The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Year A
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
John 6:51-58
June 22, 2014

Last week we celebrated the Most Holy Trinity as a central mystery of our faith.  This week we celebrated another mystery, the Eucharist.  We do not know how ordinary bread and wine, without any visible change, become the Body and Blood of Christ.  It is a mystery how this happens but we believe.

Paul clearly speaks of the real presence when he refers to the cup as our participation in the Blood of Christ and the bread as our participation in the Body of Christ but what does he means by “participation”?

Our participation is rooted in three things.  First, the fact that we even take the time to come here is a participation in what is going on.  Our coming forth for Communion is a participation but we must also realize that the way we live our lives outside this church building should be a participation in the Body and Blood of Jesus.

I trust the first two are obvious but our participation isn’t just a physical presence here or coming forth.  To participate in the Body and Blood of Jesus is to live according to the example of Jesus.

There was a time when not many people received Communion every Sunday.  Unless you had gone to Confession recently, you didn’t come up.  Now, the pendulum has swung and most everyone who is old enough comes forth and receives Communion.

We need Jesus.  We need to receive the grace given us in the Body and Blood of Jesus but we also need to think about what it means to receive.  Have we been living our lives in accord with God’s will?

Moses speaks to the Israelites about how God watched over them while they journeyed through the desert to see if it was their intention to keep God’s Commandments.

As we live the “journey” we call our lives is it our intention to live as God calls us?  It isn’t always easy.  We make mistakes, we sin.  That’s why we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation where we can confess our sins.

The teachings of Jesus aren’t always easy to understand.  In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus speaking to the crowds about the need for them to eat his flesh and drink his blood.  We recognize this as the Eucharist but for the people there that day, this was something totally new and incomprehensible for many.

Some took him literally and that meant cannibalism. It sounds disgusting to us to eat the flesh and drink the blood of another human being.  It also seems impossible for someone to do this to them.  It would mean their death.

But it isn’t just the physical cannibalism that would be difficult for them to understand.  The religious laws of the Jews forbade the drinking of the blood.  To drink the blood of a living creature was to take on its life force.

That is precisely what we need to do with Jesus.  We need to become more like Jesus.  It is only when we become like Jesus that we receive eternal life.

They say you are what you eat.  We want to become like Jesus.

Ask yourself if you are becoming more like Jesus.  The fact is that we need the Eucharist to become like Jesus but we struggle to find a balance with this to not receive Jesus if we have sinned.  If I want to stop sinning, I need the Eucharist but yet I’m not supposed to receive the Eucharist if I have sinned.  It sounds like a no win situation.

But it isn’t.

Sure we sin.  God knows this and has given us the gift of Reconciliation for when we commit mortal sin.

When you come forth for Communion today, think about what you are receiving and what it means for you.  Think about what you need to become more like Jesus whom we receive today.

Pentecost, Year A
Vigil Readings
Genesis 11:1-9
Romans 8:22-27
John 7:37-39
Day
Acts 2:1-11
1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13
John 20:19-23
June 8, 2014

Fifty days have passed since Easter.  Our celebration of Pentecost now draws our Easter season to a close.  During our Easter season we celebrate gifts of God’s love.

We began our Easter Triduum with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper where Jesus gives us the gift of the Eucharist, his Body and Blood, by which we are strengthened.

On Good Friday we celebrate the Crucifixion.  Death doesn’t generally seem like something to celebrate but we can celebrate Jesus’ death because in it, He offers us the gift of God’s forgiveness.

On Easter morning the tomb is found empty and we celebrate the gift of the Resurrection and eternal life.  To continue that gift Jesus appears to his disciples so they can seem him risen so that we all know what the Resurrection is.

Even knowing of the Ascension of Jesus that we celebrated last week is a gift, a gift to know that Jesus did not simply vanish but returned to Heaven.

Today we celebrate one more gift, the gift of Holy Spirit.

Jesus did not abandon his disciples at the Ascension.  He knew there would be difficult times ahead.  Here comes the Holy Spirit who, as we profess in the Creed, proceeds from the Father and the Son.

The Holy Spirit comes to us in Baptism but the Spirit first came to the disciples at Pentecost, arriving as a strong driving wind heard by many and as tongues of fire.  The Holy Spirit immediately gives the gift of tongues.

