This morning at Mass I reflected upon this powerful reading from the prophet Nahum: the prophet speaks of the terrible destruction that will afflict the kingdom of Judah and the holy city of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonian invaders. The prophets repeat over and over and over again: sin makes us vulnerable to the powers of evil—sin brings division, destruction and death.
In the midst of this prognostication of corpses, and ruined walls, Nahum offers a beautiful promise: the Lord will restore the vine of Jacob. Restoration will occur, but the effects of sin cannot be avoided. Purification will be precede restoration—and that purification might be painful, like scrubbing the debris out of a wound.
At Mass on Sunday I extended the invitation to the parish to attend this evening of adoration and reparation, and I mentioned how needed acts of reparation are needed. I mentioned how a priest friend of mine, in this diocese, was distributing holy communion and a very troubled soul approached him, snatched the consecrated host from his hands, and threw the blessed sacrament to the ground and stomped upon it.
Purification, reparation is needed for sins against the Eucharist.
I also mentioned how we have heard stories of many parishes having very strange, irreverent, and even sacrilegious practices in distributing holy communion during this time of social distancing. Purification, reparation is needed for sins against the Eucharist, especially those which occur due to pastors being neglectful of their duties.
But purification, as we see over and over in the scriptures, is rarely, ever easy. Penance and mortification are likely the instruments the Holy Spirit will use to bring about purification within the body of Christ, the Church. Reparation must be done on our knees.
But, we undertake these penances willingly don’t we, because we love the Eucharist, we love the Church, we yearn for tepid souls and ignorant souls to fall in love with the Lord, don’t we? And we trust, that the prayers and penances and acts of reparation we offer up for the good of souls and the good of the Church are received lovingly by God—the meager loaves and fishes of our sufferings—are taken by the Lord and multiplied—because they are offered up willingly in union with Christ.
We express to the Lord our concern for unbelievers, our prayers for reparation, purification, and restoration, and our adoring love, entrusting our hearts to him and the needs of the world and the Church to Him for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
No comments:
Post a Comment