. Jesus, “the image of the invisible God”. (Col. 1:15.)
1 John 1:2 tells us, “the Word of Life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it, and proclaim to you what was with the Father was made visible to us.” And so our worship of God becomes personal now. It focuses on the person of God who is Jesus, God become human flesh.
Yes, we worship God when we worship Christ because . . . “through him (Jesus), God created everything in heaven and earth, all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together.” (Col. 1:17).
Jesus sort of summarized all this when in answer to the Apostle Philip’s request to show him “the Father,” Jesus said, “Philip, when you see me, you see the Father.” (Jn. 14:8)
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But HOW do we worship God. What do we do? In ancient times we would collect the finest fruit of the harvest and burn it, turning it to smoke which rises to God. Or, we would slay a bull or ox or goat and place it on the altar of sacrifice. Basically, we would give God the best of what we have.
You see Jesus is God’s gift to us and our gift back to God. His life was lived in total dedication to the will of the Father. Jesus was the Lamb that was slain. His death on the cross, freely accepted as the way his Father was to reconcile the human race to his burning love, forever becomes our offering of worship to God the Father.
Where does this happen? The Mass. God gives us his Son. We give him back to the Father…with ourselves attached! Jesus takes us to the Father as part of his body. Jesus wants this to happen until he comes in Glory. “Do this, in memory of me.”
Wow.
Fr. Tim
