The last words spoken at Mass can also be among the most overlooked. "Go forth." or “Go in peace.” By the time those words are spoken, a lot of us have already left — mentally, at least. We are running through the grocery list, other lists, where to go for brunch, or do you have plans to watch Football anywhere? What if there was more to do after the dismissal of every Mass?

SHOW NOTES

The papal thread: Sunday Mass sends the faithful into mission, and the Word heard in the liturgy is meant to become charity, witness, conversion, and concrete Christian living during the week. Sources: St. John Paul II, Dies Domini (1998), incl. "From Mass to Mission"; Pope Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini (2010); Pope Francis, General Audience on the Mass (2018); Pope Francis, Homily for the Sunday of the Word of God (2024); Vatican note on the Sunday ofthe Word of God. Motto line: "The Word of God enters through the ears, goes to the heart, and passes to the hands in order to do good deeds." — Pope Francis (2018).