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. 

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 9

Day 9

This particular chapter was a little bit of a challenge for me. I’m not always great with silence. I want something to do. I want something to listen to—a little quiet music, the sound of the birds, the chatter of the TV even if I’m not listening to it.

I am challenged by the two-word piece of advice Kelly gives to the question: How do you find that deep space within you: Befriend Silence!

It is a challenge and one that I am starting, right now! 

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 8

 Day 8

Another great chapter! I’ve always loved the Leon Bloy quote that Kelly uses in this chapter: “The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint.” St. Paul often reminds us that we are called to be saints. 

I am reminded of a young boy who knew he was going to die. Everyone in his parish knew it and the family was open about it. Someone said to the boy, “Someday soon, you will be an angel.” To which the boy replied, “No, I will be a saint. Angels are something different.” That young boy knew his calling. He knew who and whose he was. 

We are called to be saints.

Kelly rightly points out that there is a great commonality in those who are canonized as saints and devotion to the Eucharist seems to exist in all of them. I think particularly of Blessed Carlo Acutis (soon to be Saint Carlo Acutis), the first millennial saint. As a young boy, Carlo Acutis developed a love for the Eucharist. He went on to unite his computer skills with his love for the Eucharistic by cataloguing various Eucharistic miracles throughout the world and putting them on one website. Blessed Carlo Acutis died at the age of 15. He will be canonized this April. 

I loved the line in this reading: “It has been observed that people emulate the five people they spend the most time with—for better or worse. Make Jesus one of those five people.” Page 51 Great advice. Jesus is waiting to spend time with you in adoration.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 7

Day 7

One of the things I like most about our parish embracing Eucharistic Adoration is that it requires people to show up. I know there are some people who don’t always do it. I know that sometimes that means someone takes two hours. When that happens to me I just assume God knows I need more prayer at that time. But, for the most part, when they sign up, people show up.

I know sometimes people don’t commit to a particular hour of Eucharistic Adoration. They think to themselves, “I don’t want to commit because I might not always be available so I’ll just go when I can.” When I’ve taken that approach to adoration I find that I just don’t go. There is something powerful about saying to Jesus, “I’ll meet you here next Tuesday at 3:00 am.” There is something powerful about making a commitment and then showing up.

Perseverance is the pilgrim’s virtue, Matthew Kelly writes. Jesus said it this way: “By perseverance you will secure your lives. Luke 21:19 

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 6

Day 6 

Wow! There is a lot packed into this day. The Six Seismic Shifts of the Spiritual Life is a great chapter. I think what I will do today is just take one or two thoughts from each of the shifts that touched a chard with me. 

First Shift: Just Begin the Conversation. The line that struck me is this: Once a conversation has begun, it can lead anywhere. Sometimes I think people want to make sure they “get all their prayers in” rather than simply being with God. Just get it started. God can lead where we need to be led. 

Second Shift: Ask God What He Wants. How often do we do that? How often do we stop and ask God what he wants for us, through us, with us, in us? Let God lead. 

Third Shift: Give Yourself to Prayer. “Stop doing prayer and start giving ourselves to prayer.” I like that because prayer is best when we quit doing it and simply spend time being with God. My parents were married 54 years before Mom died. They could sit in a room together and be comfortable. I always use that as a good image for prayer. I am reminded of St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata’s response to the question of what do you do in Eucharistic Adoration. She said, “He looks at me and I look at Him and we both like what we see.” 

Fourth Shift: Transform Everything into Prayer. I love it when he said: Not that He is in our presence, but that we are continually in His presence. Before the start of most Masses I will invite us to take a moment and remind ourselves that we are in the presence of God. 

Fifth Shift: Make Yourself Available. The line that rang true for me was this: It is about surrendering ourselves, our plans, and our lives to God. I have met a lot of people for whom this is just second nature. God and the presence of God permeates every aspect of their lives. 

