Bulletin Articles

Father Acervo’s Corner: May 3, 2020

NB: This was my bulletin article two weeks ago.  I post it here with the hopes that it might be helpful to some.

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.  “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

This past Easter Monday, I decided that I just needed a day for myself.  I hadn’t taken a day off since the public Masses were suspended (truthfully, I don’t always take my day off, but I don’t normally go that long without one), and it was a busy Holy Week and Triduum.  So, I decided to treat myself to a Lord of the Rings marathon (though, I only got through Fellowship of the Ring and Two Towers).  I’ve read some of LotR (I really need to sit down and read it all the way through someday) and have seen the movies countless times.  It’s really a masterpiece of a story.  There are so many great Catholic themes woven in throughout.

The scene above from Fellowship is one of my favorites.  Frodo has begun to realize the weight of the responsibility of carrying the ring.  He wishes the ring hadn’t come to him.  He also begins to see the frightening power of evil that exists in the world.  He wishes that he’d never left the Shire.  Everything in his life has changed.  Frodo’s words might be ours today.  We wish this plague hadn’t come to us, that it hadn’t happened in our time.  Just as the Hobbits missed the beauty and peace of everyday life in the Shire, we miss such simple things as going to Mass or the restaurant, visiting friends, and knowing what day of the week it is.

We carry a lot of emotion these days.  We live with various degrees of fear, worry, sadness, and anger.   There’s a lot of emotion directed toward the government and the bishops, a lot of anger toward decisions made.  We’re concerned about our health and the health of loved ones.  We’re worried about jobs and whether we’ll be able to pay our bills.  Those are all valid.

But Gandalf’s words are wisdom for us as well.  While it’s fair to wish that things were different, this is the time and the situation that we’ve been given.  This is the cross that God has asked us to carry.  And while much time is spent fretting over the decisions of the government, the bishops, and the media (and believe me, I know, there is a lot to fret about), let’s not forget that we had better decide what we are going to do with this time that we have.  Otherwise, this cross that we have been given will be wasted.

As we read through the Acts of the Apostles during the Easter season, I am struck by how singularly focused St. Peter and the Apostles were.  They are on a mission – a mission that Christ Himself gave to them.  And no amount of threats, imprisonment, or persecution could distract them from that mission.  They know what they must do.  And even in the face of all the opposition, there is joy not gloominess.  There is determination not excuses.  They must do what God has asked them to do, and they will carry it out to the end.

Mother Angelica had said it this way once: “Holiness is simple. Holiness is doing God’s Will in the present moment. That’s it. Holiness consists of four words: The Will of God.”

“The present moment” can look like anything.  The present moment may be a time of bliss.  It may be a time of persecution or even a time of plague.  But whatever “the present moment” looks like, the mission is always the same: holiness.  Strive to be holy in the present moment.  And then move on to the next moment, and then the next moment, and then the next.  And then encourage others to follow you.  If you find consolation in the present moment, then thank God.  If you find trial, thank Him anyway.  Be faithful to God in the present moment.  Love Him with your whole heart, mind, soul, and strength and your neighbor (e.g., the ones you are quarantined with) as yourself.  And then, you will be doing the Will of God.

This week, I pray that God gives you whatever strength you need to persevere in your faith and in your love for Him.  I’ve said from the beginning that this is a spiritual battle more than anything, a time of testing of our faith.  This time of plague and pandemic will pass.  Even when we are able to get together again, it likely won’t look like what it did before it all happened – at least not for a while.  But when we look back at this time, hopefully we can say that we did good with the time that was given us.

Yours in the Risen Christ,
Fr. Acervo

Bulletin Articles

Humanae Vitae at 50

Father Acervo’s Corner: January 21, 2018

One could say that 1968 was a memorable year (I say this as one who had not been born yet).  Locally, it was the year that the Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games to win the World Series.  This might be a nice memory to hold on to during what could be a tough season for our baseball club!  In the Church, 1968 was the year that Pope Paul VI wrote his Encyclical Letter Humanae Vitae (“Of Human Life”).  This letter sent shockwaves in the Church throughout the world and continues to do so fifty years later.  From the moment that it was promulgated, Humanae Vitae was mocked and derided as “controversial” and “divisive”.  It was rejected by many even in the Church.  Many clergy refused or were afraid to preach on it. Today, there are still dissenters even within the Church who call it “outdated”.  We need to pray that the pope won’t succumb to any calls to “update” Paul VI’s encyclical which affirms the Church’s unchangeable teaching on the transmission of human life.  So where are we now fifty years later?

