June 29 2022 - Sts. Peter and Paul - Teachings, Examples, Mission, Martyrdom

Before the reform of calendar, Saints Peter and Paul were celebrated over the course of three days here at the end of June with the Vigil of Peter and Paul on June 28, the Feast of Peter and Paul on June 29, and the Commemoration of St. Paul on June 30. A fitting tribute, as Peter and Paul are two of the greatest men to have ever lived.

The prayers and readings of those three days are now consolidated into one feast, today’s, in which we celebrate their teachings, their examples, their mission, their martyrdom, and their heavenly intercession.

The Collect asked God to help us follow their teachings, may the Church, in all things follow the teachings of those through whom she received the beginnings of right religion. The Christian Church is forever shaped by the teachings of these two saints. 

In the first reading, we heard of Peter, having willingly suffered imprisonment for the Gospel, being set free by God’s angel. From there we know, the prince of the Apostles would travel to Rome to proclaim the Gospel and minister to the Roman Christians. I remember visiting the church of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome, the Church of St. Peter in Chains, and seeing the chains that bound Peter and were broken by the angel.

In the second reading, we heard of Paul writing to Timothy from his prison cell in Rome. Paul, no doubt having heard of Peter’s rescue from prison, speaks of how the Lord will rescue him too, only not by breaking his physical chains, but by raising him from the dead and delivering him to the eternal kingdom of heaven in the resurrection. Paul’s hope in resurrection is fill our hearts daily.

In the powerful Eucharistic Preface for this day, we proclaim God’s providence which fills us with joy at the celebration of Peter and Paul: “Peter, foremost in confessing the faith, Paul its outstanding preaching, Peter, who established the early Church from the remnant of Israel, Paul, master and teacher of the Gentiles…and so, each in a different way gathered together the one family of Christ; and revered together throughout the world, they share one Martyr’s crown.”

These two saints are examplars of missionary zeal. Their lives became centered on gathering souls to Christ. Not storing up treasures on earth, not gaining earthly fame, not living the comfortable life, not simply allowing life to pass them by as they awaited death. They went out to gather souls out of love for Christ. And that love was confirmed by their willingness to suffer a martyrs death for Christ.

May the love and zeal of Peter and Paul always animate us; may we know their heavenly assistance in being faithful to our share of the Church’s mission, in gathering souls to Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -  

The Lord Jesus built his Church on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. In faith let us pray.

The Lord prayed that the faith of Peter would not fail, may the Lord strengthen the faith of His Church and protect her from all dangers.

The Lord appeared to Peter after his resurrection and appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, may he make us steadfast proclaimers of his resurrection.

The Lord called Peter, a fisherman, to be a fisher of men, may he raise up new vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life. 

The Lord mercifully forgave Peter’s denials, may he have mercy upon all sinners, and all those who suffer illness or any other need.

The Lord gave Peter the keys of the kingdom, may the gates of that kingdom be open to all who trusted in Christ’s mercy while still on earth, especially…

Heavenly Father, graciously hear the prayers of your pilgrim Church on this great Solemnity and grant our prayers of petition through Christ, Our Lord. 

June 28 2022 - St. Irenaeus - Doctor of Unity

 On January 21 of this year, Holy Father Pope Francis issued a decree declaring St. Irenaeus as a Doctor of the Church. St. Irenaeus is the first Doctor of the Church believed to have been a martyr, and, having died around 202, he holds the distinction of being the most ancient of the Church’s now-37 Doctors of the Church. 

As Bishop of Lyon, in addition to his administrative duties, Irenaeus took up the project of addressing the heresies that were threatening the unity of the Church. This is why Pope Francis called declared Irenaeus, the Doctor of Unity.

And the heresy that was most prevalent at the time was Gnosticism. The Gnostics claimed to have secret knowledge of God that was superior to the faith taught by the Apostles and they looked down on anyone who did not believe or act the way they did.  In other words, they thought they knew better than the Church.  

Bishop Irenaeus preached and taught and wrote against the gnostics of his day, but that old heresy has shown its face in every age of the Church.  How many times have you heard the following:  “Jesus doesn’t really care if I go to Church every week.”  “I don’t need to confess my sins to a priest.”  “Jesus doesn’t mind if I live with my girlfriend or we use contraception, we’ve prayed about it.”

