Corpus Christi - "Give them some food yourselves"

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God is giving Himself to us at all moments, but here above all.

CCC 1380 It is highly fitting that Christ should have wanted to remain present to his Church in this unique way. Since Christ was about to take his departure from his own in his visible form, he wanted to give us his sacramental presence; since he was about to offer himself on the cross to save us, he wanted us to have the memorial of the love with which he loved us "to the end," even to the giving of his life. In his Eucharistic presence he remains mysteriously in our midst as the one who loved us and gave himself up for us, and he remains under signs that express and communicate this love.

Give them some food yourselves.  You cannot give what you don’t have.

We need to be refreshed by Christ in order to give Him to others.

Who thinks breathing regularly is a good thing?

Who thinks eating food daily is a good thing?

Prayer is our breath.

Sunday Mass, and most importantly the Eucharist, is our food.

As the Lord wants to be present to us, may we truly remain present to Him.

Trinity Sunday - You are Loved into Existence and into Eternity

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          The center of the universe is love. “love always wins.” (I would add: “even when it loses.”)

          And as we discover it in ourselves as well, we see that Love is the center of our identity. If you want to know what something was made for, whether a plant, an animal, a car, or a baseball, look for what that thing is doing when it is at its best and fullest. That's when you can tell what it's truly made for. At our best and fullest (aka not when we are operating out of dysfunction or illness or in some extremely unhealthy or rare situation) we see the human person living a life of loving relationship with others. This is perhaps one of the simple proofs that we are created in God's image and likeness.  And this makes us unique among all creation.

Our first reading from Proverbs reminds us of all the beauty that God made in the world. And it is truly magnificent. We can all perhaps find different things in nature to admire, but I am almost certain there is at least one thing that could keep you mesmerized for quite some time by its beauty and intricacy like the structure of plant or animal life, or by its vastness and echoes of the infinite like the galaxies or the ocean sunsets, or by its simplicity and purity like a pristine lake or a snowflake.

These things are amazing, but Proverbs tell us that they are nothing compared to the pinnacle of creation: the human person.

Realize this: with all that beautiful stuff in the universe, only the human person did God unite to Himself in the flesh of Jesus. God took our human nature into himself, and that is the mystery we celebrate today with Trinity Sunday. Simply put: Jesus is God; he wasn't just another one of us or a really special angel or something. He was God Himself. God became man so that mankind can become God. (that's what the life of Grace ultimately leads to, and what heaven really is.)

God did this because of his love for you. Proverbs says that God “delights in” you!

We often think that love is some nice generic love. But that doesn't hit home with us, because it isn't love and it isn't a real relationship. It's like when everyone gets a trophy or a sign that says “you're special.” Even children develop a knack for telling the difference between trite phrases and more heartfelt words of praise and affirmation, and they hunger and strive for the things that can win that praise. In that way, we adults are really often just big kids who have our talented ways of hiding and masking the same deep desire for praise, and we don't think God loves us unless we are “awesome” and “perfect” and a “gold star” Catholic.

But that's a lie. God doesn't love you only when you have it all together neatly wrapped up and tied with a bow and sparkles. God loves you when you are still in the midst of your mess and your heart is in pieces and your life looks like my office desk (not a pretty sight).

          The fact that you exist is actually proof of this, for at every moment God lovingly chooses you. But even more so by your baptism: when you are configured to Christ Jesus, you are Beloved by the Father.

Pentecost

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Transformation by the Holy Spirit – symbolized by the fire.  Fire transforms, fast and hard.  Only safe when you aren’t close to it.  Same for the HS.

We must be changed.  Not just change for the sake of change.  Not arbitrary or based on personal preference.  CHANGED INTO CHRIST JESUS.  *we don’t look like Jesus unless we are changed*

Blessed Cardinal Newman said  it well: “To live is to change, and to live well is to have changed often.” Change and growth are the work of the Holy Spirit, guided by the Father’s hand.  Jesus is the VINE, and the Father is vine-grower (the “husband-man” as in “husbandry”).  And we are branches on that vine, a vine that is ever growing, changing, and finding new ways to bear fruit.

If we aren’t changing, then the Holy Spirit isn’t working in our lives – and it isn’t His fault but ours.

*caveat* Change can’t be measured by the standards of this world’s definition of success, etc.  It always must be God’s standards, and we cannot forget how often God works below the radar or in ways that we don’t tend to focus our attention.  Think of the Incarnation.  God spoke to Mary, yes, but worked in quiet for 9 months, and then really for 30 years of hidden life as things were being prepared.  God worked for centuries with the Jewish people preparing for Christ.  God often works in quiet and under the radar in our souls, too.  But eventually, just like every Spring, we will see life bursting forth, we should see fruit being borne.  If that isn’t happening, then we must ask God to show us what we need to change, what we need to prune away or do different in our lives. 

Ultimately, we must look for growth in our soul for an increase in the virtues.  This is the concrete change of holiness that God will produce, first and foremost.  Secondly, it will be in things outside of ourselves.  Certainly in good works of charity for the building up of the Body of Christ (the Church) and the Kingdom of God.  These are good fruits to keep our eyes open for.

All that change is summarized in one word: love.  Love is the great revolution in a world of selfishness.

This isn’t just for us as individuals.  As a priest, and as a parish staff, we are trying to be willing to let the Holy Spirit move and change and lead us to where the Lord wants to bear fruit.

Ascension

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“IT is not for you to know…” 

-         We want what isn’t God’s will at times.  Sometimes, God has to redirect our desires.  If we need it, we will get it.  His three answers to our prayers are “Yes.”   “Not yet.”   “I’ve got something better.”

-         WE ALREADY HAVE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS.  The things we really need are already given to us.

o   The Blessed Trinity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Salvation.  Redemption.  Forgiveness.  Mercy. Love.  Peace.  Heaven.  Eternity.

“They were continually in the temple praising God” They were blessing God because they were focused on what they were already given, not on what hasn’t come yet.  And they were, in the advice of Blessed Solanus Casey (a humble, simple Franciscan priest who lived for a time in our diocese) thanking God in advance! This is something that we easily might not do!

“Sending the Promise of the Father.”  - the promise is a person.

“Stay in the City.” – we must obey Jesus to get the Spirit.

“You will be my Witnesses” – we must be with Christ and in Christ in order to share Christ.