Unfortunately, contraception has become the norm in our modern culture.  It wasn’t always that way.  As recently as the early part of the 20th century, contraception was almost universally acknowledged as immoral.  Even those who didn’t consider themselves religious saw contraception as unnatural.

But then a movement in favor of contraception began to form led in large part by Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood.  They cited things like economic burden, overpopulation, the potential for greater freedom for those who choose career over family, greater harmony and peace in married life if couples weren’t “burdened” by children, and the promise of taking control over our bodies – which are not really ours, but the Lord’s – through science and technology (“fake news” existed back then too).  But what mostly fueled the movement was a desire to de-moralize the culture paving the way for people to do whatever they wanted seemingly free from all consequence.

Unfortunately, many yielded to the increased pressure to accept contraception.  The Christian community, however, resisted.  But in 1930 at the Lambeth Conference, the leadership of the Anglican church caved and approved the use of contraception.  One by one, other Christian denominations followed suit.  The Catholic Church, however, remained steadfast, and today she almost alone in the world condemns contraception as being intrinsically evil.  Like the Lord Himself, the Catholic Church is a sign of contradiction (cf. Lk 2:34).  In response to the contraceptive movement, Pope Pius XI wrote his 1930 Encyclical, Casti Conubii (“On Christian Marriage”), affirming Church teaching that the primary natural end of the marital act is procreation and that any unnatural means used to deliberately frustrate God’s plan for marriage is intrinsically sinful.

The contraceptive movement, however, continued to gain momentum and by 1950 had all but won over public opinion.  The Catholic Church would feel increased pressure as it was the last major Christian denomination to remain condemning the practice.  The pill would be released not long after to the public which would fuel the sexual revolution of the 1960’s.  The convenience of the pill removed the need for self-discipline and abstinence and started the culture on the path of accepting and normalizing the “hook-up” culture, abortion, divorce, and same-sex unions.  One worries about what will be next (#genderconfusion)

It was in that culture that Paul VI wrote Humanae Vitae reaffirming and further clarifying that contraception is an intrinsically evil act.  Pope St. John Paul II would continue to reaffirm the Church’s teaching on life in his Theology of the Body – a series of instructions that explained the Church’s vision (which is really God’s vision) of the human person, marriage, family, and life.  Marital love, he said, must be free, total, faithful, and fruitful.  Contraception is none of these.

It’s called contraception because it is “against conception”, meaning that it is an act against the beginning of new human life.   It is also against marriage and the family.  Recall that Sr. Lucia of Fatima said that “the decisive battle between the kingdom of Christ and Satan will be over marriage and the family” and that “those who work for the good of the family will experience persecution and tribulation”.  We must be on the right side of this battle.

Fifty years later, we are still experiencing the terrible fruits of contraception.  In Humanae Vitae (paragraph 17), Pope Paul VI made certain predictions about what the consequences of contraceptive use would be. He argued (in 1968) that there would be more marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards, that more men would forget the reverence due to women, instead considering them mere instruments for the satisfaction of desire (Hollywood may just be figuring this out.  Maybe), and that governments “who care little for the precepts of the moral law” might adopt coercive population control measures (“they may even impose their use on everyone”).

As Catholics, we must be faithful to God’s divine plan for marriage and family, that the marital act was created by God to strengthen the bond between husband and wife and to beget children (“babies and bonding”).  This would be a good year for all of us to take another look (or perhaps a first look) at Humanae Vitae and pray for the courage to follow God’s plan for life and love.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Acervo

Extraordinary Form, Homilies

2nd Sunday After Epiphany (EF)

St. Edward on the Lake, Lakeport, MI | DOWNLOAD AUDIO
January 14, 2018
Rom 12:6-16; Jn 2:1-11

Today’s Gospel is one of my favorites for a number of reasons.  First, the Wedding Feast of Cana reminds us of the confidence that we must have in the Mother of God.  Those who are not Catholic often wonder why we as Catholics pray to Mary.  They think that we worship her.  Worship, of course, is reserved only for God.  We know that.  But Mary holds a very important place for us.  To her, we owe her honor because she is the Mother of God.  But not just honor.  We owe her the highest form of honor.   There is a Greek word “dulia” which means reverence or veneration.  It refers to the honor given to the angels and saints as friends of God.  But a special word is given to Mary – hyperdulia (“hyper” meaning “over” and “beyond”).  Hyperdulia refers to the special veneration due to the Blessed Mother because she is “full of grace” and because of her special closeness to Her Divine Son.