Christianity is not a personal creation, or secret knowledge, or private revelation. It’s not something for intellectual to recreate every century that allows us to deviate from Apostolic Tradition due to changing societal mores. 

The true Gospel is the one received in an uninterrupted line from the Apostles. Irenaeus himself was a student of St. Polycarp, who was a student of the Apostle John, who himself laid his head at the heart of the Savior. 

One characteristic of these Gnostic groups is that with all of their supposed special knowledge of God, they quickly became fragmented and divided, always breaking off from one another, as has happened in all of the protestant denominations and even in some Catholic parishes.  Unity and peace in the Church and unity and peace with God do not come from knowing better than the Church, but receiving the whole Truth, in obedience to Apostolic Tradition.  

In the Gospel for the feast of Irenaeus, we read of the Lord praying at the last supper, that his followers may be one, as He and the Father are one. May St. Irenaeus help us to be faithful to fostering authentic Christian unity on earth that we may come to communion with God in heaven for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That our bishops and clergy may be zealous in preaching and teaching the truth of the Gospel, and for a healing of division in the Church. 

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, for the sanctification of marriages, and for increased commitment on behalf of all the faithful to the works of mercy and the evangelizing mission.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

13th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Monday - Follow Him Wherever, However, Whenever

 The Gospel this morning should sound familiar. Our Gospel reading yesterday, for the 13th Sunday in ordinary time contained St. Luke’s account of a few of responses to follow Him after the Lord resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem

This morning we heard St. Matthew’s account of a few of these responses.

For Luke, the half-hearted, misguided responses to the invitation to discipleship were in reaction to setting his face toward the cross. “I will follow you wherever you go” would have to include the cross. 

In Matthew’s version, this morning, the responses were in reaction to the Lord preparing to get in a boat and crossing to the other side of the shore of the Sea of Galilee. And this is significant. He was not setting his face to Jerusalem so much as he was setting his face to the Decapolis, a largely Gentile settlement. This crossing of the sea here would separate the boys from the men, in a sense, dividing the only nominally interested crowd from the true disciples who were willing to leave their homes and follow Jesus into foreign lands. 

This incident is certainly a foreshadowing of the Great Commission in which the Lord sends his apostles to the all the ends of the earth to preach and teach and baptize. True disciples will have to go much farther into Gentile territory than just the other side of the sea of Galilee!

In today’s passage two men express their desire to go with Jesus, but one exhibits naïve enthusiasm and the other procrastination.

The first says he will follow the Lord wherever he goes, but Jesus warns that true discipleship entails a radical change in lifestyle. To follow the master is to imitate his total willingness to go wherever his Father sends—and so the disciple may be called to an austere itinerate ministry just like Jesus. Are you willing to truly go wherever you are sent by God? The answer must be yes.

The second man in response to the invitation to discipleship offers an excuse—he points to his familial obligations—a son’s responsibility at home to care for his aging father, the son’s duty in the Jewish burial custom of reburying his father’s bones one year after his father’s death. But the Lord says, “let the dead bury the dead”—true discipleship transcends familial obligations. Discipleship is the higher priority. Don’t put off discipleship because of attachments or earthly responsibilities—even good ones like family. 

This Gospel certainly causes us to examine our priorities, our attachments, and our excuses. Am I open and willing to follow the Lord wherever, whenever, however, he may call me? Out of my comfort zone? Am I willing to have my priorities readjusted by God? May the Holy Spirit continue to shape and form us in our Christian Discipleship for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - 

For the flourishing of spiritual gifts in the universal Church and our parish, for the sanctification of our parishioners, the conversion of the faithless, and the grace to be instruments of unwavering hope, mercy, love and compassion for all people. {Cantor will sing}

May Immaculate Mary, Mother of the Church, graciously help us to build a culture of life and a civilization of love, together with all people of good will, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and Lover of Life. {Cantor will sing}

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, for a strengthening of all marriages, and for single Catholics’ devotion to good works for the kingdom of God. {Cantor will sing}

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: may they know God’s strength and peace and the assistance of the Christian people. {Cantor will sing}

That those who have died may share the eternal life that Jesus promised to those who believe in Him; for the deceased members of our family and friends, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, and for…

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022 - The journey of Dante and Jesus

 This summer I have begun a bit of a journey—a literary journey. I’m taking a journey with the Poet Dante Alighieri—through his Divina Commedia---his Divine Comedy. I took the journey once before, back in undergrad, through the three books of La Commedia—Dante’s Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso—Dante’s Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven.

