33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 33

Day 33

Congratulations on making it to day 33! I hope that you will join us Holy Thursday night at 7 p.m. for our Eucharistic Consecration. I'm touched by the stories I have heard from people about this Consecration and the changes it has had in their lives. It has helped me as well as I have come to an even great appreciation of the gift we have in our Catholic teaching on the Eucharist. Thank you for saying "yes" to this Consecration and to JPII Parish.

May God who has begun this good work in you bring it to completion! Philippians 1:6

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 32

 Day 32

Learning to listen deeply has always been and continues to be a struggle for me. I believe it to be vital and I strive to do it in my life and in my ministry as a priest. Yet, it remains a struggle.

The struggle, at least for me, is to not confuse obedience with blind obedience. Obedience says to listen deeply. Blind obedience says simply do what those in authority tell you to do. 

I look at the life of Jesus and I see obedience to the Father, but I see no blind obedience to the authorities. To them Jesus challenges, nudges, and confronts. 

I believe Jesus shows us the difference between the two. The most difficult part for me is knowing when to choose which. The answer always comes in prayer. 

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 31

Day 31 

When we were getting ready to build our new church, and several times throughout that process, you might remember me saying something to the effect: "If all we do is build a new church and don't at the same time, raise ourselves up to be the Body of Christ, we are simply rearranging the furniture."

I believed that then. I still believe it even more today.

We are not simply called to build a new church; we are called to have a Divine Renovation. We are called to continually move our parish from maintenance to mission. Pope Francis reminds us of what Pope Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II reminded us before: we are called to be disciples on mission. And that mission is to lead people to Christ. 

Following the way of virtue is the clearest evidence that we are on our way. 

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 30

Day 30

I resonated with the clear message that Keely had when he described the time that he knew he had a choice for how he would live his life. I had a very similar experience when I was 13 years old. I had just had an argument with my mom (I was being stupid!) and I suddenly realized: I have to live at home for at least the next 5 years. They can be miserable years or they can be good years. It really is up to me. I remember going back and really apologizing to my mom and committing to listen more and be stupid less. 

I never would have described that as a Holy Moment. But it was. 

I loved the words on page 133: "You are equipped right now to collaborate with God and create Holy Moments." That is so true. As Kelly points out, you don't need a degree; you don't have to have all the answers; you can simply work with God to create those Holy Moments. 

I know my life changed for the better after that self-revelation I had at age 13. My life continues to be immensely better each time I work with God to find and create the Holy Moments of my life.  

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 29

Day 29

The other day I was talking with a Protestant friend. She had some questions about the Catholic faith. One of her questions was this: Do Catholic believe they are called to be saints? Or are saints only those people you pray to in heaven? What a wonderful question!

I hope that this chapter reminds us that we are called to be saints. Matthew Kelly simply calls it a "call to holiness", but it is the same thing. St. Peter tells us that we are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart." 1 Peter 2:9 We are called to holiness. We are called to be saints.

Just as the priest in the story, I too receive lots of generous Christmas gifts. I don't usually have a favorite but this year I did. It was simply a sticker (and a candle). The candle smelled like Christmas and the sticker (the part of the gift I really liked) said: "Don't do what makes you happy. Do what makes you holy." I placed it on the door between my house and my garage, so that every time I look at it I am reminded that I am part of "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart." 

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 28

Day 28

We are less than a week away from our Consecration to the Eucharist on Holy Thursday. I hope you can join us for that.

I have overseen the building of two Churches as a priest: Good Shepherd Church in Indianapolis and St. John Paul II in Sellersburg. Kelly is absolutely right that building beautiful church is all about building a home for Jesus. Not just in the wood and stone of the building, but also in the hearts of the people who will worship in these Churches.

When we dedicated Good Shepherd Parish, Archbishop Daniel Buechlein said: "God doesn't need beautiful Churches, we do." And he is right. Beautiful Church point us to the presence of God, most especially in the Eucharist. We need beautiful Churches to help us pray beautiful prayers. Could we pray with out them? Sure we could. Would it be as easy? I don't think so. 

