Through Him

<'); document.write('em>For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36).

I'); document.write('t\'s all about Jesus. Always has been. Always will be.

It always should be.

I ought to think of that bef'); document.write('ore I start complaining about His business. Like the Mass, for example.

My wife and I had hardly left the sanctu'); document.write('ary Sunday morning before I groused about the service. "I wish we\'d sing modern choruses instead of centuries-old hymns.'); document.write('.. I thought the priest could have made a stronger point about that Gospel passage... I\'d like it better if we knelt for'); document.write(' prayer... I wonder why..."

Then I noticed my emphasis: I wish. I thought. I\'d like. '); document.write('I wonder. My problem became disturbingly clear: I think the Mass -- even life, if I\'m honest -- is all about me.

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Well, it\'s not. The Mass, and all we do before and after we come into His presence is about the One through whom al'); document.write('l things were made heaven, earth, mountains, seas . . . It\'s about Jesus, through whom I receive reconciliation to th'); document.write('e Father, forgiveness and redemption.

"For by Him all things were created," wrote St. Paul, "both in the hea'); document.write('vens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things have been '); document.write('created through Him and for Him. . . And in Him you have been made complete . . . having been buried with Him in baptism'); document.write(', in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead" (Col'); document.write('ossians 1:16; 2:10-12 NASB).

I can\'t help but notice Scripture\'s emphasis: By Christ; through Chris'); document.write('t; for Christ; in Christ; with Christ.

Not a thing in there about me.

Perhaps if I entered the Eucharistic Celebration centered more on Him and less on me, I wouldn\'t be so quick to w'); document.write('hine. If I cultivated a deeper relationship with Christ through the week, I wouldn\'t be bored with that holy hour on Sun'); document.write('day. If I meditated on the Mass readings before I left for church, the Holy Spirit might have more kindling to spark my '); document.write('passion for the Mass. If I entered the sanctuary early enough to pray, my heart would be ready to worship long before th'); document.write('e Celebration began.

When I focus on ,em>me, it\'s easy to find fault with the priest, the choir, the temper'); document.write('ature, the baby crying in the back. When my focus is on Him -- through whom all things were made -- then all th'); document.write('ings fall into proper perspective.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, You spoke through the prophets. Help me understand t'); document.write('he depth of those powerful words of the Creed: Through Him, all things were made. Amen.

Reflection by Rich'); document.write('ard Maffeo
Excerpted from his book, We Believe: Forty Meditations on the Nicene Creed. Available at www.RichMaffeoBooks.com or all bookstores.

Life Applications:

'); document.write('What do you find yourself criticizing about the Mass?
What do you do to prepare yourself for Mass?
What do the'); document.write(' words of the Nicene Creed say to you?

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