My guide through Dante that first time around was John Carrol professor, Dr. Thomas Nevin, who could brilliantly lecture to the very small group of us as if he were addressing a full auditorium. Dr. Nevin was also my latin professor who taught us the ancient language with great love and excitement.

This time through Dante’s Commedia, I have a small set of companion books, titled “Spiritual Direction from Dante” written by the Oratorian Priest Father Paul Pearson. And I’m really finding his commentary quite insightful and helpful. For the journey through the Commedia is complex, and steep, and confusing, and sometimes a bit horrific…just like life.

And that’s how the poem opens: with Dante, himself the main character in his epic poem, lost in a dark, bewildering forest. Life is sometimes like a dark, bewildering forest. And, it’s not always clear how we become lost or overwhelmed by life, is it? For Dante it was unclear to him if it was because he was having a midlife crisis, or that he had strayed off the path that God had wanted for him. And that can happen to any of us, you stray a little bit off God’s path; maybe you stop saying your daily prayers, stop coming to mass every week, maybe you allow a bad habit to get out of control, and you find yourself in a place that is wholly unfamiliar and confusing. 

So there is Dante, in the middle of his life, in this dark forest, and for a moment, he thinks he can find his way back on his own, so he makes his confused way through the forest, but soon comes across a pack of wild beasts—symbolizing the sins of his life—blocking his way. His struggle with his sins and his guilt keep him from finding his way.

But right when Dante sees this wolf of lust ready to pounce upon him, he detects someone in the distance, and desperately calls out for help: “Miserere di me…Mercy upon me, mercy”. 

With him in the dark woods was one of the poets of old, the Roman poet Virgil, who he had studied in his youth. Sometimes we need to remember the lessons of our youth, don’t we? Come to discover, Virgil had been sent to help Dante by the Blessed Virgin Mary. And Virgil was tasked with leading Dante on a journey:  a journey that would take him through the bowels of hell to witness the punishment of the damned, up the steep mountain of purgatory to witness the purification of the poor souls, and through the celestial realm of heaven to witness the reward of the saints basking in the glory of God. 

For Dante had become complacent about his sins. And so he needed to make the journey into hell to finally come to the understanding of the destructive power of sin. And to witness the glory of the blessed that he would forsake, if he allowed himself to be consumed by his sins. He needed to see how sin wounds the human mind, the human heart, and the human soul. We, too, often minimize the effects of sin. We say, “Sin isn’t that bad. It doesn’t hurt anybody.” False. We need to see sin from God’s perspective. Allowing sin to take root in one’s life leads to the sort of terrifying places dante will visit in the first stage of his journey. 

I bring up Dante’s journey, again, partially to tell you a bit about my summer spiritual reading, feel free to join me by the way, but also because of the opening line of today’s Gospel, on this 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time: “When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem”

This line from late in Luke chapter 9 is the spiritual midpoint of St. Luke’s Gospel. Up until this point, Luke has told us of the miraculous events leading up to our Lord’s infancy, his glorious birth, and the infancy of his public ministry, the calling of the first apostles, his early teachings about holiness and discipleship, parables about the kingdom of God, and miraculous healings, like that of the Gerasene Demoniac. 

But today’s Gospel is the turning point in which the Lord “resolutely determines to journey to Jerusalem”. And the Lord is very well aware of what that journey will entail, the hostility he will face from his enemies—and how that journey will end—with betrayal, suffering, and death.

The reason Dante resolves to make the journey through Hell and Purgatory is not unlike the reason Our Lord resolves to make his journey to the cross. It is God’s will. And it will bring about salvation. Dante makes his journey to face and overcome the sins in his own life, that he may come to the reward of the Blessed. The Lord makes his journey, not for his own sake, but for ours: Jesus journeys to the cross to die for our sins and to win for us that grace to help us overcome the attachments to sin remaining in us which seek to reclaim us.

