Corpus Christi Year C Homily

We have prayed the “Our Father” on countless occasions. If we pray with our separated brethren of other faith traditions it is a prayer which is seen to be common ground and thus can be prayed by all. When we join together for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass the “Our Father” is always prayed in the course of the liturgy.

In this prayer we pray “give us this day our daily bread.” This is a very important petition which we are making if we have meditated upon it or not. The Duay-Rheims, an English bible strictly translated from the Latin Vulgate, instead says “give us this day our supersubstantial bread.” Here this word “daily” has been translated as “supersubstantial” and thus is pointing towards the Eucharist.

In accordance with the Council of Trent as well as the Catechism of the Catholic Church the petition that we are making during this prayer is to be fed by the Eucharist. In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, known to some as the Latin Mass, the priest is instructed to look down upon the Eucharist when this prayer is being offered. He is to look down upon the Eucharist because Christ is present in the midst of the Church through the appearances of bread and wine and when he says “daily bread” he is referring to his desire to receive this great gift and to be nourished by it.

Therefore, we can claim that this word “daily” reveals a great mystery unto us. This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This is a wondrous celebration because it is a celebration of Jesus Christ and His love for the Church. It is a celebration of Jesus Christ because it is Jesus Christ Himself who comes to dwell with us in the form of bread and wine. From the Second Vatican Council “the Eucharist is the source and the summit of the Christian life.” This is the petition that we make when we utter the words “give us this day our daily bread.”

In saying these words we desire to be united to Christ through our worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist. The world in which live is a very difficult place because it easy to fall into sin and to despair concerning our future. Things were not very different for the Israelites of the Old Testament for they were found in slavery, they were liberated from it, and as they wondered throughout the desert they even began to grumble against God. They desired to return to their slavery. Despite all of this God poured out bread from Heaven upon them which fed them and gave them the strength to trudge forward towards the Promised Land.

We are in search of the Promised Land which is the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus continues to look out upon the multitude and to feed them. We are fed by this “supersubstantial” bread which is poured out to us from Heaven. May we pray the words of the “Our Father” with our whole heart because through these words we show our desire to turn away from sin and despair and to instead allow Christ to be the one who nourishes and guides us towards the Heavenly Kingdom.

Corpus Christi Year C Procession Homily

Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

On Corpus Christi parishes often have processions of the Eucharist through the streets. When I studied Spanish for ten weeks in Guatemala I had the opportunity to partake in many processions throughout the city of Antigua. One was three hours in length and rain poured down upon the faithful for most of the time. Yet, hundreds of people were joined together to celebrate the great gift to the Church which is the Eucharist.

Today we have the opportunity to participate in a Eucharistic Procession. We will take Christ out into this world. This is exactly what we should be doing with every Mass that we attend. We gather here and receive Christ and in return are to take what we have received into the world. 

Our life is a constant procession towards Heaven. The Israelites were found to be in slavery in Egypt, but God liberated them from this slavery. They then processed through the Red Sea and into the desert where they would wonder about. They were making a procession towards the Promised Land. On their journey there were many setbacks and grumblings, but God poured out bread from Heaven upon them which gave them the strength to carry on and to not move back towards their former way of life.

And so our procession today will remind all of us of this journey that we are currently on towards Heaven. It is the Eucharist which comes down from Heaven and feeds us in order that we may faithfully accomplish this journey. We may struggle and grumble as we toil about with our daily life, but we must remember Christ who is present with us in the Most Holy Eucharist and nourishes our heart and soul with the grace which is necessary to get to Heaven.

In our Gospel Jesus looked out upon the multitude and He saw their hunger. This is the same hunger that we have some two thousand years later. Jesus continues to look out upon each of us who are alone and afraid. He looks out upon us despite our separation from Him through our participation in sin and He desires that we be healed from its grasp. He poured Himself out for us in the Eucharist. This is the great gift which has been extended unto the Church for this is the gift of Christ Himself. The Eucharist is not just some symbol pointing towards Christ, but what we have the opportunity to receive is Christ Himself.

The Second Vatican Council exclaimed that the Eucharist is the source and the summit of the Christian life. If we can claim this to be true then we can claim that nothing is superior to our relationship with Jesus Christ.

When you reverently receive the Eucharist today realize that what you are receiving is food for the journey that each of us is making towards Heaven. Realize that what you are to receive is to be brought by you into the world by the interactions that you have with others as well as how you order your life after Christ. 

Today we solemnly bring Christ into the world through our Eucharistic Procession. May we allow Christ to be the one to transform our life as well as the world in which we live.

Trinity Sunday Year C Homily

In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We so often use this short prayer throughout the course of our day. We use it at Mass;  we use it before and after we pray. Maybe we have used it so often that what we say are simply words of introduction or conclusion without proper meditation given upon there importance.

What these words reveal to us is God's perfect love for us which is revealed to us through the perfect relationship which exists between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This relationship is so great that the love which is expressed within the Most Holy Trinity is a love which is both mutual and overflowing. 