 

They had no wine.  Being a Jewish Wedding Feast, this was a problem.  Our Lord was there, but the servants went to Mary.  And her response is simple, yet beautiful: “Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye”.  Do whatever He tells you.  Here, Mary demonstrates her role as intercessor, and that is what she is.   She intercedes on our behalf.  We as servants can be confident in turning to Mary with our needs because we know that she will bring them to her Son.

Of course, Mary has instructions for the servants as well: Do whatever He tells you.    Mary is our intercessor, but her whole life is dedicated toward leading us to her Divine Son.   We pray, we ask Mary to intercede for us, but we must be obedient to the Will of God to the best of our ability.

Which gets to another aspect of this reading that I love.  And it comes out best in this translation of the Gospel.  Do whatever He tells you.  Our Lord tells them to fill the jars with water.  And then Scripture says, “And they filled them up to the brim”.  Not most of the way, but to the brim.  The servants did what Our Lord asked them to do, and they did it all the way, and the water changed to wine.  When we listen to Our Lord, when we are obedient to His commands, His Church to the best of our ability, amazing things happen.

St. Paul’s Epistle reminds us that each of us has been given great gifts from the Lord – talents, abilities, strengths – and when we use them to the best of our ability in service to God and our neighbor, amazing things can happen.  We especially have the grace to be faithful to God.  We have to strive toward being faithful to God to the best of our abilities. Yes, we are human, and yes we will fall short quite often, but we do the best that we can with the gifts that God has given to us.  Or as Our Lord says in another part of the Gospel, “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect”.

This is the call of the disciples – perfection.  But our Lord doesn’t just call us.  He gives us His Body and Blood to strengthen us so that we can continue to strive for perfect holiness throughout our earthly journey.  May God give us the strength to persevere through all the trials and tribulations of life that the Lord may find us faithful to the very end.

Bulletin Articles

For Life

Father Acervo’s Corner: January 14, 2018

“Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2258; Donum Vitae). 

“Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life” (CCC 2270).

On Monday, January 22, the Church will acknowledge the 45th anniversary of the tragic decision of Roe v. Wade which ruled that unborn children no longer qualify as persons, and therefore require no protection under the law.  As a result of this decision, tens of millions of unborn children have been murdered in their mother’s womb.  The Church declares January 22 as a day of penance for sins against the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion.  It will also be a day of prayer in the Church for the full recognition of the legal guarantee of the right to life.

As disciples, praying for an end to abortion and other crimes against humanity is part of our mission.  Even as more and more people claim to be against abortion, not enough has been done to change the laws of this land so that the rights of the unborn can be protected.  As we persevere in our work and prayer to end abortion, it’s good for us to remember that we have the Lord’s promise that “the powers of death shall not prevail against [the Church]” (Mt. 16:18) and that He will be with us until the end of time (cf. Mt. 28:20).  We have confidence in Him because “with God all things are possible” (Mt. 19:26).  So even though the challenge facing us is great, we know that abortion can be eliminated if only we are faithful to God trusting in His merciful love.

This week, people from all over the country will be participating in the annual March for Life in Washington D.C. this week.  Unfortunately, the bus trip that I was going to go on to the March was cancelled, but we pray for all of those who will be there representing all of us who fight for the rights of the unborn. The March is such an amazing experience, and I would encourage anyone who has ever thought about going to make the trip someday.  The mainstream media would have you believe that it is only a small gathering of participants, but the reality is that the March draws hundreds of thousands of people – including many young people.  To see people get together like that is encouraging.  It reminds us that we are not alone in our quest to end abortion.  EWTN will surely be covering the March, so you can tune in to see it happening.