The english translation of today’s gospel says that the Lord “resolutely determines to journey to jerusalem”, though literally St. Luke’s Greek says, “he set his face to jerusalem” recalling the verse from the servant song of Isaiah that we hear on Ash Wednesday every year, “I have set my face like flint, that I shall not be put to shame.” Jesus, God’s chosen servant, made the conscious decision to make the uncomfortable journey---a  journey that would require courage, fortitude, perseverance, and longsuffering, fruits of the spirit that are to fill our lives as well.

Are you resolutely determined to journey to God? Is your set face like flint against the many resistances Christians inevitably face in the spiritual life? Will you do what you need  to do in order to make the journey? Will you have the courage to face your own sins honestly? to overcome the sins God wants you to overcome? Will you leave what is comfortable to obtain the sanctification God wants for you?

Dante was overwhelmed by that question. He almost fled in fear back into the forest and allowed himself to be devoured by the wild beasts. So Virgil, his guide, reasons with him, helping him to trust that God wants him to make the journey, that he needs to trust God, he needs to trust the Blessed Virgin who knows the state of Dante’s soul, his doubts, his confusion, and his longings.

You see, Dante had forgotten that God and the Blessed Virgin and the saints are on our side. They desire our salvation more than we do. They are on our side before we are, like the shepherd in search of the lost sheep before the sheep either knows it is lost or wants to be found. They want to help us face our sins, and to allow God to deliver us from them. 

“Follow me” the Lord beckons to each of us, as he did in the Gospel. Make the journey. For freedom’s sake, allow Christ to set you free, as St. Paul says in our second reading, free from our secret fears and our sins which keep us from being the people God made us to be, free to be zealous in doing good works and spreading the Gospel.

Guided by the Spirit, may we live by the Spirit, confident that God desires what is best for us, and through Mother Church teaches us to live by his commands and by his grace, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

June 22 2022 - St. Thomas More - A Man for All Seasons

 One of my favorite films of all times is “A Man for All Seasons” the historical drama about St. Thomas More who is honored today along with the English martyr, bishop John Fisher. The film does an amazing job presenting the political and religious tension in England when King Henry VIII declared himself head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and amazingly captures the wit, intelligence, courage, and holiness of St. Thomas More, played by Paul Scolfield, who also portrayed the saint in the original stage version by Robert Bolt.

If you have a few free hours, check out “A Man for All Seasons”. And the title of the film and play raises an interesting question? Why does the author refer to St. Thomas More as “a man for all seasons”? Thomas More despite tremendous pressure from his friends, from his family, probably from a number of clergy, from the king of england, not to mention the threat of torture and martyrdom, remained true to his principals and Catholic religious convictions throughout all the seasons of his life. 

Whenever I watch the film adaptation, I am so deeply impressed by Thomas More’s spiritual leadership in his family and community. He is a loving husband, a provident father, a fair employer, a lawyer who does not bend to corruption and bribes, a sound counselor, a learned man who saw through the empty philosophies of his day, whose convictions informed his decisions. He is depicted as “man fully alive” as Irenaeus would say, a man whose mind has been strengthened by reason and the Gospel, a man whose moral compass is firmly set on Christ, a man who stands for Truth even when bishops and priests cower in fear. And it happened. It’s not just a fiction. He was that great.

But that’s what also makes him a man, not just for 16th century England, but a man for all seasons of history. His virtues are for every age. His stance for Truth is needed in every age. We need Thomas More’s in every season. We need Thomas More’s now. We need Catholics who will remain true to their faith despite the pressures of the world, their families, their peers. Catholics of rightly formed conscience.

And when you watch it, you think, that’s the sort of man I want to be, in every circumstance, making him truly, a man for all seasons.

May St. Thomas More inspire us by his life and assist us with his prayers, especially when it is our time to stand for Truth, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

That our bishops and clergy may be zealous in preaching and teaching the truth of the Gospel.

That through the intercession of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, people of faith may remain vigilant in defending religious liberty and preaching the Gospel courageously.

