33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 19

 Day 19

I had been ordained several years when I heard Fr. Clem Davis give a homily at the First Mass of Fr. Joe Moriarty. He said something in that homily that struck me as true. He said that it didn't matter what had occurred before the Mass (someone stopping to ask a question: him thinking about all the things he had to after Mass; thinking about last minute additions to his homily, whatever the distraction of the day was), or what was going to occur after the Mass, during the Mass their is always a moment that draws us back to God and what we are doing as we preside at the Eucharist.

I have found that to be so true. Like most people, I too can be distracted at Mass. Thoughts flood my mind about this or that. But something always draws me back to what I am doing. It draws me into the mystery. On a good day that is enough to sustain me through the rest of the Mass.

I think that is what the quote from St. Teresa of Avila's house: to celebrate every Mass as if it were my last. Hopefully, I do that. Hopefully, you can do that too.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 18

Day 18

One of the things I like best about Matthew Kelly's writing is that he is able to hit the nail on the head every time. The quote he offers from St. Paul has been a favorite of mine since I was in High School. "I find myself doing not the good that I want to do but the evil that I don't want to do." I've been able to identify with this quote for a long time. Kelly helps me put it into context and offers a solution that I don't think about often enough.

The context was actually offered by Jesus but Kelly helped me see the connection. "The spirit is willing but the flesh is week." That's the context. The Eucharist is the solution. I've never really thought about the Eucharist as the solution to that dilemma. The next time I want to do the bad thing (watch more tv; not go to the gym; not pray; not eat the right thing), instead I should go to adoration; instead I should go to Mass. 

It's a simple solution. I just wish my flesh wasn't so darn weak!

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 17

 Day 17

A couple of thoughts on today’s reading. The first comes from the words on page 83: “…every truly loving relationship in our lives is stitched together by an endless stream of sacrifices.” Wow! That is such a profound truth. I think about my own parents and what they sacrificed for each other and what they sacrificed for the ten of us kids. 10 Kids raised in a 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath house. Later we added a shower to make it a 2 bathroom house. We not only shared bathrooms, we often shared bathwater! The tub was only emptied after two or three of us bathed. I must admit, I loved the days when I got to be the first bather! 

It seems to me that back then sacrifice was so much a way of life that nobody knew we were sacrificing. In hindsight, we know. 

The second thought from today’s reading comes from a homily I gave on the Eucharist some years ago. When the Jewish people celebrate Passover, they don’t do it simply as a commemoration of some events that happened long ago. They do it as if they were being saved from death at that very moment. It was made real for them again.

That’s what we talk about when we say each Mass is the sacrifice of Jesus made real for us again. It is not that Jesus is being crucified over and over again. His sacrifice was once for all. It is that we participate in that same sacrifice every time we celebrate Mass.

In that homily, I talked about the fact that we can’t divorce Holy Thursday from Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It is one continual action of Jesus giving us His body and blood on Holy Thursday and the pouring out himself on Good Friday so that He can rise on Easter Sunday.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 16

Day 16

One of my favorite Gospel stories comes out of Mark’s gospel chapter 8 versus 22-26. In this short story Jesus attempts to heal a blind man at Bethsaida. He puts spittle on his eyes and laid hands on him. He asks the man, can you see? The man says he sees people walking around but they look like trees. Jesus repeats the “cure” and the second time the man sees clearly. 

I always joke about Jesus having a bad day because it took him two tries to get it right. The truth of the matter is that we all need to go back to Jesus time and time again for healing. None of us are healed once for all. We all need to return to Jesus over and over again and ask for healing again.

I had a friend who had cancer. He went through treatments and went into remission. Eight years later the cancer came back. I asked him if he was using the same doctor. He said he was using the same two doctors: Dr. John Doe and Dr. Jesus. The latter one he said, always works. Let us never forget that our God is a God of healing. And we all need healing.

 

33 Days to Eucharist Glory Day 15

 Day 15

I love the St. Irenaeus quote: “The glory of God is man fully alive.” on page 74 and the two questions that follow it. What would your life look like if you were “fully alive?” What would need to be true for you to be “fully alive?”

Those two questions really challenged me as I reflected on them. The answer to the second one is that for that statement to be true I would need to trust Good more and let go of the fear that keeps me from being fully alive. For me, fear is not debilitating; instead it is a little voice that tells me I don’t really want to be all that God created me to be. All of that is worthy of deeper reflection for me. 

