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NO: Vicar who is saying all four Masses this weekend in the absence of his two confrères who are in the Holy Land returned to a topic not frequently to be heard in these parts save from him and his fellow pastors — St. Augustine’s theme that while food for the body is assimilated into us, the Eucharist by contrast assimilates us into It, as illustrated by the readings from First Corinthians and the Gospel of St. John.
(Aside [possibly not expounded by St. Augustine in this particular discussion, and also not memorable for the frequency with which it is to be heard from neighboring Catholic pulpits]: go to Confession before coming to Communion if you have mortal sins to confess.)
With this year being the ninth anniversary of our Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel here at St. Paul of the Cross Parish, the focus was on the how blessed we are as a Parish to have the Real Presence available to us and area Catholics at any time of the day or night. Unfortunately for the second year in a row, a rainstorm hit the area at the time the Eucharistic Procession was to begin and the Procession, Exposition and Benediction had to remain indoors in the church rather than outdoors and around the corner to the Chapel in prior years. We are indeed blessed. It is uplifting to see so many people visit the Chapel for a few minutes to an hour or more to see and feel and listen to Christ present in our midst.
Wide ranging and good homily about the Real Presence and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Included some insightful comments about “fellow priests who are ignorant” and the places they choose to put the Tabernacle.
I concelebrated Holy Mass at a parish in Northern Virginia, where the vicar — at his last Mass at this parish — commendably focused on this mystery of the Lord, rather than himself. He covered all the essential points about the Real Presence, including explaining what “transubstantiation” means, and he recalled to my mind a point I haven’t heard in a while (and never heard in the seminary): that the separate consecration of the body and the blood serves to make very clear the death of the Victim in the sacrifice, as the separation of body and blood is a sign of death.
I attended Mass in Latin for the very 1st time today. The Franciscan who offered the Mass had an exceptional homily on the feast of Corpus Christi. How everything in life should revolve around his real presence .
Fr. Connall spoke to the first challenge to the Real Presence coming during the time of the Reformation/Rebellion, coming to full fruition in all the Protestant churches and even to extent in the Catholic Church. He brought up the “illicit experimentation” with the liturgy following Vatican II, citing as an example a chasuble that a Jesuit friend keeps in the back of his closet brought out on occasion when a good chuckle is needed. It is completely yellow ( a non-liturgical color he noted), and on the front, two horizontal black dots and a curved black line below it. He called it the “Walmart chasuble”. He countered that story with one involving Dorothy Day. During the 1960’s, she invited a young priest to say Mass at one of their House’s of Charity. The priest asked her for a coffee mug. He used it as The chalice. After the Mass, Dorothy took the mug, lovingly kissed it, and buried it behind the building. Fr. Connall went on to emphasize the importance of John 6 and stressed the Real Presence, and invited all to meet at the Cathedral at noon, for a outdoor procession, adoration and benediction. He closed with what he called the saddest verse in all of Scripture, John 6:66.
Peace and God bless
7am, Fr Z: this was about Summorum Pontificum. The laity play an essential role in the availability of Masses in the Forma Extraordinaria.
11am, Bishop Morlino: This was for Corpus Christi. Some Catholics do not know this Bread which we receive. This is the problem with Catholic politicians who oppose teachings of the Church in the public square, then approach to receive Holy Communion. Usually, they truly do know know the Eucharistic Lord. We must be reverent in our reception of the Eucharist. There was a Eucharistic Procession after Mass to the State Capitol Building where there was a Scripture reading and the Bishop spoke briefly with the monstrance on an altar, and then we proceeded behind Jesus to a second nearby church where there was Benediction. This is a glorious annual event. I just wanted to process and pray this year, I did not take pictures. This was last year’s procession. http://www.laetificatmadison.com/2013/06/corpus-christi-procession-with-bishop-morlino/
Father reminded us that this is not the only celebration of the Eucharist. Every year the Eucharist is clelbrated on Holy Thursday but since there is a lot going on that day/week, it is a good thing to have a separate day to focus on this special gift.
he then related his experience this year giving first communion just over a month ago. That morning, the children were well prepared, well dressed and focused. They new it was special and important. he said you could see the faith in their faces. That very evening, he was called to the hospice for what we used to call last right. The woman was just as focused and reverent. She tried to lift and bow her head from the pillow before reception. That day, he gave out first communion and last communion on the same day. We may be blessed enough to get communion many time in our life but we should never take it for granted. It should not become common and ordinary. We need to have the same focus and faith that we had at our first. We’ll never know if the most recent communion will be our last.
