"You are with me every day at the altar"

[MrsMeganMc]

I wrote my parish priest a thank you email yesterday - which was his first anniversary of ordination. I let him know how much I appreciated his service to our parish, the diocese, and how much he has helped me in my own faith. I also let him know that he and all priest are in my daily prayers.

He responded to me, and said to me “you are with me every day at the altar”

I was quite perplexed by this statement. Can anyone shed any light on what he meant…I know that there are a lot of complexities going on during the mass that I don’t yet understand. My first thought is that priests celebrate mass on behalf of all of us - is this correct?

Thanks!

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Yes, this means that he prays for you when he celebrates Mass.

And you can do the same for him when you spiritually unite yourself to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass wherever it is being celebrated in the world (whether or not you yourself are able to be there, you can offer whatever you are doing at the moment).

 

[MusicMan]

Very much a compliment to you for your dedication to the Church and your support of him. I would take his statement in the best possible light, for that is how it was meant. Take comfort in knowing that this priest prays for you daily.

 

[Snowy]

I don’t know what he meant, needless to say, but I’m going to guess that he doesn’t actually pray for anyone in particular at the altar, and that what he meant is that your faith nurtures his own faith, which he needs in order to bring God down from Heaven.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

I don’t know what he meant, needless to say, but I’m going to guess that he doesn’t actually pray for anyone in particular at the altar, and that what he meant is that your faith nurtures his own faith, which he needs in order to bring God down from Heaven.

To the contrary, I know that priests often pray for specific people when they are celebrating Mass (or when they are formulating their intentions prior to Mass). This is in addition to the specific intention that has been designated for that Mass (the Mass has infinite merits, so multiple intentions are fine).

 

[withwind]

Besides praying for all, priests do pray for specific people sometimes during a mass. During a priest’s ordination, they too pray for someone very dear to them - it could be their parents…and it could be some unknown poor man.

 

[BSHoop96]

I think he was simply trying to tell you that you, as a Catholic, are also there, as we all are at Mass, at the re-presentation of the sacrifice of Christ. I’m sure he meant it as a compliment and a way of saying that you, as a faithful parishoner, are important to him too. Something like that.