Monday is my Sabbath since I work on most Sundays. I know I need to do a better job not just scaring work but also resting with God. 

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 14

Day 14

We end this week with the saints by looking to the Blessed Mother. Saying yes to all that God asked her stands as the quintessential model of discipleship for all of us.

I remember hearing a homily some years ago from a deacon up in Indianapolis. He said something to the effect of: Holiness sometimes means giving up things that in and of themselves are not bad but simply don’t lead us toward God. That has stayed with me for over 30 years.

Recently one of our parishioners gave me a sticker that says: “Don’t do what makes you happy; Do what makes you holy.” Saying Yes to God is the one thing that always makes you holy and then, surprisingly enough, it also makes you happy.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 13

Day 13

 I’m not sure if I should say this or not, but I often tell people that I feel most like a priest not when I am presiding at the Eucharist but when I am hearing confessions. I think there are a couple of reasons for that: 1) I have needed the sacrament so often in my life and I have been assured by many priests of God’s love and mercy for me. 2) I love being able to convey that great mercy to others.

When I have been in the confessional and someone has just unloaded that one burden that they had carried for so long; that one sin that they feel can never be forgiven; that one event that continues to cause them shame in their life; and I can say to them God still loves you; God has always loved you; God never stopped loving you. That is when I feel most like a priest.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 12

 Day 12

It would be a great freedom to come to understand and really take to heart that nothing really matters but God. That was the experience Thomas Aquinas had. His life's work; all of the studies; all of his writing were nothing in light of the presence of God. 

Does that mean we should give up doing anything? I don't think so. But I think it does mean we have to realize that everything pales in comparison to our relationship with God. 

I like that Kelly reminds us that it is not all about our head and it is not all about our heart. It is, indeed, that delicate balance between the two. I started seminar at St. Meinrad College in August of 1978. I left seminary (the first time) in January of 1979. I worked for a semester and during that time my heart told me to go back to seminary (you haven't given it a fair chance) but my head told me to finish my undergraduate someplace else. "So" I asked my spiritual director, "Do I follow my head or do I follow my heart." He thought for a moment before he replied, "Intelligently follow your heart." I think he was reminding me to find the balance between the two. 

I went back to seminary the next August and stayed for 2 years and then had a six year hiatus until I returned prior to ordination. Both my experience in seminary and out of seminary helped me always strive to "intelligently follow my heart."

33 Days to Eucharist Glory Day 11

Day 11

There is one line toward the end of this chapter that piqued my interest. “Maximilian Kolbe had laid down his life in small ways thousands of times before that day in Auschwitz.” Page 60. In many ways I think this describes the spiritual life: doing godly things over and over again. 

It’s true in all aspects of life. Peyton Manning talks about how often as a kid he would throw a football at a target over and over and over again. Thousands of repetitions. Billy Joel says the same thing about playing the piano. Singer-songwriter Harry Chapin says he used to play the guitar so much that his fingers would bleed. 

We spend so much time practicing the things we love to do and Maximilian Kolbe was no different. The difference was his deep love for God that focused him on doing godly things over and over again. 

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 10

Day 10 

When I visited France last year, I had the opportunity to celebrate Mass in the parish church that St. Therese of Lisieux worshipped in every Week. While we were celebrating Mass a little girl walked in and began preparing for the regular parish Sunday Mass. She was maybe 11 or 12 years old. She was careful not to disturb our Mass, but also went about doing what she was doing with care and devotion. 

Later, as the group I was leading reflected on this, we all had similar thoughts. This could very well be something St. Therese herself would have done. Little things with great love!

When I was a young boy, I loved to serve Mass. I loved preparing the altar and getting everything ready for the Mass. Putting out the cruets, taking them to the back of the Church for the procession. Counting out the hosts to make sure we had enough. Placing the books where they belonged. I think in many ways these works of service helped prepare me for “going to Mass” that day. Later, I did the same tasks in my high school seminary and then I did it again when I was in major seminary.

Little things with great love is still something I strive for. I don’t mind shoveling snow in the wintertime, placing something in the pews for use at a weekend Mass, or setting up for an event or cleaning up after an event. I think it helps me stay grounded in my vocation. I also hope and pray that it helps me to do little things with great love.