Tag: Deacon Rudy Villarreal

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The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

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Mass Readings

First Reading: Genesis 14:18-20
Psalm: Psalm 110:1-4
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Gospel: Luke 9:11B-17

Today we celebrate the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. You see, in our faith tradition, we believe that the bread and wine are transformed into the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.

In today’s Gospel from Luke 9:11-17, we hear the familiar story of Jesus feeding the crowd of 5,000 people. Now there are many things working in this account. Let’s try to tackle them.

First, why did it go so late that the disciples had to prompt Jesus to dismiss the crowds. Did he get carried away healing and teaching? No, I don’t think so. I believe Jesus wanted to spend more time with them. He wanted to experience that sort of peace and contentment that only comes from sharing a meal together. So, he asks his disciples to bring him what they have, just like in the mass when we bring forward bread and wine. He receives these small tokens and looking to heaven, prays to the Father and transforms the meager meal into such an abundance of food that there are 12 wicker baskets filled with leftovers.

Next, I’d like us to reflect on the crowd for just a moment. Jesus wants the crowd to stay so they can be fed. This is very important for us because as Catholics, we believe that the community is important. Jesus doesn’t come to save you are me by ourselves. He offers us eternal life in the context of each of us within the community. Can you sit on your porch with a cup of coffee, watch the sunrise and say, “Praise God!” Yes, of course you can. But we mustn’t forget that we are called to be part of the community of believers.

Now, you think this miracle would be enough, in the very next section of Luke’s Gospel, the people want another miracle. But Jesus tells them, that he himself is the true bread from heaven, John 6:32-40. When the Jews doubt his heavenly origin in verses 41-42, Jesus responds by saying that they must believe in him in order to have eternal life. He says, “I am the bread of life.” Then he makes his teaching more emphatic. He says, “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh,” (John 6:49-51).

The people scoff at the idea of eating Jesus’s body and drinking his blood. But Jesus says, “My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink” (John 6:55). In verses 60-65, Jesus then clarifies that it will be his resurrected body which we are to eat. He isn’t asking his followers to cannibalize him. Through the power of the Spirit, we can eat his crucified, resurrected, and ascended flesh, wholly and entirely (without him having to die again). That’s why the Eucharist isn’t cannibalism: Jesus doesn’t die when we consume him. Instead, he lives in us.

This message is a difficult one for people to hear. We will read in John 6:66 that “many of his disciples drew back and no longer walked with him.” Some people cannot accept what Jesus is saying to us. Why?

I suggest to you this is difficult for those who wrestle with God’s Word intellectually – for those who are not willing to open their hearts to the question of faith. What’s missing is an encounter with Jesus Christ. Just like we heard in today’s Gospel, just as Jesus wants to be share a meal with the crowd, Jesus is waiting for us…he is waiting for you. It is Jesus who waits in the Eucharist. It is Jesus who waits in the Tabernacle of his divine presence. What are you waiting for?

Homework!

  1. Go to mass every weekend. It’s too easy to come up with excuses why we can’t get to mass, but whether you’re Catholic or not, come to mass.
  2. Try to spend time with the Eucharist, either in adoration or even with the tabernacle. Find some time to sit quietly with the Eucharist.

I think by doing our homework, we can open ourselves to the possibility of an encounter with the risen Jesus Christ. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. +Amen!

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Trinity Sunday

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Mass Readings

First Reading: Proverbs 8:22-31
Psalm: Psalm 8:4-9 4
Second Reading: Romans 5:1-5
Gospel: John 16:12-15

Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. What is the Trinity? Admittedly, this is one of the most difficult teachings in the Christian tradition. Too easily, we try to say that we believe in one God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But that misses the point, I think. You see, the entire creed that we recite in mass every Sunday describes our beliefs in terms of the doctrine of the Trinity.

We believe in one God, the Father who…and then we profess faith in the doctrines of creation and providence, and in the Son who…and we state our belief in the doctrines of the incarnation, redemption and resurrection, and in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who…followed by the doctrines of Scripture, tradition, the church and eschatology. Indeed, as the theologian Michael Himes points out, our whole creed is a statement of belief in the Trinity. <1>

And what is the Trinity, then? In the First Letter of John, chapter four in verses eight and again in sixteen, we read that “God is love.” Now in the Greek, the word used is Agape. Agape is completely centered on the one loved. We often describe this, especially in the context of Christian marriage, as total self-gift. In fact, the First Letter of John claims that God is least wrongly thought of as a relationship of self-gift among persons.

When we hear in Matthew’s Gospel, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them,” (Matthew 18:20), that doesn’t mean that when we think about him, Jesus will be with them. What we mean is that in the context of agape, Jesus will be discovered in what happens whenever people come together in true mutual love.

