"We can surely expect that in our own lives there will come a time when we must make a choice between being loyal to the true faith or giving allegiance to something else which is either opposed to or not in alliance with our faith. O God, we ask of Thee to give us the courage to be ever faithful to Thee. Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Fr. Emil Kapaun, Servant of God
Today,
we celebrate the memorial of Pope Gregory the Great. Pope Gregory is
one the greatest popes in the history of the Church, but he is also
the patron of teachers.
He was born in Rome about the year 540. After the death of his
father, he built seven monasteries and then took the habit of a
Benedictine monk at the age of 35. He was chosen pope and then later
came to merit the title of Great. His predecessor, Pope Pelagius II
died from a plague.
He had a great love for the poor and tried to do all that was
possible to help them. Everyday he would invite 12 poor people to be
guests at his table, and he himself was accustomed to pouring the
water over their hands to wash them. Pope Gregory humbly served the
Church and so took upon the title, “Servant
of the Servants of God”.
As
the servant of servants, tradition tells us that, once he elected, he
organized a triumphal procession to the Basilica of the Blessed
Virgin in order to serve the people, by calling upon the Blessed
Virgin Mary to stop a plague. He himself carried a picture of Our
Lady, painted by St. Luke. When the procession came to the mausoleum
of Hadrian, Pope Gregory and all the people saw the Archangel Michael
standing on its summit in the act of sheathing a flaming sword,
symbolizing that the plague was over.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, in Her Magnificat said, “For
He has looked upon His servant
in Her lowliness and all ages shall call me blessed.” She
is truly THE
Servant of Servants,
as She served the Lord like no other person could, because She served
Him as His Mother.
Today
let us call upon St. Gregory and especially the Blessed Virgin Mary,
may we choose to serve Jesus in each other.
In
the Gospel today, St. Mark tells us that the Jews, and especially the
Pharisees, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the
tradition of the elders. The Pharisees and scribes question Jesus,
they said, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of
the elders, but instead eat a meal without unclean hands.”
Our
Blessed Lord responds stating, “You disregard God’s
commandments, but cling to human tradition.” The traditions,
which the Jews and Pharisees were following, were human traditions.
These traditions invented by man were treated, as though they were
doctrines. And if anyone didn’t follow the human traditions, it
would be considered sinful.
The
washing of the hands and purifications were not simply done to keep
the body clean, but also symbolized moral purity. Purity of heart
was a condition one needed before approaching God, and taking part in
worshipping Him.
Back
then, the Pharisees had not gotten beyond the external level, and
even added more external things, while neglecting cleanness of heart
of which all the external purifications were only a symbol. They
were failing to keep God’s commandments, all the while, exteriorly
making themselves clean, which was to be symbolic of a pure heart,
which they did not have.
Jesus
responds to their question stating, “You hypocrites, “You
disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He
states, “From within people, from their hearts, come evil
thoughts, un-chastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice,
deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these
evils come from within and they defile.”
In
another words, Jesus told the Pharisees, that even though the scribes
and Pharisees washed their hands, cleaned bowls, and did the
purifications, their hearts were unclean. It is more important to
have a clean heart, than clean hands and cleans bowls.
An
unclean heart is a heart filled with sin, such as, un-chastity,
theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy,
blasphemy, arrogance, and folly.
Today,
in order for us to have a pure heart, we need to keep God’s
commandments, to avoid all sin, and to practice virtue. If we fail,
which all of us do, we have the sacrament of confession to wash away
our sins, which makes our heart pure.
We
keep God’s commandments, when we honor our father and mother, keep
the Lord’s Day Holy, don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, don’t
commit adultery, don’t lie, don’t covet our neighbor’s goods or
wife, don’t steal, don’t place false gods such as money and power
before God, don’t miss Mass on Sunday, or don’t kill anyone.
Most
can say, they do well keeping God’s commandments. But do we avoid
other sins, such as looking lustfully at someone, gossiping, anger,
un-forgiveness, judging others, being rude, or selfish, or impatient?
Do
we practice virtue as well as we ought: eating and drinking
moderately, denying our self excessive pleasure, practicing patience,
or avoiding speech which offends others. Do we attempt to practice
humility or detachment from worldly things? Do we try to grow in
faith, in hope, and in love of God and neighbor?
All
of us can easily fail, in so many ways, but that’s why Jesus gave
us the sacrament of confession. As we approach confession the words
of David’s psalm, can echo in our heart, “Have mercy on me O
God in our goodness. In the greatness of your compassion, wipe
out my offense. Thoroughly wash me
of my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.
Cleanseme with hyssop,
that I may be purified; wash
me and I shall be whiter than snow.
A clean heart, create for me O God! And
a steadfast spirit renew within me.”
This
psalm helps us to understand the power and the mercy of God in the
sacrament of confession. Out of compassion- Our Lord wipes out
our offense. He thoroughly washes our guilt away, and cleanses
us of our sins, that we may be purified. We are washed
in His blood that our souls may be whiter than snow. He
creates within us a clean heart and renews a steadfast spirit
within us.
If
we bathed once or twice a year, we wouldn’t smell very good would
we? The more often we go to confession, the more our soul is bathed
and cleansed. Monthly confession or confession once a week is a good
way for us to keep our heart and our soul nice and pure.
In
addition to confession, every time we come into the church, we dip
our fingers in Holy Water asking God to wash away our sins, to make
our soul pure, like at our baptism. At the beginning of Mass, we
call to mind our sins, and make an act of contrition, and ask the
Blessed Virgin Mary and all the angels and saints to pray for us to
the Lord Our God.
