Annual Red Mass offered for those involved in public service

by Marc and Julie Anderson
mjanderson@theleaven.org

TOPEKA — The legal and public service professions were well-represented on Jan. 28 for the annual Red Mass held at St. Joseph Church here.

Sponsored by the Kansas Catholic Conference, which serves as the voice of the Catholic bishops in Kansas and provides Catholic perspective to Kansas lawmakers on a range of issues, the annual Mass is celebrated within the first few weeks of each legislative session. This year’s session began Jan. 13.

The Mass gets its name from the red liturgical vestments worn by the celebrant. Red symbolizes the Holy Spirit. During the Mass, Catholics pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to come down upon those involved in public life, especially elected government officials, civil servants, attorneys and judges.

The readings from the Mass typically center on God’s people asking for wisdom, one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and on the humility involved in serving God’s people.

This year’s Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann with Bishop Carl Kemme of Wichita as the homilist. Bishop Gerald Vincke of Salina concelebrated along with Father Matthew Nagle, pastor of Topeka’s Mater Dei Parish, and Father Brian Lager, state chaplain of the Knights of Columbus. Father Anthony Saiki, rector of the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Kansas City, Kansas, served as master of ceremonies.

In his homily, Bishop Kemme said he was convinced that it was in God’s providential design the Mass was celebrated on the same day as the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, “one of the greatest minds the church has ever known.”

Sharing the life of the “angelic doctor,” Bishop Kemme said the saint was “a philosopher, theologian and a mystic” who wrote more than five million words during his lifetime including those found in the “Summa Theologica,” one of the most influential works in Christian theology.

In addition to the “Summa,” St. Thomas also wrote eucharistic hymns familiar even today, especially “Tantum Ergo” and “O Salutaris.” These two hymns, the bishop said, will be part of the musical tradition of the church for centuries to come.

The Dominican saint provided not only writings and hymns but an example as well.

“Whenever he was facing a theological problem that he just couldn’t quite get,” said Bishop Kemme, “he wouldn’t try to figure it out.” Instead, he would go to the friary chapel.

“There, he would lean his head on the tabernacle and spend hours begging the Lord to give him wisdom,” the bishop said. “He wasn’t just an intellect. He had a soul deeply in love with Jesus.”

The saint, Bishop Kemme continued, was convinced “that Jesus had all the answers to all the questions in his mind, all the longings of his heart.”

It’s an example we all might follow. Bishop Kemme said he’d like “to propose something that is so deeply a part of our Catholic tradition — to make daily visits, if possible, to the Blessed Sacrament.

“To be here, in this sacred place, this consecrated place where Jesus is, makes all the difference.”

Not everyone can make a daily hour, Bishop Kemme recognized. But he encouraged everyone gathered to cultivate the practice of making a daily visit, even if for just five or 10 minutes.

“There, seek his wisdom,” the bishop said.

To view more photos from the Red Mass, follow us on Facebook.