At the end of Mass, we had Procession, Exposition and Benediction for the first time ever on Corpus Christi. (It is also done on Holy Saturday.) The procession remained indoors. Tantum Ergo was in Latin.
Father told us about Fr. Walter Ciszek, who recounted in his book how the prisoners in Siberia would fast for a whole day, while doing grueling physical labor, so that they could receive Holy Communion, since at the time the fast before Communion was from midnight, and they had to celebrate the secret Masses in the evening.
He asked us to imagine how it would be like fasting for 24 hours, which would be quite hard even without the forced physical labor. Taking that story, he told us that we can’t let our reception of Holy Communion become habitual or routine, and that we should make our fasting before Communion prayerful.
Christ is present in both Sacrament and Word at Holy Mass. We need to find time each day, to consume Christ in Word or in the Eucharist.
Father talked about First Holy Communion, which was celebrated in May at our parish, how that’s one of the happiest days in the life of a Catholic; then he talked about a parishioner suffering from cancer, nearing the end of life and how he brought communion today between masses but instead of the usual prayers, talked to the person, asking if they were at peace and read the Viaticum prayers, not knowing if this was the last time the person would receive and whether it would become food for the journey.
2nd Su after Pentecost Byzantine Rite, Father spoke on the need of conscience to be formed by the Church, and also spoke of how religious relativism is rubbish, and doing as you please is rubbish, he also touched on why the Church’s teachings on the dignity of life make sense…I can’t do it justice by typing it here.
EF Mass at Holy Innocents in Gotham. Young visiting priest… The first invited guest’s excuse to not attend the banquet supper because of just buying a farm and must go out to see it, is allegorical of the sin of pride. The second invited guest who has just purchased 5 oxen and must try them, is allegory of the sin of the 5 senses, and the invited guest whose excuse to not attend the banquet prepared for him because he has just taken a wife, is representative of the sin of lust.
Then, special Novena for Holy Innocents to remain a Parish…afternoon Solemn Vespers & Benediction followed by a talk by Dom Alcuin Reid entitled “Elements of the New Liturgical Movement.” Thanks Fr. Z for the heads up on that! He was very good, as is his new book. Read 3 chapters on the train ride home.
EF: Procession. Catholics love procession. And indeed, life is a procession where we let Christ (analogue to the crucifix) leads us.
Meanwhile, I had a chance to take some photos and I want to share it with you: here
EF Mass for Corpus Christi. In all of the years leading up to the Reformation there were many Church Councils to deal with various heresies such as the Divinity of Christ, whether Christ had a divine or human nature, etc. but in none of them was there ever a controversy as to whether the Eucharist was the Body and Blood of Christ, that was always a given, going back to the early Church. In the Gospel from John Chapter 6, it is clear that Jesus meant what he said when he stated you must eat my flesh and drink by blood based on the reactions of the people and the fact he did not run after them to say “I was only speaking metaphorically” but instead asked his disciples if they would leave also.
My family and I attended holy Mass at a neighboring parish so as to attend the baptism of our nephew. The priest recounted a story from his seminary days wherein the professor, described as a “strict Thomist,” asked the first-year seminarians, “Is the Eucharist a miracle?” This professor demolished the affirmative response. Indeed, the acknowledgement of all miracles is predicated on some observable phenomenon. In the Eucharist, however, there is absolutely nothing observably changed. Acknowledgement of transubstantiation requires faith–very literal belief in our Lord’s words that “this is my body” and “this is my blood.” It had quite the impact. After discussing the necessary internal and external requirements for receiving the Most August Sacrament, the priest indicated that the Eucharist is not a mere miracle, not even the greatest of miracles, but far great than a miracle. Lamentably, the four youths sitting in front of me talked through the entire Mass and received holy Communion nonetheless and spoke of how they “wanted to get out of here” during the recessional hymn (the Salve Regina). And alas, there was no eucharistic procession. But, my infant nephew did receive the Light of Christ, and in that there is much to celebrate.
OF Mass for Corpus Christi. A visiting priest exhorted the assembly to all read the entirety of the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to St. John. His concluding point, though, was his best: the Lord gives us His entire self in the Eucharist; what does He ask of you in return?