In our own life we can easily think of the many ways in which we have failed to enter into and thus share the love of the Trinity. When we use these words as an introduction or conclusion to our prayers we are making the petition that we desire to enter in and thus share the love of the Trinity. May we be willing to enter into this love through all of our relationships (be it with a spouse, a sibling, a neighbor, someone who annoys us, or someone whom we cannot forgive) and may we come to adore and love God more and more through all the actions of our life.

In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Athanasian Creed

When speaking of the mystery that is the Most Holy Trinity many analogies have been used to explain it. These analogies often fall short and also lead into theological error concerning the mystery of the Trinity and thus the relationship of the Persons of the Trinity. I have included the text of the Athanasian Creed for your prayer and meditation. The prayer is lengthy and some of the words may be hard to grasp. Nevertheless, it presents the orthodox understanding to the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity which must be held to by the faithful.

Whoever wishes to be saved must, above all, keep the Catholic faith.

For unless a person keeps this faith whole and entire, he will undoubtedly be lost forever.

This is what the Catholic faith teaches: we worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity.

Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the substance.

For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Spirit.

But the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit have one divinity, equal glory, and coeternal majesty.

What the Father is, the Son is, and the Holy Spirit is.

The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, and the Holy Spirit is uncreated.

The Father is boundless, the Son is boundless, and the Holy Spirit is boundless.

The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, and the Holy Spirit is eternal.

Nevertheless, there are not three eternal beings, but one eternal being.

So there are not three uncreated beings, nor three boundless beings, but one uncreated being and one boundless being.

Likewise, the Father is omnipotent, the Son is omnipotent, the Holy Spirit is omnipotent.

Yet there are not three omnipotent beings, but one omnipotent being.

Thus the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.

However, there are not three gods, but one God.

The Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is Lord.

However, there as not three lords, but one Lord.

For as we are obliged by Christian truth to acknowledge every Person singly to be God and Lord, so too are we forbidden by the Catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords.

The Father was not made, nor created, nor generated by anyone.

The Son is not made, nor created, but begotten by the Father alone.

The Holy Spirit is not made, nor created, nor generated, but proceeds from the Father and the Son.

There is, then, one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three holy spirits.

In this Trinity, there is nothing before or after, nothing greater or less. The entire three Persons are coeternal and coequal with one another.

So that in all things, as is has been said above, the Unity is to be worshipped in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity.

He, therefore, who wishes to be saved, must believe thus about the Trinity.

It is also necessary for eternal salvation that he believes steadfastly in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both God and man.

As God, He was begotten of the substance of the Father before time; as man, He was born in time of the substance of His Mother.

He is perfect God; and He is perfect man, with a rational soul and human flesh.

He is equal to the Father in His divinity, but inferior to the Father in His humanity.

Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ.

And He is one, not because His divinity was changed into flesh, but because His humanity was assumed unto God.

He is one, not by a mingling of substances, but by unity of person.

As a rational soul and flesh are one man: so God and man are one Christ.

He died for our salvation, descended into hell, and rose from the dead on the third day.

He ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

At His coming, all men are to arise with their own bodies; and they are to give an account of their own deeds.

Those who have done good deeds will go into eternal life; those who have done evil will go into the everlasting fire.

This is the Catholic faith. Everyone must believe it, firmly and steadfastly; otherwise He cannot be saved.

Amen.

Pentecost Year C Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost and thus the season of Easter comes to its conclusion.

On the fiftieth day following Easter the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles who were gathered together within the Upper Room. It was from this experience that the Church was given its birth. It is the Holy Spirit who descends upon each of us and guides us forth to give of ourself in service to the Gospels.

At the Mass the Holy Spirit plays a prominent role through the “epiclesis” which means the “calling down from on high.” This is the moment when the priest places his hands over the gifts of bread and wine and calls the Holy Spirit to come down upon them. The calling down of the Holy Spirit also takes place in the Sacrament of Confirmation and Holy Orders when the bishop extends his hands upon the one who is to receive the sacrament.

The Holy Spirit continues to come down upon each of us and to guide our life. In the many ways that we have been bound into slavery, the Holy Spirit comes down upon us and sets us free. It guides us to follow Christ and to be set free through our love for Him which extends to our neighbor. So often we allow not the Holy Spirit to come down upon us to guide us in all which is true because we do not have the patience to wait nor to be guided. 

One fitting hymn for this day is the “Veni Creator Spiritus” in English, “Come Creator Spirit.” This hymn is sung during ordinations and during the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation. This hymn is also sung as the cardinals process into the Sistine Chapel in order to elect a new pope. Therefore, it is the Holy Spirit who guides the Church as it was the Holy Spirit who guided the early Church through the teaching authority of the apostles.

