Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.". (Jn 6:51) Today's Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (“Corpus Christi” in Latin) is a fairly recent addition to the Church calendar, dating from only the 13th century. We know that the Body and Blood of Christ are present at every Mass, but this special feast to honor the Body and Blood of Christ owes its existence to the petitions of a Belgium nun named Juliana of Liège from the 13th century. From a young age, Juliana had a great love for the Blessed Sacrament and longed for a special feast in its honor. Her desire was increased by a vision she had of the Church under the appearance … [Read more...]
Archives for June 2011
From the Pastor – June 19, 2011
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. (Jn 3:16) I don't believe in “coincidences,” a word that means “the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection.” No, I believe in “God-incidences,” where God gives us two events at the same time and asks us to make a connection – to see that there are no “accidents.” Today, we have two events happening: the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity and Father's Day. I can't help but make a connection. Do you realize that almost all of the “solemnities” and “feasts” of our Church point to some “earthly” event? Think about it. They're either focused on an event in the life of Christ (His incarnation, His … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – June 12, 2011
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst”¨and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (Jn 20:19-21a) In the context of the season of Easter, it was only 53 days ago that the apostles were gathered together in the Upper Room for the Last Supper. Jesus instituted the Eucharist, and fed them His Body and Blood. He made them priests by commanding them to “do this in memory of me.” He washed their feet and instructed them about true service. But what happened when they left the Upper Room that first time? They ran away like scattered sheep without a shepherd. Judas sold Him for 30 pieces of silver. Peter denied Him three times. Only St. John, who leaned on His breast at the Last … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – June 5, 2011
When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven (Acts 1-9-11) Today we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension, which is the elevation of Christ into heaven by His own power in the presence of His disciples. In Sacred Scripture, this occurred on the fortieth day after the Resurrection – which was actually last Thursday, traditionally called “Ascension Thursday.” However, the celebration of the Ascension has been moved … [Read more...]