I also encourage everyone to take seriously the Church’s call to treat Monday as a day of prayer and penance.  Mass, of course, is the highest form of prayer, and so Mass for that day will be offered for the end of abortion and celebrated as a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.  It would be great to see many of you there that morning.  However, if you can’t make it to Mass that morning, think about what prayers you can offer.  Pray for those who will be going to the March in Washington this coming weekend and to other events throughout the country.  Pray especially for our young people.  They especially are inundated with the culture’s message of “Do whatever feels good”.  The Church’s message is “Be what God aspires you to be.  Live for others”.  That is the message that we all need to hear.  Let’s live and pray for others especially for those who are the most defenseless.  May God bless us to be faithful in our efforts to end abortion in our country and in the world.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Acervo

Homilies

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

NB: Yes, I’m blogging again.  At least for now.  I’ve been so busy that I haven’t been able to keep up.  Thanks for your patience.

St. Edward on the Lake, Lakeport, MI | DOWNLOAD AUDIO
January 14, 2018
1 Sam 3:3b-10, 19; 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20

I want to focus on the Second Reading today.  It’s from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians.  It’s an important passage because it combats the popular philosophies of our modern culture – a culture that Pope St. John Paul II referred to as a “culture of death” – and it’s important that we understand what St. Paul was talking about here and how it applies not only to people who lived almost 2,000 years ago, but also to us today.

Essentially, St. Paul in this passage is dealing with the gravity/seriousness of the sin of impurity.  He’s writing to the Corinthians likely around the year 57 (so about 24 years after the death and Resurrection of Christ).  Corinth is in Greece, and so the people in the time before the coming of Christ were still worshipping the Greek gods.  One of the Greek gods was Aphrodite, the goddess of love.  Not love in the Christian sense.  Far from it.  More like love in the way that our culture has corrupted it.  And so, it led to the loss of all sense of sexual sin.

St. Paul says, “The body is not for immorality”.  The word that is used there that gets translated into “immorality” actually means “fornication”.  So that’s the kind of thing that St. Paul is addressing here.  That sin of impurity had become the norm for the people of Corinth to the point that they had no sense of sexual sin and the gravity of it, and some of that was still going on even when St. Paul went there to preach the Gospel.  Now why this is important for us today should be pretty easy to see.  Like Corinth 2,000 years ago, our culture has lost all sense of sexual sin as well.  Things like fornication and other sins of impurity are the norm.  And most of what comes out of Hollywood or the music industry will tell you that it’s no big deal.  Everyone’s doing it.  That may be what the culture says, but what St. Paul is telling us without any ambiguity is that it is a grave sin.  It is a danger to the soul.  It is offensive to Christ and the Holy Spirit.

How is it offensive to Christ?  When we are baptized, we are made members of Christ’s Body.  That’s not poetic language; that’s our faith.  In a mystical way, through the sacrament of Baptism, we are made members of Christ’s Body.  It is why we can call God Our Father.  And so, to use our bodies for immorality does harm not only to us; more importantly, it does harm to Christ’s own Body, which is sacred.

Second, our bodies were given to us as a gift and like all gifts, they are not to be used selfishly for ourselves and for our own pleasure.  Our bodies are instruments by which we can serve God and our neighbor.  Our bodies are instruments by which we can do God’s work.  That’s why St. Paul says, “The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord”.  Our bodies are not our own to do with what we please.  Instead, St. Paul says, “Glorify God with your body”.

Third, Jesus came to redeem the body.  The Greeks had a negative view of the body, that it only imprisoned the soul, which is another reason why they had no sense of sexual sin.  But the body, along with the soul, was created by God and therefore is good.  Furthermore, when Jesus became man, He showed the value of the human body.  And then when He sacrificed His Body on the Cross, He showed its ultimate value, that it can be given up as a gift to God.  When He sacrificed Himself on the Cross, Jesus redeemed not just our souls, but our bodies as well.  That’s why our bodies will be raised on the last day.  It’s why we have respect for our bodies not only when we are alive, but even after we die.  Our burial rites are very respectful to the body.  We bury them in blessed ground.  Even if our bodies are cremated, we bury them in blessed ground or in a vault that it likewise blessed.  [i.e., we don’t scatter ashes or leave them in a jar on the mantle]  St. Paul says, “You have been purchased at a price”.  That’s the price.  And so, we have to guard against abusing our bodies mindful that they don’t belong to us.