That our young people on summer vacation may be kept safe from the poisonous errors of our culture, and that their families may be places where the faith is practiced and cherished.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and for X for whom this Mass is offered.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.

12th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Tuesday - Do not give to dogs what is holy

 In my fifth year of seminary, we took a class on the synoptic Gospels, the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke. There was a separate class on the Gospel and letters of John. And, for the final term paper we were to choose a single passage from one of the Synoptic Gospels and write a 12-15 page paper on that passage. I thought I’d challenge myself and pick a single verse. And the verse I chose was the first verse of today’s Gospel: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine”

It's a perplexing teaching. What is our Lord talking about? Evangelization? Eucharist? Or is it a broad principle to be applied to a variety of situations? Obviously he’s not saying that we should refrain from preaching the holy Gospel to the unevangelized. That’s definitely our mission as Christians: go and make disciples of all nations. 

This line would be interpreted by the Church fathers in the early church to refer to the prohibition of admitting to holy communion those in a state of mortal sin. Do not give to dogs what is holy. The holy referring to the Eucharist, and the dogs referring to those who have given into their bestial nature and have fallen into sin without repentance. 

But, what makes this enigmatic teaching more perplexing is that in the preceding passage, as we heard yesterday, the Lord tells us not to judge. So, on one hand he is telling us to stop judging, on the other hand, he tells us that we are to use our judgement, in order to refrain from throwing pearls to the swine.

I tend to believe that the passage does contain a lesson for our efforts in evangelization. There comes a point where your audience, at least for a time, shows itself to be closed to the gospel message. And it’s time to stop wasting your energy and move on to another group of people. There comes a point, as the Lord himself teaches, that the evangelist has to shake the dust from his sandals, and move on. In Matthew 10 he says, “And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.” That’s not giving in to defeat, that’s just being wise with your time.

But, just because the Gospel is rejected in one place, by one person, doesn’t mean you give up altogether. That’s where as Christians, sometimes, we give up too easily. We run into a little bit of difficulty in our Gospel mission, and throw our hands in the air and give up entirely.

The saints show us what such perseverance looks like. At age 11, St. Aloysius was teaching the catechism to poor children and fasting three days a week and often woke in the middle of the night to pray.  He joined the Jesuits despite great resistance from his family. And when the plague struck Rome in 1591, he nursed the sick, washed them, made their beds, continuing to care for the plague victims even when he himself caught the disease.

St. Aloysius shows us that Christians are to be filled with youthful-enthusiasm in the works of mercy, and perseverance when we face our own crosses.

May St. Aloysius aid us in our share of the Gospel mission for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - -  

That Pope Francis and all the clergy may witness to the truth of the Gospel faithfully, courageously, and compassionately. 

Through the intercession of St Aloysius Gonzaga, patron of young people, that the young may be blessed with true faith, the desire to serve the Lord above seeking the pleasures of the world, and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life.

For the conversion of the unbelievers, for the return of Catholics who have left the Church, and for success in our Gospel mission.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster,  those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, all victims of abuse, especially children, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to live the call of Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families. 

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom, for N. for whom this mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

Corpus Christi 2022 - Why Eucharist?

 During my eighth year of seminary, we devoted an entire semester simply to study the Sacrament which is at the heart of today’s feast: the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the Eucharist. We studied how the scriptures, like St. Luke's feeding of the multitude, as we heard today, influenced the early Christians. We studied some of the ancient Eucharistic Prayers. We studied the medieval Theologians, especially Thomas Aquinas, who composed the prayers and hymns for today’s feast.

And at the end of the term, after hours and hours and hours of reading ancient texts and obscure theologians and the church’s most recent documents, our professor, Fr. Michael Woost—now Bishop-Elect Michael Woost tells us that the best way to prepare for the exam is to “study everything”, as the exam would be comprehensive of all the material we’ve covered since class one.

So I studied the 9th century Eucharistic Controversies, Thomas Aquinas, Pope John Paul II, and what cutting-edge theologians were writing about. Exam-day arrived and I was ready! So we get to the classroom and Fr. Woost passed out the blank exam booklets which we’d use to answer the exam questions. But, he then explained that the exam only had one question. He then handed us a small piece of paper with the exam’s only question, which consisted of two words and a question mark.  The big exam question was “Why Eucharist?” 