The
Church especially desires the priest to have a pure heart. Before
Mass, he puts on a white alb, to remind him of the purity he is to
seek. When he places the alb on, he prays, “Purify me
Lord, and cleanse my heart, so that, washed
in the blood of the Lamb, I may enjoy eternal bliss,” And at
the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the priest washes his
hands in a bowl of water, and prays to himself, “Lord, wash
away my iniquity, and cleanse me from
my sin. The priestly heart is to impeccable, because his hands
offer the Most Pure Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the altar.
At
the Mass, the priest is to prepare himself and the congregation to
approach God and worship Him in the Eucharist with a pure heart. And
the exterior practices we do are to symbolize the purity of heart, we
hope to obtain.
As
we now prepare to approach our Eucharistic Lord, let us resolve to
imitate Our Blessed Mother, Virgin most pure. May we come to
confession at least once month, or perhaps weekly, strive to keep
God’s commandments, avoid sin, and practice virtue in order, that
we may approach our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion, with a pure and
humble heart, a heart He will not spurn.
Our
Lord had told His disciples, “I am the bread of life, he who
eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, I will raise Him
on the last day.”
His
disciples took what He said literally and were murmuring saying,
“This saying is hard, who can accept it?”
But
Our Lord did not back down, He said, “My flesh is real food and
blood real drink.”
He
said, “It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of
no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But
there are some who do not believe.”
The
flesh He is speaking of here is the worldly way of viewing things,
whereas before, He was referring to the flesh of His body and blood.
Because
they took Jesus literally, “many of His disciples returned to
their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him.”
Jesus
meant it literally, because He said, “Do you also want to
leave?” Peter’s responds,
“Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of
everlasting life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you
are the Holy One of God.”
After
the loaves were multiplied and given to the people,
“they filled the wicker
baskets with fragments from
the five barely loaves…”
If
Jesus was concerned about fragments left over from the multiplication
of the loaves, how much more is He concerned about Particles from the
Eucharist.
The
Council of Trent states: “Nor
should it be forgotten that Christ, whole and entire, is contained
not only under either species, but also in each
particle of either
species.”
This
is one of the reasons the ordinary manner, the Church desires we
receive Communion is on the tongue. I will repeat. The ordinary
manner the Church desires we receive Communion is on the tongue.
Particular
bishops give
an indult to receive on the hand. An indult is a permission. If we
receive on the hand, after placing the Host in our mouth, we are to
look for particles on the hand, and pick up the particles and
consumes
them. It’s a sin to knowingly
allow
particles to fall from our hands onto the floor.
You
will notice today, the priest
washes particles from his
hands after giving Communion by pouring water over his fingers into
the chalice. Linen purificators and corporals used during Mass are
usually soaked overnight before washing to allow small particles of
the Hosts to dissolve. Server patens are often used to catch small
particles that may fall during the distribution of Holy Communion. We
pay attention to every particle, no matter how small because each
particle is whole and entire person of Jesus.
I
humbly ask you to pray about receiving Communion on the tongue, to
give Jesus
the greatest possible reverence and respect. Ask Jesus, how He would
like you to receive Holy Communion. According to scripture St. John
the Apostle, took Mary into his home. He was a priest, he offered
Mass, so the Virgin Mary would have received Communion from John. How
do you think Mary received Jesus in Holy Communion? Most likely, on
Her tongue.
When
we receive Communion on the tongue, particles of the Sacred Host
don’t fall to the ground. It’s a more humble way to receive the
Eucharist, because we treat the Eucharist not as mere bread, but as
to what it truly is, the real and true resurrected Jesus.
The
Eucharist is a multiplication of the real physical presence of Jesus.
It’s a miracle every person who comes to Mass is able to receive
the real physical body of Christ in Holy Communion.
According
to St. Alphonsus Liguori, Communion
lasts at least 10 to 15
minutes before the Sacred
Host is assimilated in the body. What
a joy and consolation to have Jesus come to dwell within us.
In
his letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul makes it very clear, that we
cannot receive the Eucharist, in the state of mortal sin. He said,
“Whoever,
therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an
unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the
Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of
the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body
eats and drinks judgment upon himself.”
(1 Corn. 11:27-29)
These
words are proof, we are not eating bread at Mass. No! We are
receiving the true body and blood of Jesus in Holy Communion. When we
receive the Eucharist, after committing a mortal sin, such as missing
Mass on Sunday, viewing pornography, committing adultery or impure
actions or having relations before marriage, etc…, not only do we
commit a sacrilegious communion, we commit another mortal sin and do
not receive any graces whatsoever, but rather deeply offend our Lord.
If
we have committed a mortal sin, we are required to go to Confession
before we receive Holy Communion.
Catholics,
should go to confession at least once a month. St. Padre Pio said we
should confess once a week. Pope John Paul II, confessed every day.
Years
ago, before I was a priest, I heard a priest erroneously
say, we don’t need to
go to Confession unless we commit a mortal
sin. This is very bad advice.
In
fact, theCatechism
of the Catholic Church
teaches the opposite. It states, CCC#1458 “Without
being strictly necessary,
confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless stronglyrecommended
by the Church..”
I
will repeat it again, “confession
of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly
recommended by the Church.”
The
Catechism
goes on to tell why we should confess venial sins regularly. It
states,“Indeed
the regular
confession of our venial sins
helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let
ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit.
By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the
Father's mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful:
So,
if we don’t confess frequently, our conscience is not formed well,
we don’t receive grace to fight against evil tendencies and we
can’t be sacramentally healed by Christ in Confession. We
should receive the Eucharist, only in the state of grace and with a
pure heart.
