The focus of the second year of the "National Eucharistic Revival" is on the parish where the Eucharistic Celebration (the Mass) is the first and most important activity and ministry that happens (in most cases) every day! While some people (especially agnostics and atheists) deny the reality of miracles, I hope that many Catholic (including all of you) would quickly assert or confirm the statement that a miracle occurs during EVERY Mass that is celebrated, as Jesus becomes miraculously and personally present to us through the power of the Holy Spirit as bread and wine, the gifts that come to us from the basics of God's creation (wheat and grapes) becomes the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ! It is truly the greatest of blessings of Jesus (after the gift of eternal life that He won for us through his passion, death and resurrection) that he offers to us throughout our sojourn in this life and, hopefully, before our soul departs from this world through "Viaticum", (food for our journey).
The Eucharisitc Revival is both an invitation and a challenge. I must admit I don't care much for the word "invitation" because it speaks to some people as an option to say yes or no to what is being presented. Our Baptismal commitment was a definite "yes" to God and to a lively and growing faith in Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Hopefully, throughout our life, we challenge ourselves to grow in union with Jesus and his "Body" the Church. Sometimes the challenge comes from outside of ourselves and our response to it should always echo the "yes" of our baptism. While we are blessed to have quite a few regulars at our daily Masses throughout the week, I have only seen a relatively small number who commit to at least one daily Mass during the week. I once again challenge all of you who are physically able, to participate i at least one daily Mass every week, recognizing that growth in the Lord will come from such a commitment.
With all the instability and immorality that happens in our world today, WE ALL NEED the stability and strength that comes from participating in the miracle of the Eucharist and spending at least an hour a week in the loving, mreciful, and peace-giving presence of Jesus in the Monstrance, the miracle that perpetuates itself (or really Himself) with us all the time!!!
The Eucharisitc Revival is both an invitation and a challenge. I must admit I don't care much for the word "invitation" because it speaks to some people as an option to say yes or no to what is being presented. Our Baptismal commitment was a definite "yes" to God and to a lively and growing faith in Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Hopefully, throughout our life, we challenge ourselves to grow in union with Jesus and his "Body" the Church. Sometimes the challenge comes from outside of ourselves and our response to it should always echo the "yes" of our baptism. While we are blessed to have quite a few regulars at our daily Masses throughout the week, I have only seen a relatively small number who commit to at least one daily Mass during the week. I once again challenge all of you who are physically able, to participate i at least one daily Mass every week, recognizing that growth in the Lord will come from such a commitment.
With all the instability and immorality that happens in our world today, WE ALL NEED the stability and strength that comes from participating in the miracle of the Eucharist and spending at least an hour a week in the loving, mreciful, and peace-giving presence of Jesus in the Monstrance, the miracle that perpetuates itself (or really Himself) with us all the time!!!
One of the many challenges (and blessings) for any parish and pastor is to encourage and inspire parishioners to give (in answer to their baptismal commitment) their time, talent and treasure to various activities and ministries that a parish has to offer. In some instances, people step forward on their own and find great reward in the ministry or activity they want to do. Others step forward when a need presents itself to them and others, whether it be a one-time need or an ongoing one (like our Helpin gHnads ministry). The there are instances where I, as pastor, need t discern God's will and ask someone to take on a particular leadership role that I believe they are capable of and qualified to do.
Our VIP for the month of October, Deb Troxel, was recently asked and agreed to be our parish point person forthe national Eucharistic revival that is going on right now in our diocese and throughout the United States. I knew before asking her that she has a love for Jesus and his "Real Presence"in the Holy Eucharist as she is an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at Mass (she often attends daily Mass) and for the sick at CHI St Vincent Hospital. She participates in Eucharistic Adoration here and is a valuable substitute who often covers for absent Adorers more than a few times each week. She has shown herself to be a competent leader in the Walking with Purpose Bible Study, as well as, our Advent and Lenten studies as a facilitator. She is a trained and experienced spiritual directory/companion who ha used that gift and is available for parishioners who desire a deeper union with the Lord. Deb is a regular cantor at our Sunday Masses (especially the 8:00 a.m. Mass) and enjoys leading people in give thanks and praise to the Lord. She and her husband, Jack, moved to the Villate and to our parish in 2017 and she used her skills as a registered nurse at a CHI clinic until she retired in 2020. She is a regular participant in Linda Broome's exercise classes on Tuesday and Thursday and is testifying this weekend before two of our Masses about the benefits of participating in this or any exercise regimen in the hopes that more of you will give it a try. As with anyone who says "yes" to a call from the Lord ot serve, I was happy when she said she would be the point person for our participation in the national Eucharistic revival and, in a short time, she has exhibited her organizational skills, her communication skills to me and to others and initiative in recruiting parishioners to help her lead our parish in growing in our love and appreciation of the gift of the Holy Eucharist for our spiritual food and our adoration! (By the way, she has recently offered to run for a parish council position as a representative of the education commission). Thanks, Deb, for all you have done, are doing and your willlingness to do more!