Fr. Woost said, “you have two hours, I suggest you use it wisely.”  I see my classmates open their exam book and start writing. And I just sort of sat there stunned for a moment. What do you mean, “Why Eucharist?” I’ve studied Hugh of St. Victor, St. Fulgentius of Ruspe, Blessed Sacrament Priest Eugene LaVerdie, Cardinal Ratzinger, I memorized the third Eucharistic Prayer, and most of the first and second ones. And this simple question just stunned me.

My first thought was to write, “Why Eucharist? Why Not!” and hand that in. But if I did that, I probably would not have been ordained. So, as my classmates were writing and writing and writing, I’m just sort of sitting there. I had no idea where to start.  How can you answer that question?  “Why Eucharist” is like asking, “Why did God give us the Eucharist?” and it seemed pretty arrogant to presume we can even come close to answering that. We don’t call it the “Mystery of Faith” for nothing. 

So, I sat there for what seemed like 15-20 minutes before writing a word.  I felt stupid.  And it probably took me a little too long to pray for inspiration. But when I did, I got an image. The image of kneeling in the chapel, in front of the monstrance, just prior to benediction. This is something that I had experienced hundreds of times. And I thought of the words of the priest, right after the Tantum Ergo. “Lord Jesus Christ, you gave us the Eucharist as the memorial of your suffering and death. May our worship of this sacrament of your body and blood, help us to experience the salvation you won for us and the peace of the kingdom, where you live with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.” That is the prayer, prior to benediction, written by St. Thomas Aquinas…for today’s feast.

So when those words popped into my head, I thought, Thanks be to God, thank you St. Thomas. Because that prayer answers the question, “Why Eucharist?” So, you can tell I didn’t fail the exam, because…well, here I am.

So  hoes does today’s feast answer the question “Why Eucharist?” The Collect says it all. “Lord Jesus, you gave us the Eucharist as a memorial of your suffering and death” The Eucharist is given to us as a “memorial”. We are not angels, we have imperfect memories, we forget things, we need reminders. And the Eucharist is to help us remember that Jesus gave his Body and Blood for us on the cross.  Without that great labor of love, there would be no hope of heaven for any of us. 

When we celebrate Mass, we are transported to the Mount of Calvary; we kneel on the Mount of the cross, that we may be sprinkled with his cleansing blood. The Eucharist is the memorial of the Cross that Church has celebrated every week for 2000 years. For without this weekly reminder, Christians begin to drift away from the Church, we drift away from the power of the Cross; the power of His blood begins to dry up in our lives. “Do this in memory of me” the Lord says. And faithful to his command at the last supper, we come to mass every week for the Eucharist.

“Why Eucharist” The second part of that beautiful prayer, continues to answer that question “May our worship of this sacrament of your body and blood, help us to experience the salvation you won for us and the peace of the kingdom.” 

The Eucharist is not an empty exercise. This act of worship has more power than anything else on earth to bring us grace and peace if we are open to it. When we come to Mass, and are open to it, we can experience deliverance from our sinful ways, help to face temptations, and the peace of the kingdom. We come to mass with the anxieties of uncertain futures and past sins, we bring our strained relationships, new loves, old hatreds and resentments, we bring our successes or distressing failures, our promotions at work and job losses, happy marriages, broken marriages, good health and impending deaths, our feelings of closeness with God, our feelings of His absence. 

Whatever is going on in our lives, we come here to the altar to worship, to experience grace and Christ’s closeness, that the power of the cross may flow into all those relationships, all those successes, failures, challenges, and temptations, that they might be transformed like the bread and wine. 

Why Eucharist? The Body and Blood of Jesus is the food of truth and spiritual life that sustains us on our earthly journey and mission. Without the Eucharist we will never overcome our sins, we will never love each other as we should, we will never spread the Gospel as we are tasked. “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you do not have my life within you.”

Thanks be to God for this great gift, left to us that we may never, never forget, and always, always know the fruits of his saving sacrifice for the glory of God and salvation of souls.