When Bishop Kopacz came to Tupelo several weeks ago to celebrate a mass for the Year of Mercy for the Catholic parishes of Northeast Mississippi, he was asking me about how things were in the community of Tupelo. I told him about some of the challenges our community was going through recently, and I told him about this Blue Mass that we are celebrating today in honor of our police officers, fire fighters and first responders in our community.
You may not have heard about a Blue Mass before. The first Blue Mass was celebrated on September 29, 1934 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Washington, DC by Rev. Thomas Dade, who had founded the Catholic Police and Firemen's Society. On that day, 1,100 police officers and firemen dressed in blue uniforms processed into St. Patrick's to honor the fallen members of their ranks.
The Blue Mass began to spread to other cities in the northeastern United States from that day on. Following the events of 9/11, the Blue Mass began to be celebrated in cities from coast to coast to honor the many law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel who gave their lives so that others might live.
Today, we honor these men and women who are heroes in our community, men and women who put themselves in harm’s way daily to serve, protect, and defend us.
Today is the vigil of the feast of the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, the evening before their feast day of September 29. St Michael is the patron saint for police officers and first responders and the men and women in the military, which is why this feast is a traditional date for the Blue Mass. Our English word “angel” comes from the Greek word “angelous” which means messenger. There are untold millions of angels in heaven, all created as pure spirits, in continual praise and adoration of our God. In Scripture, we see how in great events in salvation history, God sends an “archangel” to proclaim an important message from God to his people.
Often, when God wants to do something requiring courageous effort, he sends St Michael. Michael did battle with Satan and cast him out of heaven after he revolted. St. Michael the Archangel. Michael is the head of the Heavenly Host, the Five-star General of God's Angelic Army. Michael is also the protector of Israel, Protector of the Chosen People
God has sent the Archangel Gabriel to announce something that would require strength from the meek and lowly. God sent Gabriel to announce to the Virgin Mary his plan for her to be the Mother of God.
Raphael has been sent by God when a message of healing was needed. In the book of Tobit in the Old Testament, Raphael healed Tobit’s blindness.
With the angels, with the archangels, with the community of Saints, with our Catholic community here in Tupelo, we come together to praise God this evening. We pray for peace, reconciliation and healing for our community of Tupelo. We pray for an end to violence, war, and terrorism, an end to anger, hatred, and arrogance, those things that are dividing our community. Our gratitude, love, and prayers go out to those men and women who protect us each day. May St Michael and all your patron saints always be there to watch over you.
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