The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

06-04-2021Letter from the PastorFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

According to Bishop Olmsted’s Apostolic Exhortation Veneremur Cernui – Down in Adoration Falling, “We cannot speak of the Eucharist without being confronted by its awesome mystery… Whether your faith in the Eucharist is strong or weak, whether you consider the Church your Home or you have recently decided to disassociate, or even if you have no faith at all, my sincere hope is that a true “Eucharistic amazement” will be ignited within you.”

The Church is blessed to celebrate this special Feast of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (formerly Corpus Christi) today to draw us closer to Our Eucharistic King. So, what are we celebrating? Today we celebrate the fact that Jesus is the Bread of Life. The Gospel reminds us that Christ feeds multitudes with bread. In the Mass, Our Lord feeds us with His own Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity! Christ Himself gave us the Eucharist on the night of the Last Supper. The Church has offered Holy Mass from then until now and the Church will offer Holy Mass until the very end of time. Why? Jesus commanded us to “do this in remembrance of me”!

What is the “this” we do when Our Lord says do “this” in memory of me? We attend Mass and we receive Our Lord in Holy Communion!!! That is what we are doing in remembrance of Our Lord’s request. In this Sacrament of Holy Communion, we receive Our Lord! Mass is the time for every Catholic to “remember” our Eucharistic King in a miraculous way. When we receive Our Lord in Holy Communion, we literally become more like Christ and move closer to the Kingdom.

That is why we cannot come to Mass and just sit and watch and not participate. I commend those who truly enter into the Mass. I know that your lives are busy and it is easy to become swept up in the events of life. Sadly, it is too easy to lose focus and forget why we are here and what God made us for in the first place. Reminder: we are called to become saints and to live with God forever in heaven. Our relationship with God and the Saints doesn’t just happen. We become what we consume. If you fill your life with spiritual junk food (sinful actions and sinful distractions), then you risk losing your relationship with God. He doesn’t move away from you, but you can lose sight of His loving presence in your life.

Your respect for the Mass and the Eucharist is tied directly to your love and appreciation of the Eucharist. Here are some ways you can test your love and appreciation of Our Lord and be truly present at Holy Mass. Do I show up for Mass on time and ready to pray? Have I looked at the readings before Holy Mass? Do I dress appropriately for Mass? Do I keep the one-hour fast before Holy Communion? (And that includes gum, by the way.) Do I pay attention at Mass? Do I try my best to praise God at Holy Mass by singing? Am I focused on Our Lord at Mass? Do I support my parish financially, spiritually, and physically by giving of my treasure, time, and talent? Do I smile at those I greet at Mass? Am I willing to chat after Mass? Do I truly care about my brothers and sisters in my parish community?

You know, there are many who walk away from the Catholic faith and they say, “I just didn’t get anything out of Mass.” I suppose it is like most things in life, you can get more out of something if you are willing to invest yourself in it. When it comes to Holy Mass, you can’t just sit and watch as a spectator. If you’re not getting something out of Holy Mass, you are most likely not entering into the Mass. Our Lord is always calling us to greater involvement in the Mass.

Today, we have a chance to fall in love with Jesus in the Eucharist and in Holy Mass again. Holy Mass is where we meet Him every week! Let’s make the most out of this miraculous event that happens every day in every Catholic Church around the world. Jesus always has done great things with bread and the greatest miracle we have is the Eucharist where ordinary bread and wine become His Body and Blood. Just wait until you see the great things that Jesus can do with you, if you let Him!

BACK TO LIST