Here
at Mass, and at every Mass, we
will find
infinite love, contained in the
beating
Heart of
Jesus,
truly present in the Eucharist. O Lord, we give you our love and we
receive your love, through Your Mother’s intercession, help
us to grow in our faith, confess venial sins frequently and receive
Your flesh and blood in the Eucharist as often as possible.
"God's
temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be
seen in the temple.” “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman
clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a
crown of twelve stars." (Revelations 11:19, 12:1)
The
angel Gabriel requested that Mary become the Mother of Jesus and the
moment She gave Her fiat (yes), She became the Queen of heaven and
earth. If Jesus is the King of heaven and earth and of the whole
universe, then Mary, as His Mother is the Queen of the Universe.
Saint Athanasius said, “If the Son is a King, the Mother who begot
Him is a Queen and Sovereign.”
Saint
Alphonsus Liguori said, “As the glorious Virgin Mary has been
raised to the dignity of Mother of the King of Kings, it is not
without reason that the Church honors Her, and wishes Her to be
honored by all, with the glorious title of Queen.
We
can picture the event of Mary entering heaven. Upon entering the
gates of heaven, Her body became suddenly glorified as She received a
transformed and resurrected body. Her clothes became dazzling and
with an immense glow, Her veil, Her mantle and Her dress are arrayed
in gold, sparkling like the sun.
Though
She knew the Trinity better than any human being, and perhaps, at
times, had a tiny glimpse of heaven in one of Her ecstasies, She was
immediately enamored and overcome by the beauty, the glory, the power
and the majesty of God in heaven. Her eyes welled up in tears as She
gazed upon the multitude of angels and saints, and, to Her shock and
amazement, they all bow down in humble reverence to Her, the Queen.
There
next to Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of heaven, is Her faithful
spouse St. Joseph, whose glory shines for all to see. He appears in
bodily form. Just as St. Francis de Sales suspected, his body did not
undergo corruption and was assumed body and soul into paradise.
Jesus
takes Mary’s hand and walks Her to the throne of God the Father.
Upon arrival, She kneels before Him and bows. He takes Her left hand
and lifts Her up. There, before Her, are three large golden thrones.
On the left is the throne of God the Father, next to His, is the
throne of Jesus and to his left is the throne of Mary. The three take
there seats and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, hovers above
the three thrones. There is total silence in heaven, as all know the
Father is about to speak.
Jesus
and God the Father stand. Between the two, a royal crown studded with
gems suddenly appears and is placed on the head of the Virgin by
Jesus. At the moment the crown is set, a burst of light comes forth
from above and twelve stars appear and glisten like that of a giant
halo.
The
twelve stars above Her head apply to both the twelve patriarchs of
the tribes of Israel (original people of God), and the twelve
apostles (renewed people of God). The twelve stars also represent Her
Queenly dignity and Her rule over angels and saints.
She
is clothed with the sun, meaning She is surrounded by God’s power
and protection and shines with grace as the Mother of God. The moon
under Her feet represents Her Virginity, Immaculate Conception, and
Her power over created things.
The
Father speaks and says, “Behold, O creatures of heaven, is the
handmaid of the Lord. The Queen of heaven and earth. She is my
daughter, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Her and do whatever
She says. In Her hand I place the scepter, in which I have bestowed
my entire ocean of Mercy, from now unto eternity. Those who love,
honor and ask for Her intercession will find a loving and caring
Mother. She is the image and model of the Church founded by my Son.
She is my daughter. She is the Mother of the Redeemer and the Spouse
of the Holy Spirit. What I say, I decree, unto eternity.”
The
host of angels and saints sing the most beautiful and elegant hymns
praising and giving thanks to God and the Virgin Mary. Exceedingly
high notes are mixed with tones that correspond in perfect harmony.
To those on earth, if the singing could be heard, it would cause
ecstasies of rapture. “Praise to the Virgin! Praise to the Queen!
Praise to the Blessed Trinity for whom She was created and has
exalted above heaven and earth!”
Saint
Bernard, whose feast day we celebrate today, had a tremendous
devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
He
composed the famous prayer known as the Memorare, which holds immense
beauty and significance. Due to his numerous commitments and travels,
Saint Bernard spent little time in his monastery. However, on the
occasions he was there, he would pass a statue of the Virgin Mary in
the corridor and greet her with a simple "Good morning, Maria."
One
morning, overwhelmed by his thoughts and responsibilities, Saint
Bernard absentmindedly walked past the statue without offering his
customary greeting. To his surprise, he heard a woman's voice saying,
"Good morning, Bernard." Confused, Saint Bernard searched
for the source of the voice through the monastery, but found no one.
Convinced that he had imagined it, he continued on his way and once
again passed the statue, forgetting to greet it for the second time.
Yet, once again, he heard the woman's voice wishing him a good
morning.
Deeply
moved and understanding the significance of these moments, Saint
Bernard fell to his knees and, with tears in his eyes, spontaneously
recited a prayer that has endured through the centuries as the
Memorare. The Memorare is a prayer that Catholics still pray today,
invoking the intercession and mercy of the Virgin Mary.
Saint
Mother Teresa of Calcutta had what she called an emergency novena.
When she didn’t have 9 days to pray a novena and needed some help
through Mary’s intercession, she would pray 9 Memorares in a row
and said the Virgin Mary has never been known to not answer her
prayer.
In
the Gospel today, Jesus said, “I
am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; He who
believes in me will never thirst.”
Not
far from Fatima, Portugal is the town of Balasar. It’s the little
town in which Alexandrina Maria da Costa suffered the passion of
Jesus and lived on the Eucharist alone for thirteen years.