Sixth Shift: Just Keep Showing Up. “It’s about what God is doing in us, through us and with us—when we show up.” The mantra I always hear is this: “I don’t get anything out of it.” And if you quit showing up, you might not be there when God is wanting to speak to you. Show up and you won’t miss it.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 5

Day 5

 I’m starting day 5 with a confession. I have been alive for almost 65 years and I have never made a consecration. When the book listed many of the consecrations that Catholics do: Immaculate Heart of Mary, Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Joseph, The Holy Family, St. Michael the Archangel, and on and on and on. I’ve never done any of those. I’m not saying that those of you who have are doing anything bad. In fact, I think those consecrations are good if they help you draw closer to God. I’m just saying that they have not been a part of my spirituality.

But this Consecration to the Eucharist touched a chord with me. I became familiar with this book back in 2023. But even then I read bits and pieces of it, but did not complete it. However, with the increase in Eucharistic Adoration in our parish and with the wonderful National Eucharistic Congress that many of us participated in last summer, this consecration struck a chord with me.

 I think it can be summed up in what Kelly says on page 35 of the book: “We each have to decide for ourselves if we are going to lead a life of distraction or a life of focus.” I choose to lead a life of focus and I want that focus to be on God in the Eucharist.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 4

Day 4

For day 4 Matthew Kelly writes this. “Some people will convince themselves that they should be more committed to some worldly pursuits. But the truth is, the reason we have not committed ourselves so fully, so totally, so completely to anything in this world, is that we are made for more. This type of commitment belongs to God and to God alone.” 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory, page 31

That is a powerful piece of writing and I find it true in my life. I’ll commit to this or that for a time and then slowly I’ll lose interest. There was the time when I was young and I loved baseball. I would practice all the time. In the winter times I read about it, studied it and planned for a great spring time of playing it again. Over time, that died out and was replaced by ice hockey which I played for several years. For a while I became a motorcycle enthusiast and then it was airplanes and getting my pilot’s license. Then I took up poker and dreamed of winning a World Series of Poker event. Lately, it has been hiking as I prep for my second Camino.

Now it could simply be I’m a jack of many trades and master of none, but after reading the material for day 4 I think I agree with Matthew Kelly that total commitment belongs to God and God alone. THAT commitment has been present in all of the various phases of my life. And my commitment to the Eucharist is the tangible evidence of that commitment. I can count on one hand the number of times I have missed Sunday Eucharist…almost all of them involve illness of one kind or another.

The word for our reflection for this day is determination. I am determined, and have been my whole life, to stay connected to Jesus, especially in the Eucharist.

 

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 3

 

Day 3

The opening song for my funeral (at least as of this moment) is “Give Me Jesus”. I love the refrain: Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, give me Jesus. 

Death, Judgement. Heaven. Hell.

I have met lots of people who are afraid to talk about death. Heck, some of them are even afraid to think about it. In many ways, I’m just the opposite. I enjoy talking about the time I die in this earthly body only to rise with Christ. In many ways I am like St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians chapter one when he writes: “I am caught between the two (life and death). I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.” Philippians 1:23-24

When asked how things are going, I sometimes hear people say something like this. Oh, I’ve got this problem or that problem, but it’s better than the alternative (referring to dying). And I want to say. Wait a minute! No. It’s not. The alternative, life with Christ, is far better.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t have a death wish. I just believe with all my heart that heaven is something to truly look forward to. St. Paul says it well: “For to me life is Christ and death is gain.” Philippians 1:21

The key to all of this is Christian joy. To be able to find joy even in the midst of struggle, even in the midst of pain. This year is the 20^th anniversary of the most difficult year of my life. Back in 2005, in late February, my Aunt Sharon died very suddenly and unexpectantly. In late March of 2005, during Holy Week, my cousin, Monsignor Frank Touhy, died. My mom died on Easter Sunday that year (March 27) and her sister, my Aunt Charlene died less than two weeks later. Finally, my dad died on June 2, 2005. It was a hard time. There were lots of tears and questioning and pain. But through it all, I hope I never lost my sense of joy. I don’t think I did.  

