The last word

Lest we forget:

Go forth, the mass is ended.

or

Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.

or

Go in peace, glorifying the Lord with your life.

Those are the biggest changes in the Missal involving the deacon: the three new dismissals.  (I’m partial to the last one myself.)

The most important word, of course, is the one that is the same in all three and that begins all three: “Go.” It’s an urgent reminder that we are not meant to keep the gospel to ourselves in the walls of the church.  We are commissioned to carry it out into the world.  At the end of the day, and the end of the Mass, this is our great calling.  All the other words we’ve prayed have led up to this.  We have been called, and we are being sent.

With that in mind, then, let’s go…