Mass Intentions & Offerings

In Sacred Scripture, praying for the deceased is an ancient and venerable tradition. For example, even our Jewish ancestors such as Judas Maccabee (see the Second Book of Maccabees, chapter 12, verses 43-46) believed both in praying for those who had died and in making an expiatory sacrifice on their behalf (in the form of an offering): “…for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from their sin.”
 
In the Catholic tradition, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a re-presentation of and a participation in the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Is it any wonder that the celebration of the Eucharist is considered the source and summit of our faith? Each and every Mass is considered to be of inestimable value because it joins our prayers and those of the entire Church to the saving work of Jesus Christ. Those prayers include our praise of God and our gratitude for His blessings of our lives, as well as all the intercessory petitions we offer for our needs, including the intentions we offer on behalf of our loved ones who have gone before us. We pray, of course, that their sins may indeed be forgiven, that they rest in the peace of Christ, and that they will share in the resurrection to eternal life on the last day.
 
Parishioners are still invited to come to the parish office in order to request a Mass intention and to make a sacrificial offering (recommended to be $10) on behalf of a deceased loved one (as well as for the living and their needs). This commendable custom is still “a holy and pious thought”—a loving, powerful, and efficacious way to have our loved ones truly share in the grace of Christ’s redemption.