Our VIP for the month of October, Deb Troxel, was recently asked and agreed to be our parish point person forthe national Eucharistic revival that is going on right now in our diocese and throughout the United States. I knew before asking her that she has a love for Jesus and his "Real Presence"in the Holy Eucharist as she is an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at Mass (she often attends daily Mass) and for the sick at CHI St Vincent Hospital. She participates in Eucharistic Adoration here and is a valuable substitute who often covers for absent Adorers more than a few times each week. She has shown herself to be a competent leader in the Walking with Purpose Bible Study, as well as, our Advent and Lenten studies as a facilitator. She is a trained and experienced spiritual directory/companion who ha used that gift and is available for parishioners who desire a deeper union with the Lord. Deb is a regular cantor at our Sunday Masses (especially the 8:00 a.m. Mass) and enjoys leading people in give thanks and praise to the Lord. She and her husband, Jack, moved to the Villate and to our parish in 2017 and she used her skills as a registered nurse at a CHI clinic until she retired in 2020. She is a regular participant in Linda Broome's exercise classes on Tuesday and Thursday and is testifying this weekend before two of our Masses about the benefits of participating in this or any exercise regimen in the hopes that more of you will give it a try. As with anyone who says "yes" to a call from the Lord ot serve, I was happy when she said she would be the point person for our participation in the national Eucharistic revival and, in a short time, she has exhibited her organizational skills, her communication skills to me and to others and initiative in recruiting parishioners to help her lead our parish in growing in our love and appreciation of the gift of the Holy Eucharist for our spiritual food and our adoration! (By the way, she has recently offered to run for a parish council position as a representative of the education commission). Thanks, Deb, for all you have done, are doing and your willlingness to do more!
If I turn on certain "so called" news channels, sadly I know that, depending on which one it is, I will hear all positive or all negative things about certain politicians and elected officials. Rarely, if ever, do they say anything positive about anything good "their nemisis" has done. I think the same kind of positive or negative thoughts and feelings about certain public figures can be, and are expressed in certain publications and by people who are on social media. We clearly see this when it comes to Pope Francis, the Vicar of Christ on earth. I receive forwarded e-mails from a few parishioners of publications which seem to be looking for and finding fault with everything our pope says or does. Like with anyone, some or much of what he says is taken out of context and assumptions and conclusions are reached that, at the least, are unfair to our pope and some are simply not true. I could bring up a few instances, but I choose not to do so here. I would rather like to caution everyone about taking positions on certain subjects and then getting defensive or even attacking the pope for saying things that don't seem to agree with or goes against those positions. We are called to be formed daily and throughout our lives in "Gospel" ways of thinking and acting. I truly can say that Pope Francis, with his long priesthood and as a holy and scholarly man, has shown his humility and faithfulness to preaching and teaching the ways of God that are truly meant for all of us to take to heart. I believe all of us should start by accessing sources (like Vatican News) that truly portrays what our pope is saying an doing. We should read all the things that the pope says or writes on our own and not through the lens and sometimes distortions which claim that the pope is not being true to the Tradition and/or to the ways and teachings of Jesus Christ. If what he says or writes is too long and/or difficult to understand, then find priests, bishops, or laypeople who can help us appreciate what comes from the pope without prejudice against him. Not only with Catholics and the Pope, but in other areas, like politics, there has been a movement away from respect for authority and instead and immediate distrust and criticism toward or about that authority which I believe has many more bad. When, however, he speaks in his teaching role, especially when it come to major writings like encyclicals, we are called as Catholic to take what he says seriously and with confidence that God is working through the Vicar of Christ in many of the same ways he worked through Jesus Christ. Blessings will surely come to those of us who do!