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.