Alexandrina was born in April of 1904. When she was 14 years old
something happened to her which left her life shattered. When she and
her sister and another girl were in the house three men knocked at
the door and broke into the house. Alexandrina wanting to preserve
her chastity jumped from an upstairs window. The men fled, but
Alexandrina’s spine had been irreparably injured. Six years later
she had to remain in bed for the rest of her life. The slightest
movement caused her intense pain. She began to grow closer and closer
to the Lord and realized that she was suffering in a special way for
the salvation of souls. She received Holy Communion every day and
her thoughts frequently turned to Jesus in the tabernacle.
She
went into her first ecstasy in 1931 when she heard Jesus say to her,
“Love,
suffer and make reparation.”
She saw her vocation to be that of a victim soul, to make reparation
for all of us. Under the order of her spiritual director she was
dictating her life’s story to her sister but many times the devil
threatened her not to write any more. In 1936 Our Lord asked her to
spread the message of Fatima and to urge the consecration of the
world to the Immaculate Heart and she offered herself as a victim
soul for this.
In
one of her ecstasies Jesus said to her, “Keep
me company in the Blessed Sacrament. I remain in the tabernacle night
and day, waiting to give my love and grace to all who would visit me.
But so few come. I am so abandoned, so lonely, so offended….
Many…do not believe in my existence; they do not believe that I
live in the tabernacle. They curse me. Others believe, but do not
love me and do not visit me; they live as if I were not there… You
have chosen to love me in the tabernacles where you can contemplate
me, not with the eyes of the body, but those of the soul. I am truly
present there as in Heaven, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.”
From
October 1938 Alexandrina began to suffer the passion of Jesus every
Friday. She suffered the passion of Jesus 180 times. Until 1942 she
was suffering in silence without fame but after a report appeared in
a newspaper from then on she was besieged by pilgrims asking for
prayer. During Holy Week the same year Jesus said to her, “You
will not take food again on earth. Your food will be my Flesh; your
drink will be my Divine Blood …”
So
on Good Friday 1942 she began an absolute fast which lasted for more
than thirteen years until her death. The only nourishment which her
body filled with pain received was Jesus in Holy Communion every
morning. News of her fast spread and the crowds became even bigger.
Some people had doubts and suspicions about her fast and accused her,
her sister and mother of fraud. Therefore she agreed to medical
observation. The doctor asked her, “Why
do you not eat?”
She replied, “I
do not eat because I cannot. I feel full. I do not need it. However,
I have a longing for food.”
It was decided that she should be admitted to a nearby hospital for a
thirty day observation of her fast. While she was in the hospital
some tried to persuade her to take food. The doctor in charge of the
examination was nasty to her and at the end of the thirty days said
the nurses watching her must have been deceived and decided she was
to remain there for a further ten days. They even showed her tasty
food to entice her to eat. When the test was finally over the doctor
said to her he would visit her at home not as a doctor-spy but as a
friend who esteems her. Part of the medical report reads as follows:
“Her
abstinence from solids and liquids was absolute during all that time.
We testify also that she retained her weight, and her temperature,
breathing, blood pressure, pulse and blood were normal while her
mental faculties were constant and lucid and she had not, during
these forty days, any natural necessities…The laws of physiology
and biochemistry cannot account for the survival of this sick woman…”
While
medical science could not explain, the explanation was simple. Jesus
had said to Alexandrina, “You
are living by the Eucharist alone because I want to prove to the
world the power of the Eucharist and the power of my life in souls.”
She
died on 13th
October 1955, having received nourishment only from Holy Communion
for more than thirteen years. The miraculous life of Alexandrina, who
was
beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 2004,
reminds us of the words of today’s Gospel. “I
am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; He who
believes in me will never thirst.”
To
the world it sounds irrational and stupid to think that bread changes
to become the body of Jesus. It equally sounds irrational and stupid
to think that a human can survive for thirteen years only being
nourished by Holy Communion. But one is not more irrational than the
other. Alexandrina is a sign given to the world by Jesus to remind us
of his presence in the Eucharist.
May
we like Alexandria, keep Jesus in the Eucharist company truly present
in the tabernacle and during our time of Eucharistic Adoration, so
that we can be like Alexandria “Love,
Suffer and make reparation”
for our sins, and the sins of others.
In
the Gospel today, the Jews murmured because Jesus said, “I
am the bread that came down from heaven.”
They wondered how He could come down from heaven. After all, they
knew His parents, Mary and Joseph. They said, “Is
this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know His father and
mother?”
How
could they have known that Jesus came down from heaven, especially if
Jesus lived for 30 years in their home town of Nazareth? They
couldn’t
have
witnessed the incarnation, when Jesus really did come down from
heaven, in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Her home. It’s no
wonder they did not understand Our Blessed Lord’s words, “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.”
Although
they could not comprehend, they took what Jesus said literally. How
can what appears to be a mere man, give His flesh for the life of the
world? It was not until the Last Supper, and then after His death on
the Cross and His resurrection would they be able to understand.
We
know that Jesus did give us His body and blood at the Last Supper and
then gave us Body and Blood on the Cross, so that we may eat His
flesh and drink His blood in the Eucharist, every time we come to
Mass.
“..the
bread I will give, is my Flesh for the life of the world.”
With
these words of Our Lord today, we come to know the Eucharist is no
ordinary bread and in fact is not bread at all, but rather truly
gives life to the world. When we receive Holy Communion, we receive
many spiritual gifts.
The
most profound gift we receive when we receive Holy Communion is union
with Jesus, that it is why it’s called Holy Communion. We become
one with Our Lord in a deep and intimate way when we receive Him in
the Eucharist. And in this one-ness, there is a great exchange of
love. Our hearts are open to receive His love and His Heart is open
to receive our love in the Eucharist. There is a true union of two
hearts.