I have heard many comments over the years about the beauty of St. John Paul II Church. Perhaps I am biased, but I do agree. It is a beautiful Church. I love to go over when no one is around and sit and pray in it. It is beautiful as I sit alone and lift up my heart to God. But it is even more beautiful when we gather together to celebrate the Eucharist. When the church is full or nearly full and wea re praising God, that's when the real beauty shines forth. 

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 27

I am planning my second trip to Fatima in just a couple of months. I have to admit that I have always struggled with Fatima. I have a hard time imagining Mary showing hell to little children. But what I do like about Fatima is that it reminds us that all of us have a choice about how we want to live our lives. Do we orient toward God or away from God.

I like the part of this chapter that reminds us to pay attention to how we receive the Eucharist. I do believe it is important. Matthew Kelly points out two "camps" about how we receive the Eucharist. Some say it should only be received on the tongue (as a sign of reverence). Some say it should only be received kneeling down (as in adoration). Other say that it should always be received in the hand (Jesus said take and eat and none of the disciples received on the tongue). I think all of that is personal preference. What draws YOU closer to God? What signifies reverence to YOU? 

You have a choice,! Always choose to receive the Eucharist with the utmost reverence and respect.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 26

Day 26

If you remember back during Covid, when we were not allowed to gather in large groups, we had First Communions at our regular Masses. It was usually just one or two kids at a time and I always tried to gear a little bit of the homily directly to them. 

Do you remember the question I asked all of them? "What is more important than your First Communion?" Eventually they would realize that it was their Second Communion. "And what is more important than your Second Communion?" And they would answer their Third Communion. 

What a blessing it is to be able to come back time and time again to receive the Eucharist. Each one can be as touching and moving as our first if we approach it with an attitude of expectation and grace. God is always ready to work in our lives. We have to expect it. We have to believe that it will happen. 

Jesus gives us the Eucharist as food for the journey. May we always hunger for the Eucharist as if it were the very first time we are receiving it.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 25

 Day 25

The one line that strikes me in this passage is this: "Great faith and great doubt often go hand in hand, especially when it comes to accepting that Jesus is truly present  in the Eucharist." Page 111

That is a powerful line because it tells us a positive truth. Faith and doubt go together. When People tell me they have doubts, I always tell them doubts are often the seeds of faith. If there was no room for doubt, there would be no room for me.

The secret, I think, is not to live in the doubt forever.

Some of you will be old enough to remember the old sitcom, "Family Times". Michael J. Fox plays a politically conservative young man (Alex Keaton) raised by politically liberal parents. In one poignant episode, one of his best friends dies. To cope with his death, Alex goes to see a counselor and the counselor asks him, "Alex, do you believe in God?" Alex dodges the question.  A little later the counselor asks it again. He dodges it again. The scenario keeps repeating itself until finally Alex says, "Yea, I believe in God; otherwise nothing makes sense." 

That is faith and doubt living together, but faith not giving in to the doubt. That is my prayer for all of you.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 24

(Another note about the blog. I don't understand why the date on each blog is one day off. I think they are now being published on the right day. This one is scheduled to be published on Monday, April 7 at 2 a.m. but I am afraid that is will show Sunday, April 6 at the top of the post. Not sure why but here goes...)

A couple of years ago, I had a homily series called On Fire: Stories of the Early Church. And so I found this chapter interesting. While I am aware of the differences of the early church. While I am aware of the sinfulness of the early Church. And while I agree that the our relationship with Jesus is all that can change the world right now. I think Matthew Kelly's assessment of the early church falls a little bit short.

What I tried to convey n the homily series and what I think is important for us to remember is that the early church was changed because so many people were true disciples. By this I mean they had an encounter with Jesus; they were transformed by that encounter; and they felt compelled to share that encounter with others. 

In some ways it was easier for the early church. Either they knew Jesus personally themselves or they knew someone who knew Jesus personally. 

And that is precisely the beauty of the Eucharist. We can come to know Jesus personally each time we celebrate Mass. The Church teaches that Jesus is present in four ways at each Mass. He is present in the Eucharist (consecrated bread and wine), in the Word of God (Scripture readings), in the person of the priest, and in the assembled people gathered for worship.