How is it an offense against the Holy Spirit?  St Paul tells the Corinthians, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?”  The Holy Spirit, God Himself, dwells within us from the time of our baptism.  Athletes today like to say before a home game, “This is our house”.  It’s a way of saying, “We can’t let the visiting team come in here and beat us”.  Well this is God’s house.  Your body is God’s house.  It is the house, the temple, of the Holy Spirit, and we cannot let anything impure come in a defile it.  When we sin against our bodies, whether it’s by sexual sin or anything else that defiles or harms the body, it would be like spraying graffiti all over this church.  St. Paul is telling us that when we sin against our bodies, this is what we’re doing.  [Sins of the flesh = vandalism against the Temple of the Holy Spirit]

So what steps can we take so that we glory God with our bodies?  St. Thomas Aquinas goes as far as to say “run away”.  There are some temptations that we can just say no.  But that’s not enough to fight off sexual immorality because those temptations are not only all around us; they’re even within us.  St. John Vianney gives us five things that we can do.

One, be very vigilant about what we look at, and what we think and say and do.  Now, St. John Vianney, who is one of my favorite saints, and the people of his time (mid 1800’s) didn’t have to deal with TV, movies, and the internet.  We do.  Many of us have access to all those things in our pockets or purses.  Parents, be careful (judicious) about giving your kids smartphones when they’re very young, and if you do, monitor what they have access to.  Your kids will love me for saying that.

Two, pray.  Pray for the strength to fight off temptation.  Pray to your guardian angel that he would protect you from temptation.  Pray before using the internet.

Three, receive the sacraments frequently and worthily, especially the Eucharist and Confession.  Avoiding sin is impossible without the strength of the Lord which comes only from the sacraments.

Four, fly from anything which might tempt us to sin.  I keep thinking of that scene in the Fellowship of the Ring when Gandalf is hanging from that cliff and he says, “Fly, you fools”.  Fly.  Run away from temptation.

And five, have great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary who is the model and example of purity.  She is our Mother.  She will protect us if we turn to her.

Let me add a couple of other things.  Practice the virtue of modesty.  Be modest in your speech avoiding vulgar language and entertainment.  Be modest in your glances.  Have custody of your eyes.  Don’t let them just wander and stare; have control over your eyes.  Be modest in your dress, your attire.  Modesty of dress is also a way of reflecting the dignity of the body.  So dress modestly.  Modesty is the guardian of purity, so practice it.

Also take care of the health of your bodies.  It’s not about being vain; it’s about taking care of what God has given to us.  In the sacrament of Confirmation, we become soldier of Christ, and soldiers have to stay in shape in order to fight well.  Eat right, exercise, quit smoking and excessive drinking, guard against laziness.

Our bodies are not our own.  They belong to God, and what we do with our bodies matters.  So glorify God in your body, and just as the Lord offers His Body as a gift to you, may we offer our bodies as a gift to Him in return.

Bulletin Articles

One Mass/Consecrated Virginity

Father Acervo’s Corner: July 2, 2017

1. The month of July is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus. The Fathers of the Church say that the Church was born from the pierced side of Christ, and that the sacraments were brought forth through His Blood. Christ poured out His Blood for the salvation of the world, and it is said that even one drop of the Precious Blood would have been enough to redeem the world. And yet, by pouring out His Blood completely, He shows that He spared nothing in order to save us. The chalice that we receive IS the Blood of Christ.  It’s important that we be careful in our language and not refer to it as “wine”.  Wine is just wine.  The Blood of Christ, even just one drop of it, is Christ truly present and must be completely adored.

It also serves as a reminder of the importance of every Holy Mass during which the Blood of Christ continues to be poured out for us.  Think about what one loses or misses out on every time he/she passes up Holy Communion:

  • A personal visit with Jesus, the Author and source of all grace and holiness.
  • An increase in sanctifying grace which makes the soul more pleasing to God.
  • A share of sacramental grace which gives us the strength that we need to persevere in doing God’s will and fighting off temptation (I know that I need all the help that I can get).
  • An opportunity to have all venial sins wiped away (this happens at every Mass. Mortal sins must still be confessed, but venial sins – as long as we are sorry for them – are forgiven at every Mass).
  • The simple joy that comes from being united with Jesus. We are no more in union with Jesus this side of Heaven than we are when we receive Holy Communion.

Sure, those few extra minutes of sleep are nice, but think of some of the things that we gain – both in this life and in the life to come – when we come to Mass.  St. John Vianney said, “Put all the good works in the world against one Holy Mass; They will be as a grain of sand beside a mountain”.  That is the value of just one Holy Communion.