Another
beautiful gift we receive from Holy Communion is the gift to endure
ordinary sufferings of daily life, which at times can be
overwhelming. As St. Ambrose said, “Communion
is the remedy for our daily needs”.
St.
Ignatius of Antioch said, “The
Eucharist is the medicine of immortality, antidote against death, and
food by which to live forever in Jesus Christ.” First,
we can say, the Eucharist keeps the soul alive by preventing it from
falling into mortal sin.
Second,
the Eucharist continually heals the wounds of sin caused by original
and personal sin. Third, the Eucharist also gives the soul the gift
of eternal life, so that it may live forever with Jesus in heaven.
Besides
the Eucharist being the manner in which each of us become one with
Him, being a remedy for daily needs, for preventing the soul from
dying, sustaining it by keeping it full of life, and giving it the
gift of eternal life, it also gives us an incredible spiritual joy,
when we receive Our Lord in Holy Communion.
The
grace we receive in Holy Communion gives delight to the person, who
receives it. There is a real spiritual delight, a hidden joy, which
comes from receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion. And nothing can be
compared to this joy, to the friendship, and nearness of Jesus, who
comes to dwell within us. The peace of Christ gives us a true
foretaste of eternal happiness. As St. John Vianney said, “all
the happiness we can have in this life, consists in receiving Our
Lord in Holy Communion.”
Hidden
under what appears to be bread, Our Blessed Lord wants us to receive
Him frequently, everyday if possible. Jesus is constantly calling us
and patiently waiting for us,-- to come to Him-, He who is our
greatest treasure, which our soul delights the most.
But
the Eucharist is not only for us, Our Lord also wants us to go out
and bring others to Him, so that His Heart may be united with each
and every heart. He longs to come to dwell within each heart, and
give everyone His life giving and sanctifying grace, so that all may
be one with Him in heaven.
Today,
Jesus is asking each of us to bring others to Him. He wants us to be
real apostles of the Eucharist. Therefore, through the intercession
of the Our Lady, the Mother of the Eucharist, may we have the zeal to
invite others to become
Catholic,
that they may be filled with the love and the life of Jesus, truly
present in the Eucharist, so that all may live with Jesus forever in
heaven.
Today,
we celebrate the feast of St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein).
She was born on Yom Kipper, the Jewish Day of Atonement on October
12, 1891. The youngest of 11 children, she was born of Jewish
parents, who lived in Germany. When she was not yet 2 yrs. old, her
father died suddenly, causing her mother to raise the children by
herself.
From
her earliest years, she showed a great aptitude for learning, and by
the time of the outbreak of World War I, she had studied philosophy
at two different universities.
After
the war, she resumed her higher studies at the University of Freiburg
and was awarded her doctorate in philosophy Suma Cum Laude. She later
became the assistant and collaborator of Professor Husserl, the
famous founder of phenomenology, who greatly appreciated her
brilliant mind.
Forsaking
her Jewish faith, she became a self-proclaimed atheist. However, by
way of philosophy, she came to know, love and embrace Christianity.
In the midst of all her studies, Edith Stein was searching not only
for the truth, but for Truth itself.
During
the summer of 1921, at the age of twenty-nine, Stein was vacationing
with friends, but ended up alone one evening. She picked up,
seemingly by chance, the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila. She
read it in one sitting, decided that the Catholic faith was true, and
went out the next day to buy a missal and a copy of the Catholic
catechism. She
was baptized on New Year’s Day, the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother
of God, in 1922.
After
her conversion, Edith spent her days teaching, lecturing, writing and
translating, and she soon became known as a celebrated philosopher
and author, but her own great longing was for the solitude and
contemplation of Carmel, in which she could offer herself to God for
her people.
While
on a trip during Holy Week of 1933, Edith stopped in Cologne at the
Carmelite convent during the service for Holy Thursday. She attended
it with a friend, and by her own account, the homily moved her very
deeply. She wrote: “I
told our Lord that I knew it was His cross that was now being placed
upon the Jewish people; that most of them did not understand this,
but that those who did would have to take it up willingly in the name
of all. I would do that. At the end of the service, I was certain
that I had been heard. But what this carrying of the cross was to
consist in, that I did not yet know.”
Edith
received the Habit of Carmel and the religious name of "Teresa
Benedicta of the Cross," and on Easter Sunday, 21 April 1935,
she made her Profession of Vows.
When
the Jewish persecution increased in violence and fanaticism, Sister
Teresa Benedicta soon realized the danger at the Cologne Carmel, and
so she asked and received permission to transfer to a foreign
monastery. On the night of December 31st
of 1938, she secretly crossed the border into Holland where she was
warmly received in the Carmel of Echt. There she wrote her last work,
The
Science of the Cross.
Her
own Cross was just ahead of her, for the Nazis had invaded neutral
Holland. Sr.
Teresa Benedicta and her blood sister, Rosa Stein, who also joined
the Carmelites, were arrested on August 2, 1942. When Rosa, seemed
disoriented as they were led away from the convent, Edith gently
encouraged her, “Come,
Rosa. We go for our people.”They
were transported by cattle train to the death camp of Auschwitz. The
conditions in the box cars were so inhuman-- that many died or went
insane on the four day trip.
Although
she did not seek death, Stein had often expressed her willingness to
offer herself along with the sacrifice of Christ for the sake of her
people, the Jews, and also for the sake of their persecutors. She
died in the gas chambers at Auschwitz on August 9th
of 1942 at the age of 50.
