METUCHEN — “We must, in all sincerity, ask ourselves tonight, ‘Am I a disciple of Jesus Christ?’” Father Timothy A. Christy asked the hundreds seated before him Sept. 20 at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi. “We must not answer too quickly — to be a true disciple of Jesus, we must consider the cost.”
Those hundreds of faithful attending the annual diocesan Hispanic Heritage Mass were indeed ready to spread the Good News in prayer, song and action. Families and individuals of all ages filled the pews of the diocese’s mother church to witness Father Christy, diocesan vicar general, and priests and deacons from throughout the diocese lead them through a liturgy celebrated solely in Spanish and focused fervently on Jesus and his beloved mother, Mary.
As the choir sang a hymn inviting the congregants to approach the altar, roughly two dozen faithful did just that, all carrying colorful banners which originated from their Spanish speaking congregations. Posting them along the side walls of the cathedral, they served as a joy-filled reminder that love of God in the Diocese of Metuchen knows no single tongue nor background.
In his homily, Father Christy reminded the faithful that the Church exists for the sake of evangelization, and they must heed Jesus’ love, which opens the gateway to heaven’s eternal life.
“We must respond to that love, that invitation to new life,” he said. “Salvation is free, but there is a cost: the cost of discipleship… To be a true disciple, we must be willing to surrender our own preoccupation with worldly securities and success, and entrust ourselves to the mystery of God’s love.”
They need not worry about the task at hand, Father Christy said, for Jesus’ gifts will arm us in this battle between good and evil.
“With the Sacraments he gives us — his Body and Blood in holy Communion, his Holy Word from the sacred Scriptures — these become ways that knit us together as one body in Christ,” the vicar general said. “The Holy Spirit is alive, drawing us ever deeper into his love for us, even in our brokenness. You are here tonight because God wants to awaken faith anew… He loves us and will never abandon us on our journey.”
A highlight of the Mass was a procession of Marian images. One by one, as their countries of origin were announced, men and women in ethnic costume strode forward, holding aloft a picture of the Blessed Mother unique to their Central or South American country. They lined the communion rail proudly, displaying the differently hued manifestations of the Blessed Mother.
Father Christy reminded the assembled that the diocese is preparing to be consecrated to Jesus through Our Lady of Guadalupe, “asking Blessed Mother to once again look upon us with her maternal love and to bring us more fully into a saving friendship with her son, Jesus Christ.
“We believe that this consecration will be for us a supernatural source of new strength for everyone who sincerely seeks to be renewed,” he continued. “We believe that the renewal of the whole Church begins with one heart, becoming overwhelmed with God’s love and surrendering their life to become a disciple of Jesus.”
The faithful clapped and danced in the pews as the choir sang the closing hymn to Our Lady of Guadalupe, calling her “star of the morning, protector of the poor.” Joyous congregants seemed reluctant to leave the Cathedral, instead gathering in groups to greet friends from their parishes and meet new friends.
Sara Sharlow and her husband, Tom, “come to this every year,” she said. “This Mass is always so exciting.” fellow Cathedral parishioner Patricia Bixel agreed.
“The Hispanic Catholics are full of life,” Bixel said. “I knew I should come here for prayers and the celebration.”
Reflecting on the Mass, Allan Caballero, director, diocesan Office of Hispanic Evangelization and Pastoral Ministry stated: “I am grateful for the outpouring support of the many lay leaders that volunteered to organize this important Liturgy for the Hispanic community. It was amazing to see more than 15 priests and 700 parishioners from our 24 Hispanic parishes coming together to celebrate the Hispanic Heritage Mass. It was a joyful celebration with a clear message: we are one Church with one body and one mission.”