2. Last Saturday (6/24), I attended a special Mass at the Cathedral during which Archbishop VIgneron consecrated three women as Virgins Living in the World. It was a first here in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

From the very beginning of the Church, Christian men and women have been called by God to forsake marriage and dedicate their lives to God as consecrated celibate persons (to “consecrate” something is make it sacred and to set it aside for a sacred purpose).  Rather than live in community life, be it in a monastery or otherwise, these men and women choose to live a life of perfect chastity “in the world”.  They have regular occupations, but they devote their time and gifts to the service of the Church. Consecrated virgins also have a connection with a particular diocese (since they do not belong to a religious order), so they serve the diocese in a particular matter, but they also have a special responsibility to pray for the bishop of their diocese.

Some women are called to join a religious order as a nun, but consecrated virgins live their consecration in the world.  What they choose to give up is something that is very personal, but they willingly do so in order that they might be married to Christ.  As they process in at the beginning of the Mass, they (wearing wedding dresses) carry lit lamps that call to mind the parable of the wise virgins (Matt 25:1-13).  Like the oil of the lamp, the virgin is to be consumed by pure and selfless love, which urges her to make an offering of her life to Christ.  During their consecration, they are clothed with a veil that represents her espousal to Christ.  They are given a ring that represents her total gift of herself to Christ (notice the parallel to a wedding veil and ring).  They are also given the Liturgy of the Hours, the public prayer of the Church.  All priests make a promise to pray the Liturgy of the Hours every day for the praise of God and salvation of His people.  Likewise, these consecrated virgins make a promise to pray the Liturgy of the Hours daily for God and for His Church.

The vocation of consecrated virgin is a beautiful one but is unfortunately one that is not talked about much.  I’m hopeful that the celebration of this Mass of Consecration (and God willing, subsequent celebrations) will raise awareness about this vocation that more women might hear the call to be wedded to Christ in a similar manner.

To be consecrated in the world is also a beautiful sign and witness to the beauty of celibacy and purity.  We live in a hyper-sexualized culture in which sex, rather than being a total sharing of husband and wife to each other and for the raising of families, is merely recreational.  It has brought about a culture of “hook ups” that is encouraged by television, movies, music, and advertising.  It has led to the devaluing of marriage, loss of dignity, and a general cultural malaise.  This has been especially damaging to young people, many of whom no longer see marriage as something beautiful and who feel expected to go along with the hook up culture because “everyone is doing it”.

Consecrated Virginity brings many unique gifts into the life of the Church.  It is a witness of the beauty of celibacy and purity and of devoting one’s self completely to Christ and His Church.  For more information, you can go to consecratedvirgins.org

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Acervo

Homilies

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Year A

St. Edward on the Lake, Lakeport, MI | DOWNLOAD AUDIO
June 18, 2017
Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a; 1 Cor 10:16-17; Jn 6:51-58

After the Israelites were liberated from the slavery of the Egyptians, they spent forty years wandering in the desert.  It was a difficult time and a difficult journey, and many of them complained even to the point of saying that it would have been better to have stayed in Egypt quickly forgetting how bad slavery was.  Moses had the task of shepherding the people through the desert, dealing with complaints, and reminding the people to be thankful to God for having freed them from slavery.

In the First Reading today, they are remined that it was God who gave them special protection and fatherly care (something good to think about this Father’s Day weekend).  That doesn’t mean that they were without difficulty, but God remained faithful to them and even provided for them.  When they were hungry, He gave them manna from Heaven to strengthen them on their journey and so that they might learn how to rely on God their Father for all their needs, to be faithful to Him as He is faithful to them.

This relationship between Israel and God is like that of father and son, and Jesus often used this point as the center of His teaching.  We, of course, are the new Israel, and God is still Our Father.  And just as He provided for the people in ancient times, so He continues to provide for His Church today.  And that’s the first point that I want to reflect on on this Corpus Christi Sunday.

God provides for His people.  Like the ancient Israelites, we are on a journey.  Their journey began when they were freed from the slavery of the Egyptians.  Our journey began when we were baptized and freed from the slavery of sin.  Their journey through the desert was difficult, lots of grumbling and complaining.  Our journey through life is often difficult and, let’s be honest, we all do our share of grumbling and complaining from time to time.  They struggled staying to faithful to God, sometimes even doubting where He was leading us.  We have our struggles, and even the best of us allow some doubts to creep into our minds.