In the story of the Tower of Babel, the people had sought to make a name for themselves by building a great tower.  In building the tower to make a name for themselves they committed the sin of pride.  For punishment for their sin, God made them speak in different tongues so they could not understand one another and the work on the tower stopped.

The Holy Spirit brings the gift of tongues.  Note that this is not simply a gift where the disciples knew how to speak more than one language.  That could have simply been achieved by human means.  No, with the gift of tongues from the Holy Spirit, the people in the crowds each hear the disciples speak in their own tongues at the same time, something only God could accomplish.

I have spoken of all that we received during Easter as gifts.  They are gifts that we especially recognize during Easter but that, in fact, we are constantly receiving in our lives.

When we receive a gift from someone we know, we often see the gift as something given exclusively to us as an individual.  God gives us these gifts, the Eucharist, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the Holy Spirit, so that we might be strengthened in our faith but God does not give us these gifts simply for our own personal gain.

We are given these gifts to be transformed by them, not just for ourselves but for the good of all God’s people.  In seeing this higher purpose we also realize that God has not given any one of us all gifts.  As Paul writes we have been given different spiritual gifts to exercise in different forms of service but it all comes from the same Spirit.

To achieve what God intends, we need to come together to share our gifts.  We can each recognize some portion of the gifts in our own lives.  It is only in working together that the gifts truly bear fruit.

For instance, receiving faith hopefully we all find some peace in the midst of any sufferings we face.  However, the fullness of the peace which God offers can only be known in this world when it is accepted by all.

Not everyone has accepted the gift because not everyone knows of the gifts.  We are to take what we have received in God’s Word, in the Eucharist, and from the Holy Spirit and share it with the world.

How are you sharing what you have received with others?

7^th Sunday in Easter, Year A
Acts 1:12-14
1 Peter 4:13-16
John 17:1-11a
June 1, 2014

On Thursday we celebrated the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven where he returns to be seated at the right hand of the Father.  Before ascending Jesus told his disciples to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

As they wait for Pentecost, they gather once again in the upper room and devoted themselves to prayer.  We might wonder what they prayed for.  Most likely at least part of their prayer revolved around the mission that Jesus had given them to go and baptize all nations.  What would this mean for them?  What lied ahead?

Hopefully they also remembered how Jesus taught them, and teaches us, to pray, the Our Father.  As they prayed about the mission that Jesus had given them, they must have prayed for God’s will to be done and for the strength, the daily bread, they needed to fulfill the mission.

In the gospel today we hear Jesus himself praying.  He speaks of how he has glorified the Father.  How did he glorify the Father?  By doing his will, dying for us on the Cross.

Jesus asks his Father to glorify him.  How is Jesus glorified by the Father?  Jesus is gloried in the Crucifixion and Resurrection, revealing God’s awesome power at work in him.  As Jesus rises and ascends into Heaven, he is glorified by the Father, seated at his right hand.

As Jesus prayed, he prayed for his disciples.  I wonder if the disciples prayed for those to whom they would preach and minister.

Right after this prayer, Jesus enters into his Passion where he suffers and dies for us.  Jesus would pray that this cup might pass from him, but that not his will but his Father’s be done.

I wonder if the disciples prayed that they won’t have to suffer.

Peter actually tells us that we should rejoice when we suffer in the name of Jesus.  Now, he doesn’t tell us to rejoice in all suffering.  Just that suffering that is because of our faith.

Peter goes so far to tell us that we are blessed when we are insulted in Jesus’ name.

Have you ever felt insulted because of what you said about Jesus?  Ridiculed?  Ignored?  What was your reaction?  Do you stand up for Jesus or did you run away?  Have you stopped talking about Jesus?

Or perhaps you have never felt insulted because of Jesus.  Why?  Perhaps you’re so fortunate as to be surrounding by people who believe in Jesus.  Or is it because you never talk about Jesus?

Why won’t we talk about Jesus?  Are we embarrassed to be known as Catholics?  Do we rate avoiding conflict higher than talking about Jesus?

It isn’t easy.  Talking about God got Jesus crucified.  Most of the Apostles became martyrs because they spoke about Jesus.  They did it anyway!

When we talk about Jesus we glorify him by saying he is important.  When we say no to sin, we glorify God by saying God’s will is the best way.  We glorify God when our words and actions say God’s Will is the proper way.