The Eucharist sustained me as I celebrated those funerals. Receiving Jesus on those occasions reminded me that this is what we all long for. Not life here, but communion with God in heaven.

 

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 2

I have travelled with parishioners on numerous occasions with my first trip dating back to a 2010 trip to Hawaii with 72 of my closest friends. I followed that trip with trips to Alaska, another to Hawaii, France, Ireland, Germany for the Passion Play, the Camino de Santiago in Portugal and Spain, and a Caribbean Cruise to kick off my 65th year of life. Later this year I will return to the Camino as well as a trip to Italy and one back to Ireland.  Some of those trips have been "vacations" and some of them have been "pilgrimage." Sometimes we were tourist. Sometimes we were pilgrims. My cruise in January was a vacation; my trips later this year to the Camino and to Italy will be pilgrimages. 

I liked the distinction of pilgrim and tourist. I also like the image Matthew Kelly uses in the book of a hotel. We never stay in a hotel and think of it as our home. In the same way, our time here on earth is not our destination. It is where we stay on the journey back to God, our true home. 

I heard a story once from a woman religious at a conference. She told the story of being with her grandmother (who raised her) as she was dying. She remembers saying to her grandma, "Mamaw, don't leave me!" to which her grandmother replied, "Honey, I'm going home. Don't ask me to stay." 

For people of faith, life is a pilgrimage: a sacred journey to a spiritual place. God has blessed me on this journey. 

One of the final prayers at a funeral Mass says this: Lord God, whose Son left us, in the Sacrament of his Body, food for the journey, mercifully grant that, strengthen ed by it, our brother (sister) N. may come to the eternal table of Christ. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Jesus gave us the Eucharist as food for the journey. May we always be strengthened by it.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory: Introduction and Day 1

 

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory

 Introduction

The introduction reminds us of the power of dreaming. Put another way, the power of vision. I reflect on this in light of our Divine Creator. God had a dream for a world of communion with one another. Out of love, this dream lead to the creation of the human person. Adam and Eve walked and talked with God before the fall.

When I used to work Christian Awakening Retreats for seniors in high school, I was always struck at the profound experience the retreat. For those three or four days the group of kids would become closely connected to each other. Inevitably, at some point in the retreat one of them would say something like this: “I don’t want this to end. I don’t want to go back into the real world.” I would always say: “This is the real world. This is the world God envisioned when he created us.” God’s vision for the world.

What are your dreams for your life? Where do you see God leading you in the next 5 years? 10 years?

I believe God’s vision for the world still includes communion. It includes the Eucharist. This is what can unite us: Jesus.

Pay attention to page 13 that tells us how to use the book. Most of all, enjoy the journey. Like the Israelites, we too are always on a journey. May this journey lead each of us to a deeper, more profound love of Jesus present in the Eucharist!

 

Day 1

Whenever I ponder the question of the meaning of life I think back to the scene in the old movie City Slickers. Curly, the consummate cowboy, tells the city slickers: “There is only one thing that matters,” he says as he holds up one finger…And then he stops and finally the city slickers, hanging on his every word, ask: “What is it?” Curly replies: “That’s what you have to find out.”

In this Lenten time, JPII Parish is embarking on a journey. We are on a journey to find life's meaning as it comes to us in the Eucharist. Together we travel the path that leads us where God wants us to go. I hope you join us for this journey. You can read each day in the book, 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory. You can listen to an audio recording (for those who don’t like to read, or simply do better by listening). These recordings are on our parish website: www.stjohnpaulparish.org There are also video’s available each day. You can access Dynamic Catholic’s videos at https://www.dynamiccatholic.com/eucharistic-consecration-program/consecration-with-matthew-kelly.html#day-1

Or you can access those made by Fr. Jonathan Meyer, a priest of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ5rFP_aFIE

Check in with my blog each day if you like. Add a comment on what you got out of each day’s reading or video. Most of all, enjoy the journey!

Homily 8th Sunday Year C

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!