But this particular love, agape, is so completely different from any other type of love, which is why we take such care in Christian marriage of establishing clear boundaries in our relationships to help protect the sacredness of Christian marriage – to prevent it being reduced in a way that can be easily dismissed.

You see, this love – this total self-gift is the Trinity itself. The Father totally gives Himself to the Son, no strings attached. The Son unconditionally receives this love and totally returns it to the Father, no strings attached. Through this constant action of total self-gift, total reception, total self-gift, total reception, the Holy Spirit emerges. That’s why in the Creed, we say the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

Christian marriage, then, is a good way to describe Trinity. There is no personal relationship outside of marriage that should in any way be compared to marriage itself because there is no personal relationship outside of marriage that can be an example of total self-gift and total reception.

Christian marriage is one way that Trinitarian love is shared with the world around and enables people who experience that love to experience God in a real and personal way. Christian marriage is an example of total surrender to the will of the Father and participating in the act of total self-gift. Those who are touched by the Trinitarian love flowing from Christian marriages in turn can share that love with those around them – either through the specific service of vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life, or through other acts of love and service for the people around us. And when we share that Trinitarian love we experience flowing from Christian marriages with others, because we are all image and likeness of God, we are in fact sharing love with the Lord.

Isn’t it interesting that in Matthews Gospel, we find the most extraordinary statement of love in the whole Christian tradition? In the Judgment of the Nations, (25:31-46), which I content describes the metrics for the judgment we will face, the criterion of judgment is not any sort of religious act. Rather, the one criterion is: Did you love your brothers and sisters? To love the least of our brothers and sisters is to love the Lord, whether we know it or not. This make sense doesn’t it? Afterall, God is love.

Homework:

  1. When have you experienced God as love?
  2. If God is love, what does Trinity have to do with love of neighbor?

Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Notes
<1> Himes, Michael, The Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to Catholicism (Cincinnati, OH: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2004), 119-124.

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Pentecost

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Mass Readings for the Day

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11
Psalm: Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3B-7, 12-13
Gospel: John 20:19-23

Today we live in a world dominated by social media, and yet we are less social that ever! We are more divided, more entrenched in our points of view and much less tolerant of opinions with which we don’t agree. And yet, we don’t seem to be on a firm footing, do we? Many people seem unsettled as they race to keep pace with their hectic lives. And most troubling of all, I think, many people feel absolutely alone. “No one knows what I’m going through,” they say to themselves. “No one can understand.” Does this sound familiar?

My brothers and sisters, I have good news! Jesus tells us, “peace,” and he sent the Holy Spirit to walk with us. Pope Francis tells us that the Spirit brings order to our frenzy.

What a beautiful idea!

In contrast to the chaos of the crucifixion, Jesus doesn’t demand revenge. No! He tells us, “Peace!” Then he sends the Church on a mission. Go into the world offering forgiveness of sins. Those sins forgiven are forgiven. Those sins bound are bound. So, the Church today continues to mediate God’s message of mercy and hope in the world today. This great feast which marks the beginning of the Church, who mediates Christ’s mercy to the world.

But why should I confess my sins to a man? Set aside for a moment that our understanding of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is rooted in this scripture passage. There is something cathartic in admitting our sins openly – first to ourselves and then to God. It is not the man in the confessional – but God himself to whom we ask forgiveness.

If there is one thing we’ve learned over the last century, especially in light of so much human suffering, we cannot do it alone. Despite our desperate desire for the super-human we see depicted on the big screen, it is not the modern human or some alien hybrid who is the ultimate image of humanity. It is Jesus, risen from the dead and who now sits at the right hand of the Father, who is the example of what it means to be fully human. And it is the Holy Spirit that can guide us on our journey.

But our journey is not a solitary affair. As disciples who are on a mission to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ into the world, we share the message of hope and mercy of Jesus mediated through his church. It is our mission to reach out to others, beginning with those closest to us, our families and our friends, and then to those we encounter in everyday life and finally to those on the margins. Why keep this message of mercy to ourselves when so many of our friends and family are obsesses with social media? How many of people do we see who seem obsessed with posting selfies of themselves. How many of us cringe when we see our nieces and nephews or even our own children post pictures that give us pause or worse who we think are posting pictures so thinking they will be better received by their peers?

My brothers and sisters, we are the church! It is up to us to share the message of peace, the message of forgiveness, the message of hope and the message of love with others! The message of Pentecost is a reminder to us of the gifts given to us at our baptism and confirmation. We must pray for the grace to stir the flame of the Spirit within us so that we can go out into a world that desperately needs to hear a message of mercy, hope and peace.

Homework! I ask you to reflect on the following two questions this week.

  1. How do I live the action of the Holy Spirit in my life in a visible way?
  2. How do I let the Holy Spirit strengthen me and help me to devote myself to His works?

Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. +Amen!