Suffering is not pleasant or we won’t call it suffering.  Yet, it is in suffering that we often show others what we believe.  In fact, it is in suffering, that we can find out for ourselves what we really belief.  In suffering do we turn to God for strength or do we figure that God must not exist if bad things happen?

Jesus suffered on the Cross so that we might live.  Are you willing to suffer for Jesus?

6^th Sunday in Easter, Year A
Acts 5-8, 14-17
1 Peter 1 Peter 3:15-18
John 14:15-21
May 25, 2014

Jesus gives us a mission to proclaim the gospel.  St. Francis tells us ‘proclaim the gospel always, to use words only when necessary.’

When is it necessary to use words?  What words do we use?  Here we might think of words to teach others about what we believe.  Our Catholic faith has a lot to say.  Where do we begin?

Peter offers us a starting point when he writes, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.”

Peter does not tell us to start with words from the catechism or certain bible verses.  He doesn’t give a list of doctrines to present.  He doesn’t even tell us to start with Jesus’ death and resurrection.

It’s not that all these things aren’t important, they are.

The place to begin talking about our faith is simple.  It doesn’t start from what we know in our minds.  The first words we speak about our faith to others must begin in our hearts, what is the reason for our hope?  Why do we believe?

For instance, one could start by telling a person that one must attend church each week.  To do so is just to cite a rule.  Rules can be important but I think a better place to start with is to tell others why we come to church each week.

Theologically speaking we come to church to praise God.  That doesn’t mean we can’t get something out of it.  After all we hear God’s word proclaimed from the Bible and broken open for us in the scriptures.  Hopefully this helps us to live a better life.

We also receive the body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist.  This gives us strength to live as Jesus teaches.

Maybe another way to think of it is how we look at the commandments.  Some people might look at the commandments and, more broadly, church teaching and say why would you want to do that.  It’s just a bunch of rules.

Remember Jesus’ words, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

There are people we can care enough about to do things for simply because we love them, a spouse or a child for instance.  To think of it from the child’s perspective, when we are little, just because mom and dad say so, can be enough for us to do as they say.  We know we can count on them when we don’t know.

Why does a parent care for a child?  Love.

God gives us commandments.  Why?

Because God loves us.  God has nothing to gain for himself by us following his commandments.  As such, God doesn’t give us commandments for his benefit.  God gives us commandments that are good for us.

Since God is motivating by love, we can trust in God’s commandments.

How do we tell this to others?  Remember I said before that in his letter Peter doesn’t tell us to start with quotes from the catechism or scripture.  I didn’t say we couldn’t, just that we don’t have to.

We can use scripture to talk about why we trust in God.  The stories of the Old Testament tell us how God has been there for the people throughout the ages, that even when the people turned away from God, if they repented and called out to God for forgiveness and help, God would always come to their help.

For us, it’s still Easter and this should reminder us of the ultimate reason for our hope, the paschal mystery.

Jesus died for us on the Cross.

Why?

Because he loved us.  The fact that Jesus died for us on the Cross shows us there is no limit on God’s love for us.  One has no greater love than to lay down one’s love for his friends.  We can count on Jesus.

This is the reason for our hope.  It is the reason we need to come to church each week.  I come to church not just because it is my job.  I come because in my heart I know that when we celebrate Mass we are making present Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross for us.  I know that when I receive Communion I am strengthened by it.

I don’t know this because of what’s in my brain.  Knowledge helps but it doesn’t provide all the answers.  I know this because of what is in my heart.  I know this because when I come to Mass having a bad time, I feel better.  I remember there is a God who loves me enough to give his Son on the Cross.

This is the reason for my hope.

5^th Sunday in Easter, Year A
Acts 6:1-7
1 Peter 2:4-9
John 14:1-12
May 18, 2014

Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”   The reality is the world is not perfect and we can have “troubled hearts.”  Sometimes, such troubles are exactly what draws people to church who haven’t been here in years.

It’s good to come to Jesus with our troubles. In fact, it is exactly what we should do but we must think about the attitude we come to Jesus with.

Do we come simply looking for Jesus to fix our problems while we continue life as usual?  Do we come thinking we are doing everything right but there’s just this “one problem” we need fixed?

Sometimes that might really be the case.  But we need to be open to the idea that perhaps some of our problems exist because we aren’t living the way we should.