Some claim that being “religious” is enough and therefore we do not need the “Church.” This claim goes against what took place at Pentecost where the Church’s mission began. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (738-739): “Thus the Church's mission is not an addition to that of Christ and the Holy Spirit, but is its sacrament: in her whole being and in all her members, the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity. Because the Holy Spirit is the anointing of Christ, it is Christ who, as the head of the Body, pours out the Spirit among his members to nourish, heal, and organize them in their mutual functions, to give them life, send them to bear witness, and associate them to his self-offering to the Father and to his intercession for the whole world.”

Therefore, my brothers and sisters in Christ may we be open to the mission of the Church that was begun for us at Pentecost. May we be open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and thus allow the Holy Spirit to give guidance to our life. The Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles as tongues of fire which show the presence of God and thus the need for purification. From this encounter the apostles were sent forth with love and fervor to call others into service with God. May we too be open to the Holy Spirit coming into our midst and bringing about this same love and fervor to bring others into knowing the truths which are contained within the Gospels.

Ascension of the Lord Year C Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord.

The Roman Canon, the first Eucharistic Prayer, gives a special insert for today’s celebration: “Celebrating that most sacred day on which your Only Begotten Son, our Lord, placed at the right hand of your glory our weak human nature, which he had united to himself.”

Our celebration takes us to scripture, which according to the Book of Acts: “Appearing to them during forty days…he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.”

And so through this celebration we now look towards Heaven. Here we come to realize that Christ has died and risen and has now been joined to His Father in the Kingdom of Heaven. He triumphed over sin and death and is now placed at the right hand of the Father.

The Apostles had traveled with Christ and they were taught by Christ and even they did not fully understand what Christ was teaching them. In Verse 6 of Acts they ask: “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” This question shows their lack of understanding because they awaited the restoration of an earthly Kingdom, but were unable to look up towards the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Christ instead instructs them in verse 8: “You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” From our Gospel: “(He) raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven.”

Therefore, today we are to look upwards towards Heaven. It is easy to get caught up in our daily undertakings. It is easy to get caught up in our earthly affairs. It is easy to lose hope with the passing of health and thus being forced to face the reality of one’s own mortality. No matter where we find ourself on this day we are too elevate our sight with Christ towards the Kingdom of Heaven.

Christ was joined with His Father in Heaven on this day and now we have the opportunity to raise our sight to Him. He has not left us alone in this world to embrace our struggles as if left all alone, but He is present with us at this time and hour. He is with us through the example of our life, He is with us through our neighbor, and most of all He is with us in the Eucharist.

May we therefore elevate our sight to Heaven this day. May we realize that Christ continues to dwell with each of us. As He did His apostles He blesses us and sends us forth to be witnesses to all the world. May we be witnesses of our faith and may we allow Christ to transform our heart and soul as we raise our sight towards Heaven.

At the Ascension Christ was joined to His Father in Heaven; may we always find value in this great mystery of our Christian faith.

6th Sunday of Easter Year C Homily

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. 

This prayer shows us that the Holy Spirit does not call us towards idleness, but instead that the Holy Spirit calls us to be active in our practice of faith. It petitions that the Holy Spirit may kindle in us a fire which will ultimately come to renew the face of the earth. A fire is far from idle because it blazes forth and overtakes all that it comes into contract with. This must be the missionary spirit that is alive in the Church and which is thus an active part of our daily life. Again, we are not to be idle, but we are to entrust ourself to the Holy Spirit and thus renew the face of the earth. If we desire renewal in this world and in our own life we must be found active in our practice of faith.

Pope Francis exclaimed concerning the Holy Spirit: “Listen to the Holy Spirit because he is giving people the good news that God loves them and can renew, purify and transform their lives.” We must each ask ourself how our life is currently in need of this renewal, this purification, and this transformation. No matter how out of control our life or our world may seem to be we must remember that the Holy Spirit is always calling us towards something greater.

If we turn our attention to our reading from the Acts of the Apostles we will realize that it was the Holy Spirit who was present in the midst of the apostles and assisted them in accomplishing something greater. In this passage we are brought to what is known as the Council of Jerusalem. It was here that the apostles gathered in prayer and discerned what role that the Gentiles would take within the Church. Here it was decided that laws concerning diet and circumcision did not have to be followed by Christians for all things have been fulfilled through the coming of Christ. 

There are two statements made concerning what brought about this decision. (1) This was a decision of the Holy Spirit and (2) that this decision was made through their authority as apostles. Since this council many councils have taken place which have helped to guide the Church in evangelizing the world and thus calling all to holiness.

Christ instructs us of this in our Gospel: “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”

Therefore may we reflect upon our life and ask what ways that we have cut off the movement of the Holy Spirit within it. May we reflect upon the ways where we can discover renewal within our life that brings forth the missionary spirit which must be present within the Church. May we not stand by idle, but may our faith blaze forth through our interaction with the Holy Spirit. May we allow the Holy Spirit to renew, purify, and transform our lives.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.