God
accepted her sacrifice and will give its fruit to the people for whom
she prayed, suffered, and died. In her own words: "One
can only learn the science of the Cross by feeling the Cross in one’s
own person." We
can say that in the fullest sense of the word, Sister Teresa was
"Benedicta a Cruce" -- blessed by the Cross. Pope John Paul
II beatified Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross on 1 May 1987, and
canonized her on October 11th,
1998.
Today,
let us turn to St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross and ask her to help
us to embrace our crosses, so that when its time to meet Jesus face
to face at our judgment, our heart will be filled with joy because we
were blessed by the Cross and because of it, we will share in glory
of heaven.
Today
is the memorial of St. Cajetan. He was born in 1480 at Vicenza of
noble parents who dedicated him to the Blessed Virgin Mary. From
childhood he was known as a saint and in his later years as “the
hunter of souls.”
He
went to Rome and was forced to accept office at the court of Pope
Julius II. When the pope died, he returned to his hometown of Vicenza
and started the Confraternity of St. Jerome, whose members were drawn
from the lowest classes.
He
spent his fortune on building hospitals and devoted himself to
nursing the plague-stricken. To renew the lives of the clergy, he
instituted the first community of Regular Clerics, known as the
Theatines. They devoted themselves to preaching, administering the
sacraments, and the careful performance of the Church’s rites and
ceremonies.
He
was the first to introduce the 40 hours devotion of the blessed
sacrament as an antidote to the heresy of Calvin. Forty hours
devotion is continuous adoration for 40 hours with special sermons on
the Eucharist and also Mass each day.
He
had a tender love of our Blessed Lady, and his piety was rewarded;
for one Christmas Eve She placed the Infant Jesus in his arms.
When
the Germans sacked Rome, St. Cajetan was barbarously scourged, to
exhort from him riches which he had long before securely stored in
heaven.
When
he was on his death-bed, resigned to the will of God, eager for pain
to satisfy his love, and for death to attain life, he beheld the
Mother of God, radiant with splendor and surrounded by ministering
seraphim. In profound veneration, he said, “Lady, bless me!”
Mary replied, “Cajetan, receive the blessing of my Son, and know
that I am here as a reward for the sincerity of your love, and to
lead you to paradise.” She then exhorted him to patience in
fighting an evil spirit who troubled him, and gave orders to the
choirs of angels to escort his soul in triumph to heaven. Then,
turning Her countenance full of majesty and sweetness upon him, She
said, “Cajetan, my Son calls thee. Let us go in peace.”
Worn out with toil and sickness, he went to his reward in 1547.
When
speaking about attending Mass regularly and receiving Holy Communion,
in a letter to a woman by the name of Elizabeth Porto, he said, “He
(Jesus) has offered himself to be our food. How
wretched is the man who knows nothing of such a gift! To us has been
given the opportunity to receive Christ, son of the Virgin Mary, and
we refuse him. Woe to the man who does not care enough to receive
him. My daughter, I want what is good for myself; I beg the same for
you. Now there is no other way to bring this about than to ask the
Virgin Mary constantly to come to you with her glorious Son. Be bold!
Ask her to give you her Son, who in the blessed sacrament of the
altar is truly the food of your soul. Readily will she give him to
you, still more readily will he come to you, giving you the strength
to make your way fearlessly through this dark woods. In
it large numbers of our enemies lie in wait, but they cannot reach us
if they see us relying on such powerful help. Nor, my child, must you
receive Jesus Christ simply as a means to further your own plans; I
want you to surrender to him, that he may welcome you
and, as your divine Savior, do to you and in you whatever he wills.
This is what I want, this is what I beg of you, this, as far as I
can, is what I compel you to do.”
Today’s
readings are about grumbling and also about Jesus in the Eucharist,
the “Bread
of Life”.
The
context of the first reading from Exodus is that the Israelites had
escaped from Egypt and were wandering in the desert heading toward
the Promised Land. They had been slaves in Egypt, and worked hard all
day for their food and were treated terribly. Now that the Lord had
freed them from the bondage of their slavery, they began to reminisce
about the food they used to eat. The food in the desert was simple
and bland, unlike the food they ate even while they were slaves. And
so they began to grumble against Moses. They said, “Would
that we had died at the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat
by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread. But you lead us into this
desert to make the whole community die of famine.”
The
Lord God heard their complaints and their grumbling and so God told
Moses, “I
will rain down bread from heaven for you.”
In the morning they will have bread to eat which will appear on the
ground and in the evening quail would come to the camp for them to
eat.
In
the Gospel today, even though the people had just witnessed the
miracle of Jesus multiplying the bread and fish, they grumbled
because they wanted more than the sign of getting fed food to nurture
their bodies. They said,
“What sign can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it
is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
They began to grumble and wanted another sign as proof that they
should follow Jesus. The sign of food for the body was not enough.
They wanted another sign, to give them the proof they needed to
follow Jesus. Their hearts were searching for something more than
ordinary food.
That’s
why Jesus said, “Amen,
Amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from
heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven and gives life
to the world.”
They then told Jesus, “Sir,
give us this bread always.” Our
Blessed Lord wanted to point out He Himself was the sign which is
much greater than the multiplication of the bread and fish. He will
multiply His presence in the Eucharist so that all who receive the
Eucharist will have eternal life. The bread given to their ancestors
through Moses-- kept them alive in this life, but the He Himself
which is the Bread from Heaven, will give them something much
greater, which is eternal life.
Jesus
wanted them to know that He Himself is the sign. That is why He said,
“I
am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and
whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
If they come to Jesus and if they receive Jesus in Eucharist, they
will have their sign and no longer look for the things of the world,
but rather will look to the things of heaven.