And so while it may have been easier in some ways for the early Church. In other ways it is easier for us because we have four different ways to encounter Jesus each Sunday (or even each day). We also have 2000 years of history that reminds us time and time again that Jesus has never left us.

The early Church was blessed, but so are we. May we find the many ways that Jesus is still present to us today, is still transforming lives, and is still compelling us to share His life with others.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 23

Day 23

I had an acquaintance who died when he was young. He knew he was dying and a few weeks before he died he told his buddies. When I die, go to my grave sometime and have a drink with me. For many years after he died, his friends would gather at his grave and raise a glass to him (actually it was a can--they were all beer drinkers!)

I've used that story to explain the Eucharist. His friends were fulfilling their friend's dying wish. We we celebrate the Eucharist we are fulfilling Jesus' dying wish. "Do this in memory of me." 

After my parents died, many of my brothers and sisters would gather on their anniversary for Mass at Little Flower Parish. For several years, I always had a Mass on their anniversaries. There is a powerful connection between the Eucharist and death because it is really a connection to the resurrection.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. We cannot separate what happened on Holy Thursday from what happened on Good Friday from what happened on Easter Sunday. It all goes together for our salvation.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 22

Day 22

With today's chapter, we are 2/3 of the way to our consecration on Holy Thursday!

There was a time in my spiritual journey where I thought fasting was simply an old fashioned discipline that we really didn't need to practice any longer. About 20 years ago I changed my mine. I don't fast all the time, and now that I have officially been diagnosed with diabetes, I don't fast as much as I used to. But I have discovered there is something powerful about a fast.

I think Matthew Kelly is right when he equates its power with the understanding that we all hunger for something. Allowing ourselves to experience physical hunger helps move me to understand when I am spiritually hungry. It is in the Eucharist that I find the nourishment to combat that spiritual hunger.

When I go on vacation, I often try to find a way to go to church 3 or 4 times a week not because I have to, but because I know I need to. I need Holy Communion; I need Jesus! He is my food for the journey. 

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 21

Day 21

I begin today with two favorite scriptures.

"Without a vision, the people perish." Proverbs 29:18

The Lord answered and said to me, "Write down the vision; make it plain upon the tablets..." Habakkuk 2:2

As some of you are aware JPII is in the process of developing our next 4 year strategic plan. We hope to publish it this summer. Why do we do this? Look again at those two quotes. We want to know where we are going. We do not want to perish.

Some may say, well, we haven't always had a strategic plan and that is probably true. But I take god at his word. Without a vision, the people perish. And our plan will be written down as well. We will make it plain so that you can read it and hopefully say, "Yes! I want to be a part of this kind of parish!"

And what about your own life. Do you have a vision for you life? Do you have a plan? Is it written down? When I was a newly ordained priest I wrote a list of 20 things I wanted to do before I died. Some would call it a bucket list. I did it again after I had been ordained over 25 years. It amazed me how much my list had changed. It amazed me how much more spiritual my second list was compared to my first. I'll probably do a third list when I retire. I'm sure it will be even more Christ-centered as I continue to grow in my discipleship walk. 

Take some time this week to write out you own vision, and then let God help you find the way to bring it to completeion.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 20

Day 20

(First of all, I apologize if some of my posts are early or late. I look at a calendar and count the days and then I tell my blog to post at 2:00 a.m. on a particular day. Sometimes it does; sometimes it doesn't. I will have a post for all 33 days. As I said, some may be early and some may be late.)

I really like this chapter and I like at it is placed here on Day 20, a little more than halfway through our 33 Days. The reason I like it so much is that I know it is true. I have seen it played out in my life time and time again. 

The other reason I like it is that I think this is a reason why some people (myself included at times) don't strive to grow in holiness. They don't want to seem weird. They don't want to put off their old friends. They are sometimes afraid of what others might think. 

I have heard from some of our parishioners about how this book is changing their lives. I want to encourage you to not be afraid of that change. God is with you in the change. So if this consecration has caused you to want to go to Mass more, I encourage you to go to Mass more. And if someone asks you why, share with them this book. If this consecration is calling you to spend more time in Eucharistic Adoration, spend the time. 

God is doing great things with JPII. I hope you are willing to be a part of it by consecrating yourself to Jesus in His most Holy Eucharist!

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.