Last week I talked about how many different voices we hear today telling us different things.  From whatever we hear we form our own opinion, we find our own way.

We might think we have all the answers. So, when we come to Jesus we might not ask him what we should be doing differently.  We blame the problem on someone else or we believe if God just handles this one problem, we can take care of everything else.

We can’t.

It is in our weaknesses that we can most allow Jesus to help us but only if we realize we can’t do it all ourselves; that we don’t have all the answers; that our way may not be working.

Jesus tells us that he is the way and the truth and the life.

We hear many different voices telling us there are many different ways.  Some claim to know a proper way and others just say here’s the way I do it but you can do it anyway you want.  In this way of thinking Jesus’ way is just one of many possibilities.

But Jesus doesn’t say I offer a way.  Jesus doesn’t say he offers us a truth.  Jesus says that he is the way and the truth with emphasis on “the”.

“The” tells us that Jesus’ way is not one among many.  Jesus is the one true way.  Jesus offers us the truth that does not change, the truth that comes from God.

Because Jesus is the way and the truth he is our cornerstone.  Jesus needs to be what we base our whole life on.

When we come to Jesus with our “troubles”, we must be open to letting ourselves be transformed or, as Peter puts it, “let yourselves be built into a spiritual house.”

Troubles?  Jesus wants to help us.  What stands in his way?  Well, not much can stop Jesus but one of the things that can is us.  To let Jesus help us means to realize that we might need to change ourselves.  We need to realize we don’t have all the answers.

Only God has all the answers.

Going back to Jesus as the truth, this is a life-changing truth and it doesn’t affect just one part of our lives.  It must be part of everything we do.

Sometimes we live like faith was just one part of our life.  We might see our faith as something we do rather than something we are.

Why?  I think a lot of it has to do with the way we learn about our faith.  We learn most of what we know about God as little children.  As such we learn lists of rules but we don’t learn why?  Not that we will ever know all the whys in this world but when we do, it makes it easier to believe.

When we don’t know why, we are more tempted to do it our own way.  There can be church teachings that we don’t understand or agree with.  What is our response then?  Do we just do it our own way or do we make a real and deliberate effort to learn why?

The church teaches that we follow our conscience but we must seek to have a well-formed conscience.  That means asking questions and being open to answers that make us change.

Jesus is the way and the truth and life.

4^th Sunday of Easter, Year A
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
1 Peter 2:20b-25
John 10:1-10
May 11, 2014

We speak of Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  We have statues of Jesus as a shepherd holding a lamb. We think of the cute little innocent lamb. Of course, Jesus is the cute innocent lamb sacrificed for us. But we shouldn’t think of the Good Shepherd as just a cute image.  Jesus uses the image of the shepherd to tell us something. Jesus is always teaching us, showing us the way.

So why do Jesus use the image of the shepherd?

First, we must realize in this imagery we are the sheep, the ones the shepherd is to protect. We must also pay attention to Jesus when he speaks of how the sheep recognize the voice of their own shepherd.

To recognize how far this goes, we must know that in those days, the shepherds would often gather their sheep together in one flock. Then, when it was time to go out to pasture the shepherd would open the gate and call to his sheep.  Only the sheep of his own flock would recognize his voice and come out in response to it.

While we do have a couple of parishioners who raise sheep, most of us, myself included (we had cows, pigs, chickens, and ducks but no sheep), do not have first-hand knowledge of what it is like to raise sheep (I’m taking my information from others) but I think this analogy of recognizing the shepherd’s voice is very fitting for us today.

We live in a world with many different voices and, quite frankly, some of these voices lead us astray.  Some say God exists, some say no.  Some say abortion is wrong, some say it is good. Some say speak up for what you believe, some say keep it to yourself.

And these are just the black and white views. Seldom are things black and white.

It can seem like there are countless opinions, countless voices. How are supposed to know which voice to listen to?

The obvious answer for us in church is that we seek God’s voice but which voice speaks for God?

We hear the voices of teachers, priests, politicians, bosses, friends, and relatives like our parents (let us not forget our mothers today).

How do we know who to listen to?  I think the motivation with which people speak is very important. A boss or co-worker might speak out of self-interest or they might speak for a greater good.  A teacher might try to make themself good so they can keep their job or hopefully teachers primary motivation is to help us become good people. Then there are our mothers.  Aren’t the best mothers the ones who act out of love?