Today,
the more often we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, the less we will
hunger and thirst for the things of the world and the more we hunger
for the things of heaven. That is why we should do all we can to come
to Mass every day in order to receive Jesus in Holy Communion.
In
the Pieta
Prayer
book it quotes many people and gives reasons why we should come to
Mass every day.
Here
are some quotes from the book. Pope Paul VI said, “The
Mass is the most perfect form of prayer.”
St. Gertrude the Great said, “For
each Mass we hear with devotion, Our Lord sends a saint to comfort us
at death.” She
also said, “Each
time we look at the Most Blessed Sacrament our place in heaven is
raised forever.”
St. Padre Pio said, “Every
Holy Mass, heard with devotion, produces in our souls marvelous
effects, abundant spiritual and material graces which we, ourselves,
do not know. It is easier for the earth to exist without the sun
than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.”
St. John Vianney said, “if
we knew the value of the Mass, we would die for joy.” Pope
Benedict the XV said,“The
Holy Mass would be of greater profit if people had it offered in
their lifetime, rather than having it celebrated for the relief of
their souls after death.”
Once St. Teresa of Avila was overwhelmed with God’s goodness and
asked Our Lord: “How
can I thank you?” Our
Lord replied, “Attend
one Mass.” The
Blessed Virgin Mary once told Her faithful servant, Blessed Alain,
“My
son so loves those who assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that,
if it were necessary, He would die for them as many times as they
have heard Masses.”
We
are also taught our prayers are the strongest at the moment of the
Consecration, when the chalice and the Host is elevated above the
altar.
If
we find our self grumbling--- like our ancestors in the desert--- or
grumble like those who had just witnessed the miracle of the
loaves--- and we continue to search for a sign that will satisfy our
hunger, we only need to turn to Jesus in the Eucharist and to come to
Mass every day.
The
word Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” The remedy for grumbling and
complaining is to be thankful.
After
every time we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, we should thank Him
for coming inside our heart and allowing us to be at Holy Mass in the
presence of the Holy Sacrifice, as Calvary is re-presented on the
altar.
Then
our grumbling will cease because we will discover that only Jesus
satisfies all our needs. Though we may have all sorts of problems,
anxieties, fears and sufferings, and though we look to the world to
satisfy our every desire, only Jesus in the Eucharist can quench our
thirst and satisfy our hunger and longing---- and then we will no
longer complain.
How
can we complain if we have Jesus? Is there is anything greater than
God Himself, who comes to dwell within our heart and promises
spiritual food, the
bread from heaven,
that will give us eternal life.
Today,
let us turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary and ask Her for the grace to
come to Mass as often as we can throughout the week, to receive
Jesus, Her Son and if we do, we will respond to the words of Jesus,
who said, “I
am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never hunger, and
whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
How
many semi-trucks of bread, do you think it would take to feed 5000
people not counting women and children?
According
to a website, it would take 2 ½ semi loads of bread to feed 10,000
people and Jesus did it with just 5 loaves. Our Lord used the
miraculous multiplication of loaves to feed the hungry crowd. They
wanted something more than food to satisfy their hearts. What they
were really searching for-- is love. Someone who cares for them.
In
the Gospel, out of compassion for the hungry crowd, Jesus fed the
people through the miracle of multiplying the loaves and fish and
when the people had enough food to eat, there were 12 wicker baskets
left over from the fragments.
Some
theologians erroneously
say the multiplication of
loaves and fish wasn’t a
miracle. But
rather, all just shared the loaves and fish with each other. However,
this is a false view of what
the Church has always taught,
that the multiplication of the loaves was a real miracle.
In
fact, the Gospel says, “they
filled the wicker baskets with fragments FROM the five barely
loaves…” In other
words, the loaves and the extra fragments came
from the 5 five barely
loaves. It also speaks about how they wanted to carry Jesus off to
make Him a king. Why would they what to make Him King, if they just
shared food with each other?
If
Jesus was concerned about fragments left over from the multiplication
of the loaves, how much more is He concerned about how the Eucharist,
which is His real and true presence body, blood, soul and divinity?
Each particle, no matter how small is the whole and entire person of
Jesus.
The
Council of Trent states: “Nor
should it be forgotten that Christ, whole and entire, is contained
not only under either species, but also in each
particle of either
species.”
This
is one of the reasons why the ordinary manner, the Church desires
that we receive Communion is on the tongue. I will repeat. The
ordinary manner the Church desires we receive Communion is on the
tongue.
Before
we receive Holy Communion, the Church requires that we show some sign
of reverence. The most common reverence shown as recommended by the
US Bishops is to bow our head before we receive Communion. In some
places people will genuflect or kneel or make the sign of the cross
before receiving Communion.
We
have an indult to receive on the hand. An indult is a permission. If
we receive on the hand, after placing the Host in our mouth, we are
to look for particles on the hand, and pick up the particles and
consume them. It’s a sin to allow particles to fall from our hands
onto the floor, because by doing so, we are dropping Jesus on the
ground.
You
will notice today, the priest
washes the particles from his
hands after giving Communion by pouring water over his fingers into
the chalice. Linen purificators and corporals used during Mass are
usually soaked overnight before washing to allow small particles of
the Hosts to dissolve. Server patens are often used to catch small
particles that may fall during the distribution of Holy Communion. We
pay attention to every particle, no matter how small because each
particle is whole and entire person of Jesus.
