At a Lord's Day gathering, we enjoy the company of old and new friends while enjoying a meal to welcome the Sabbath rest. 

As a visible sign of dedicating this time to God, we light a candle which reminds us to fix our gaze on Jesus, the Light of the World.  We ask the Holy Spirit to come as we sing songs of praise and worship, and may edify one another with Scripture, prophetic words, or a brief talk.  We conclude our prayer by sharing bread and wine together.  With the atmosphere set with joy and peace, we commence with a meal filled by festivity and Christian community.

So that newcomers will not be confused, we must point out that this is not the Eucharist and in no way does it replace the Mass or the reverence and priority due to the Sacred Liturgy.  The similarities are meant to be educational, not competitive.  Among the similarities between Mass and a Lord's Day meal are the atmosphere and communal actions.  A Lord's Day is a joyful and prayerful meal, but neither a Sacrament nor a Sacrifice.  We hope that the pattern of prayers serve as a reminder of the Mass and point towards the Eucharist, which Vatican II taught is the "source and summit of the Christian life."  We hope the joy experienced in this setting rises even greater in our hearts during Mass in order to deepen our experience of the Eucharist as the ultimate gathering - the union of God and His People - as Christ willed it to be.  We pray that this brings sooner the day when humanity is fully united with God and each other in one Eucharistic celebration.

Photos from our Lord's Day in November 2009 at the Franciscan TOR's Friary

The Fresh Anointing is sponsored by Mother of God Community, the Franciscan TOR's
of Washington, DC, and St. Anthony’s parish. Website by Messenger's Voice. Admin Login