Love (understood correctly) is the best motivation.

In love of God and others, we must always desire to speak the truth as God offers it.  For instance, as a priest I am called in a particular way to preach on how God calls us to live.  I could preach based on what is easy to do and what would make you happy.  I can’t do that.  As a priest I have a responsibility to proclaim God’s way.

Actually, we all have a calling that flows from our baptism as priest, prophet, and king to share the truth.

We are not to force it on anyone.  We don’t need to argue. As Peter says when we are insulted, we don’t need to return insults. We just proclaim God’s truth.

We could say it is too difficult. We might want to go looking for an easier way.  The easy way isn’t always the best way. Jesus chose the Cross.  Do you think that was the easy way?

Today is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. God is calling us all to serve in some way. For many motherhood or fatherhood is key. Some teach. Some care for the sick or help the poor.  I serve as a priest. None of these are easy.

I take my role as a priest and as a pastor very seriously. It isn’t easy. People can challenge what I say. I do my best to listen to God. It isn’t about what I think is best. The challenge is to hear God’s voice above all the others.

3^rd Sunday in Easter, Year A
Acts 2:14, 22-33
1 Peter 1:17-21
Luke 24:13-35
May 4, 2014

First Communion

The disciples are walking on the road to Emmaus, troubled by what has happened, naming the Crucifixion and the empty tomb.  As they walk, they do what we should all do, they are discussing faith.

As they walk, Jesus comes along and joins them but they do not recognize him.  He asks them what they are talking about.  They are astonished that he would ask the question.  How could he not know what they were talking about?

For them, nothing could be more important than what has happened to Jesus.  They cannot imagine someone not knowing and talking about this.

Has your faith ever been that important to you?  Do you talk about our faith?

The disciples continue on their way as they converse with Jesus.  Jesus talks to them about how everything that has happened is in accord with what had been written down in scripture.  The disciples listen attentively to what Jesus says but they do not realize that he is Jesus.

They like what they hear enough that they invite him to stay with them.  As he stayed with them, they shared bread.  It was when Jesus broke the bread that they realized who he was.

This is fitting for our faith for it was no ordinary breaking of the bread that Jesus offered to them.  It is the Eucharist, the bread and wine becoming the Body and Blood of Jesus, Jesus made present in the bread and wine in a way never heard of before.

It is this same breaking of the bread that we celebrate every time we come for Mass.  Our belief in the breaking of the bread and the real presence is fundamental to our identity as Catholics.

With this in mind, we celebrate something very special this weekend at all our Masses.  We have eighteen of our children receiving their First Communion this weekend.

They have been preparing for this special day since January.  Actually, their preparation for this day began with the baptism, continued as they came to church and their parents taught them about our faith.  It took on a new level when they started in our school or religion classes.  Really, the preparation work they did in the last four months is really the culmination of all of this.

So this is a very special day for them, a day to remember.  I think it can also be a day for all of us to think about what it means to receive Communion.

For me two phrases come to mind, real presence and reverence.

Real Presence because it is not just bread and wine we receive.  It is Jesus.  It still looks like bread and wine.  It still tastes like bread and wine but it is Jesus.  In coming forth for Communion, we desire to become what we receive.  We desire to become like Jesus.

Because we believe it really is Jesus that we receive in Communion, we must show a great reverence.  We don’t just pass the consecrated hosts around as we would with a bowl of candy.  We come forth in solemn procession.  Our coming forth is an expression of our desire to come to Jesus.  So, it must be done with reverence.  We forth in orderly lines, attentive to what we are about to receive.

As the person ahead of us in line steps away after receiving the Body, we bow.  Why do we bow?  As a sign of reverence to our king, Jesus, present in the consecrated host.  The minister holds up the host in reverence and says “the Body of Christ” to which we say Amen.  Not thank to the minister but Amen!

Amen means ‘yes I believe’.  I believe it really is Jesus.  We hold out our hands, one over the other making a ‘throne’ as St. Cyril described it in the fourth century, for Jesus.  We immediately consume the host.  Then we repeat this with the cup.

We return to our pews quietly praying.  We say thank you to God for giving us his Son in this way.  We say thank you to Jesus.

For those receiving your First Communion today is a very special day for you.  But remember what this day means not just today but every time you receive Communion in the future, remember the precious gift we receive.