I
humbly ask you to pray about receiving Communion on the tongue, to
give Him the greatest possible reverence and respect. Ask Jesus, how
He would like you to receive Holy Communion. According to scripture
St. John the Apostle, took Mary into his home. He was a priest, he
offered Mass, so the Virgin Mary would have received Communion from
John. How do you think Mary received Jesus in Holy Communion? Most
likely, on Her tongue.
When
we receive Communion on the tongue, particles of the Sacred Host
don’t fall to the ground. It’s a humbler way to receive the
Eucharist, because we treat the Eucharist not as mere bread, but as
to what it truly is, the real and true resurrected Jesus.
The
Eucharist is a multiplication of the real physical presence of Jesus.
It’s a miracle every person who comes to Mass is able to receive
the real physical body of Christ in Holy Communion. Catholic who
are dyingin
hospitals, nursinghomes,
or in their own home, have
the joy of being able to receive Holy Communion one last time, called
Viaticum, to prepare for
their journey home to heaven before they die. With
viaticum the dying person receives the Apostolic Pardon, which remits
all punishment due to sin.
Although
there is one Jesus, He multiplies His presence in the Eucharist to
come to each patient’s heart and give them His love and graces to
endure their suffering. According
to St. Alphonsus Liguori, Communion
lasts at least 10 to 15
minutes before the Sacred
Host is assimilated in the body. What
a joy and consolation it is for us who believe to have Jesus come to
dwell within us.
In
his letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul makes it very clear, that we
cannot receive the Eucharist, in the state of mortal sin. He said,
“Whoever,
therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an
unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the
Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of
the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body
eats and drinks judgment upon himself.”
(1 Corn. 11:27-29)
These
words are proof, we are not eating bread at Mass. No! We are
receiving the true body and blood of Jesus in Holy Communion. When we
receive the Eucharist, after committing a mortal sin, such as missing
Mass on Sunday, viewing pornography, committing adultery or impure
actions or having relations before marriage, etc…, not only do we
commit a sacrilegious communion, we commit another mortal sin and we
do not receive any graces whatsoever, but rather deeply offend our
Lord.
We
are required to go to Confession before we receive Holy Communion, if
we have committed a mortal sin.
Catholics should go to confession at least once a month. St. Padre Pio said we
should confess once a week. Pope John Paul II, confessed every day.
Years
ago, before I was a priest, I heard a priest erroneously
say, we don’t need to
go to Confession unless we commit a moral sin. This is very bad
advice.
In
fact, theCatechism
of the Catholic Church
teaches the opposite. It states, CCC#1458 “Without
being strictly necessary,
confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless stronglyrecommended
by the Church..
I
will repeat it again, confession
of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly
recommended by the Church.
The
Catechism
goes on to tell why we should confess venial sins regularly. It
states,
“Indeed the
regular confession
of our venial sins
helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let
ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit.
By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the
Father's mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful:
Let’s
go over that again: The Church strongly
recommends that we confess
our venial sins. By doing
so, it forms our
conscience, helps
us to fight against evil tendencies,
and we are healed by
Christ. And by receiving
frequently, through the sacrament of mercy, we are inspired to be
merciful to others.
So,
if we don’t confess frequently, our conscience is not formed well,
we don’t receive grace to fight against evil tendencies and we
can’t be sacramentally healed by Christ in Confession.
The
multiplication of the loaves and fish are a foreshadowing of the
Mass. Jesus uses similar words that he would later use at the Last
Supper. In this Gospel it states, “Jesus
took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them….”
The
Holy Eucharist is a double miracle. One miracle is the bread and wine
changed into the body and blood of Jesus. The other miracle is the
bread and wine continue to appear and taste like bread and wine, but
are in fact the real body and blood of Jesus. At the Last Supper,
Jesus took bread and said, “This
is my body.”
and took the wine and said, “This
is my blood.” When
He gave His Eucharistic discourse He told us to eat His flesh and
drink His blood and if we do, we will have eternal life. And this
what we do at Holy Mass. This is our faith. This is what we believe.
Have
you heard the song,
“Looking for Love in all the wrong places.”
often times sung by Johnny Lee.
Part
of the song goes like this:
I
was lookin' for love in all the wrong places
Lookin' for love in
too many faces
Searchin' their eyes
Lookin' for traces of
what I'm dreaming of
Hoping to find a friend and a lover
I'll
bless the day I discover another heart
Lookin' for love
You
came knockin' on my heart's door
You're everything I've been
looking for
No
more lookin' for love in all the wrong places
Lookin' for love
in too many faces
Searchin' their eyes
Lookin' for traces
of what I'm dreaming of
Now that I found a friend and a lover
I
bless the day I discover
You, oh you, (O Lord Jesus), lookin'
for love.
God
blessed the day I discovered a searching heart, searching for love.
Jesus
is the one who knocks at the door of our heart. He has been searching
for our love and we have been searching for His love. Are you
searching for love? Searching for someone who will understand you?
Looking for someone who listen to you? Looking for the one feels your
loneliness and pain? Look no further. Come to Jesus in the Eucharist.
We
may have all sorts of problems, anxieties, fears and sufferings, and
because of our human nature, we can wrongly look to the world to
satisfy our desires, but only Jesus in the Eucharist can quench our
thirst and satisfy our hunger and longing. Is there anyone greater
than God Himself, who comes to dwell within our heart and promises
food that will give us eternal life in heaven? Only God has the
answers to all our problems.
Oh,
Jesus, we searched the world over and thought we found true love, but
we were wrong, because we searched for worldly, a love and not
everlasting love. But, here at Mass and at every Mass, we find your
infinite love, contained in your beating Heart, truly present in the
Eucharist. O Lord, we give you our love and we receive your love,
grant us your salvation, through Your Mother’s intercession.