5th Sunday of Ordinary Time

 

The Dialogue

Just before the Holy, Holy, Holy before Mass we have what is known as the

Dialogue and the Preface.

The Dialogue consists of three phrases that the priest says and to which the congregation responds.

At first thought they are simple and even repetitive to the point of being routine.

But they are anything but routine.

When the priest says,

The Lord be with you !

What is He saying?

He is saying the Lord is with you.

Meaning, the Son of God is with you.

the Good Shepherd is with you.

The Bread of Life is with you.

The Resurrection and the Life is with you.

The Way, the Truth and the Life is with you.

The One who calms the wind and the waves of life is with you.

The One who heals the sick and comforts those who mourn is with you.

The priest then says,

Lift up your hearts!

And why not!

The Lord is with us.

We are not and never will be alone.

All we need and the Person who can give it to us,

Is With with us!

We should lift our hearts up out of the the sorrow and despair of this world,

And up to the heights and joy of Heaven.

For the Lord is with us,

And nothing, absolutely nothing

Can stop us or defeat us.

For the Lord of Heaven and Earth,

Who is Risen from the Dead

Is with us.

Our hearts should lift themselves up with joy!

Then the priest says,

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

No matter what we are going through,

We should give thanks.

For we are alive.

We are breathing;

We have the Lord with us.

And nothing can separate us from Him.

Not life nor death,

Not suffering or sorrow;

Not poverty or powers

Can separate us from the Love of God.

And then just in case we have forgotten that

The Lord is with us

And that our hearts should be joyful

And filled with thanks,

The Preface reminds us of all the good things that God has done;

From creating this world,

To sending His Son to die and rise for us,

To redeeming us and promising us Eternal Life.

The Angels know this.

So they spend night and day,

And all of eternity,

Praising and thanking God.

So we too join all the angels and saints

Who are here present around this altar,

In one great chorus of Praise,

As all of Heaven and Earth cry out together,

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord.

For Blessed is the Lord Who is coming to us

Here on this altar

In His very Body and Blood,

To feed our body and souls

And to offer us Eternal Life.

And it is all possible because

The Lord is with us!

God Bless