I give You my heart and open it to You (Father Slavko Barbaric, OFM)

After reading and listening to the word of God there usually  follows an interpretation of God’s word. It is performed by a priest or one of the believers, trained in the field of this knowledge and accepted by the Church. People’s response is summarized in the “Symbol of Faith” prayer and in the prayers of the faithful. When God speaks, He regenerates and renews the human heart. God’s Word is sown like a seed, falls on the ground and bears the fruit. And it is reusable.

Therefore after the proclamation of God’s Word, believers stand up and pray “I believe…”, acknowledging in such a way their acceptance of the Word and their confidence in the God Who has just spoken. The Latin word “credo” means to give heart, to open oneself and to trust. Essentially, it means that I choose to live with my God and God takes again the center place in my life.

At the same time, it means a vow of cooperation with God, Who is the Creator and Redeemer, Who sanctifies with the Holy Spirit and leads through death to life, Who forgives sins and becomes for His followers a bond of communion which can not be destroyed even by death. One day He will reward people by bringing them to His eternal kingdom.  He will also condemn those who decided to be against Him and those who choose to go to eternal separation from Him, which is called hell, the place of torment. This is God Who we believe in, Who speaks to us and Whom we pray to. Thus, the community of the faithful continues to pray, thank, and bless after the proclamation of the word and recognition of the faith. The priest or the leader usually prays on behalf of the whole community, and the community confirms this prayer with the words: “Lord, hear us!” or with other appropriate words. According to Medjugorje messages and teachings the Mother of God asks to pray first the “Symbol of Faith” and then the prayer “Our Father…” seven times. At the beginning of every meeting or some business, trust is expressed as a basis for a start. Every day praying the “Symbol of Faith” means practicing our belonging to God in our mind. The number seven means completeness.

Prayer

Father, I believe in You. Here is my heart for You. Be the Master and God of my life and work, my thoughts and my words. From now on I want to be with You and cooperate with You constantly. Thank You for creating me, redeeming me, sanctifying me and opening the doors of  Your kingdom for me. I accept everything and implore You for me to be able to fulfill everything according to Your holy will. Amen.

BECOME A GIFT WITH GIFTS

He who gave his heart to God belongs to God, and God is the Master of his life. It is manifested in a special way through the offering of gifts. We offer to Him bread and wine as our recognition and thanksgiving to God. Bread and wine are actually a sign of our efforts and sufferings, our hope and love, our cooperation with God.

These gifts represent us. These gifts represent the giver, who expresses in this manner his devotion, his friendship and his willingness to offer again all he owns as a gift to the Giver of everything. We do not give because the Giver needs something, but because He looks for gratitude and recognition. God rewards us in His divine way. Our gifts, which are simple and true manifestation of our lives, become divine gifts because the bread and wine turn into the Body and Blood of Christ by the power of the divine word. What a wonderful gift interchange! So God prevents us from being outdone in giving. We offer bread and wine which are the fruits of our hands and cooperation with God. In His turn God gives us Himself personally in these gifts. It becomes our nourishment. 

Therefore, it is important to notice this exchange and participate in it with heart and love. The offering of gifts is a moment when we compose our life and pains, sickness and troubles, family and world with bread and wine. This is a moment of our confession and our agreement with Christ, Who gives again and again His life for us in every Mass.

Thus, with our gifts, we personally become a gift, so that later, during the Eucharist, we can receive God’s gift. This fact tells us how it is important to prepare for Mass. This is the time of our meeting with God, our dedication, our decision to follow Him. These are moments of our healing.

How many Christians are far from a true participation in the Divine sacrifice! They just stand aside. They are not active. They remain indifferent observers so that the Mass can be impersonal and only half-hearted for them. This is the reason why people do not go to Mass. They are not even ready to accept it as one of their responsibilities.

We must always try to feel this mutual gift again through the signs and ways of participating in the Mass. The one who gives and receives something as a gift feels the best expansion of his being. This is how a person becomes a man of peace as well as happy and satisfied. Man who is not a gift to himself or others and does not receive a gift from anyone, is an unhappy person because he is lonely. Knowing how to give and receive a gift is the way which leads to human peace. Only love gives a person the opportunity to give and to be granted.

Therefore, the divine gift is a profound school of life for all of us, which should be studied thoroughly so that we can be people of peace. Such giving is definitely a positive school where love is taught but selfishness, arrogance and greediness are destroyed. This is a school where you get to know how to be bread for others. Immersing your soul and heart in these moments and content means experiencing the Mass as it is necessary and useful. This is divine pedagogics. It shows us the way of giving and enriching ourselves. It is an “active learning school” where true examples of life are applied. Therefore, this is the best way of learning.

Prayer

God, Giver and Creator of everything, be blessed and glorified for all that was bestowed upon us. We especially bless You for the bread and wine that we offer You as a gift. Be blessed because You accept us as we are with these gifts in order to change us. In Your turn You will transform our gifts into the divine gifts of the body and blood of Your Son Jesus Christ. Be blessed and accept our gifts so that we can be with You and with our brothers and sisters. We can be one bread as a gift to You, so that we can share with each other the bread that You give. Destroy within us everything that hinders us from giving. Let us have the joy of unity multiplied and grown within us. Amen.