But God gave them manna from Heaven to strengthen them so that they could persevere on their journey.  For us today, it is so much more.  In the Gospel today, Jesus says that He is the bread that came down from Heaven.  He is the fulfillment of the manna in the desert.  So God doesn’t just give us ordinary food to strengthen us; He gives us Himself, His own Body and Blood to nourish us on our pilgrimage through this world.

This is why Jesus says that it is necessary to receive His Body and Blood in order to share in His divine life and to develop and mature the grace that we received in baptism.  Just as we need ordinary food to maintain the life of our bodies, Holy Communion is necessary for maintaining the life of our soul.  When the Church says that we need to go to Mass every Sunday, it’s because she knows that we need the Eucharist in order to have life.  She has listened to Jesus’ own words today: “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”  No. Life.  No parent is content with bringing a child into the world: they know that they need to be nourished properly in order to become mature.  For our souls to become mature, we need the Eucharist.  It is real food for the journey.  It is the source and summit of the Christian life as it says in the Catechism.

But the most important effect of the Eucharist is intimate union with Jesus Christ, which is why we call it Communion (“union with”).  In Holy Communion, we share in the life of the Lord.  We become one with Him.  You’ve heard of the phrase, “You are what you eat”?  That’s true of the Eucharist.  When we eat His Body and drink His Blood, we become more like Christ (as long as we receive it in the proper state).  That’s the purpose of the sacraments – union with Christ.  Jesus ministers to us in the sacraments.  It is how we can have real contact with Him just as the people two thousand years ago had real contact with Him.  This happens in each of the seven sacraments but especially in the Eucharist.  It is the Most Blessed Sacrament.

But we can only understand this if we truly believe that the Eucharist IS Jesus.  Not a symbol of Jesus, but Jesus Himself – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.  It’s what we refer to as the Real Presence.  Jesus is Really Present in the Holy Eucharist.  Unfortunately, just as many people had a hard time understanding and accepting Jesus’ words 2,000 years ago, even many people today – even some Catholics – have not accepted His teaching today.

I believe that the failure to believe in the Real Presence of Christ is why so many of our brothers and sisters don’t come to Mass.  Think about it.  If I don’t believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, then why would I go to Mass?  To be entertained?  I can just stay home and watch Netflix or the football game.  For the homily?  There are tons of CDs with better speakers.  I can just listen to that in my car.  For the community?  We have a Euchre Night in the hall after Mass.  Or we could just meet at a restaurant.  We could easily do things like that.

But if I do believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, if I believe that Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior is truly present in the Eucharist…then wow!  That changes everything.  If I told you that Pope Francis was waiting in the sacristy for anyone who wants to talk to him after Mass, you wouldn’t wait for Mass to be over.  You wouldn’t wait for this homily to be over!  But even better than Pope Francis, Jesus is here in the Eucharist at every Mass in every tabernacle waiting patiently for you to come to Him.

And yet so many people don’t even bother.  So many people (a majority of people) stay away.  That to me is the great disconnect.  It is the one single thing that keeps our churches from being packed, the one single thing that keeps people apart from living an active faith – that many of our fellow Catholics don’t really believe that Jesus is there.  They might believe intellectually because they read it somewhere or someone taught it to them and they know that they’re supposed to believe it, but it hasn’t moved from head to heart.  It hasn’t moved them to a response.

Our Lady of Fatima spoke of ingratitude and indifference and even sacrileges toward the Holy Eucharist.  Ingratitude and indifference because many people refuse to come to Mass.  Sacrilege because of those who received Communion without being absolved from serious sin in Confession.  Receiving Holy Communion is not beneficial to us if we remain in serious sin, and is in fact harmful to us.

Everything today is about the New Evangelization and renewal.  But for that to have any amount of success, there needs to be a restoration of belief in the Real Presence.  Fr. John Hardon said the single unifying feature of the 40,000-plus Protestant denominations is their rejection of the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist.  Our belief in the Real Presence is what separates us as Catholics.  Our Masses need to reflect that we believe that Christ is really here in the Eucharist.  Our lives must reflect our belief in the Real Presence.

I want to close by sharing a prayer taught by the angel to the three children at Fatima: “Most Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit- I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.”

On this Feast of Corpus Christi, let’s pray for a more fervent love for the Eucharist.  And let’s pray for all those who do not believe or have become indifferent, that all may come to the Eucharist, the source and summit, that they might receive the fulness of Christ’s divine life.

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).