Washing Feet: Love and Service

Holy Thursday, 2016:

• Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
• 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
• Verse Before the Gospel: John 13:34
  John 13:1-15

---

Holy Thursday, 2016

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
March 24, 2016

"If I, therefore ... Have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet."

To wash someone's feet in the ancient world really meant something. It was, almost always done, by household servants as a way of indicating the importance of the other person, as a way of showing respect. It was a show of humility and tenderness in submissiveness and deference. The person doing the washing was always "lesser" than the one whose feet were being washed. And the fact that Jesus did it spoke volumes. In a sense he was saying, "you must be a servant. You must be humble. You must come in close to the one in need. You must get your hands dirty. You must (maybe for the first time) think exclusively of the other person."

So what does that look like in this time and in this place?

Maybe it means.....

That the starting point is always the dignity of every single person, no exceptions.

That the happiness and well-being of others is as, or more important, then ours.

That we don't have to win every argument.

That we don't have to have all the answers, and that others have something to teach us.

That the person we like the least is precisely the one we need to help the most.

That we must never be okay with others being lonely and forgotten or unloved.

Maybe it simply means that we should approach every single person we encounter, intent on answering the question, "what can I give? What does this person need from me?" And not what can I get from this person?

How can we possibly do that? Well, it's only possible if God is alive and well within us, shaping all we say and do. And nowhere is that hope more visible than at this altar, at the sacred table whereby our loving Lord and Savior feeds us with his very life, his very self -- our God poured out for us and within us so that we can do all the incredible things he calls us to do. Think about it -- the body of Christ given to the body of Christ so that we can more perfectly become the body of Christ, that is so that each of us can strive to live lives of profound goodness, kindness, generosity, mercy, and love. That's the promise and the challenge of the Eucharist.

So you all be Good, Be Holy, preach the Gospel always using Words and Holy Actions.

---

'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.

---

More reflections:

• "Reflections from Sauk Centre's Our Lady of Angels Church"

Related posts:

• "Names and THE Name"
  (February 28, 2016)
• "Love!"
  (January 31, 2016)
• "Mercy!"
  (December 13, 2015)
• "(Not) 'Going Native' "
  (August 30, 2015)
• "Gnawing Our Lord"
  (August 16, 2015)

Gnawing Our Lord

Our Gospel readings are still in the Bread of Life discourse. This week's installment was John 6:51-58.¹

After two millennia, what our Lord said may have lost some shock value:

"Whoever eats ¹⁹ my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day."
(John 6:54)

On the other hand, last year someone asked me if I realized that Catholics are cannibals. We are, sort of: but it wasn't our idea. (June 22, 2014)

Bread, Gnawing, and Choices

Quite a few Christians sidestep this bit of the Gospel, but I can't.

I'm a Catholic: so I must take what our Lord says seriously, acknowledge the authority Jesus gave Peter, and act as if it matters. (Matthew 16:18; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 74-95, 101-120, 124-133, 170-171, 1814-1816)

Getting back to eating our Lord's flesh, Matthew 26:26-29 says pretty much the same thing, emphasizing the forgiveness of sins.

"Eats," in John 6:54, isn't the verb Greeks used for nice human-style eating. When John's Gospel was written, that verb described how animals eat. "Munch" or "gnaw" mean about the same thing in today's English. (John 6, footnote 19, NAB)

I think it's pretty obvious that our Lord really meant 'eat my flesh, drink my blood:'

"Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.

"This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.' "
(John 6:57-58)

One thing I like about Jesus: our Lord doesn't avoid awkward realities. (June 7, 2015)

Next Sunday's Gospel reading, John 6:60-69, starts with many of our Lord's disciples saying "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" — and leaving.

I must accept the reality of the Eucharist. There is no other viable option. It's like Simon Peter said:

"Jesus then said to the Twelve, 'Do you also want to leave?'

"Simon Peter answered him, 'Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

"We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.' "
(John 6:67-69)

An Incredible Claim

A few chapters later, Jesus says "...before Abraham came to be, I AM." (John 8:58)

Someone who says "I am God" may be delusional, lying: or, on our Lord's case, stating a fact. That wasn't, perhaps, obvious at the time.

I'd be — dubious, at best — about our Lord's incredible claim, if it weren't for what happened later.

All four Gospels describe our Lord's last Passover in Jerusalem.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke show Jesus breaking bread, giving it to the disciples, and saying pretty much the same thing:

• "Take and eat; this is my body"
  (Matthew 26:26)
• "Take it; this is my body"
  (Mark 14:22)
• "This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me."
  (Luke 22:19)

John 13 through 17 covers the same event, but starts with our Lord washing Peter's feet and ends with a prayer. I see it as an account of the disciples' final briefing before our Lord's death.

Then Jesus was tortured, publicly executed, and buried.

A few days later, our Lord stopped being dead.

The surviving 11 Apostles had trouble believing that, but after a series of meetings and working lunches they were convince that our Lord was actually, break-bread, eat-a-fish, put-your-hand-in-my-side, ALIVE. (Luke 24:30-31; Luke 24:41-43; John 20:26-27)

Standing Orders and Looking Ahead

A little later, Our Lord gave us a promise and standing orders — and left. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-19; Luke 24:49-51)

It took two angels to break up the crowd:

"While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.

"They said, 'Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.' "
(Acts 1:10-11)

Two millennia later, at every Mass, we are there with our Lord at the Last Supper, and Golgotha. (Catechism, 1323, 1330, 1362-1372)

And we remember why we will keep working and watching until the end of time. (Mark 13:33-37; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Revelation 1:4; Catechism, 1402-1405)

Another millennium of the long watch:

• "Corpus Christi: Gnawing on a Hard Saying"
  (June 7, 2015)
  Particularly
  • CSI, Lanciano
  • "This Saying is Hard"
  • Two Millennia and Counting
• "We are Many, We are One"
  (May 24, 2015)
• "Death? Been There, Done That"
  (April 5, 2015)
  Particularly
  • "Before Abraham ..."
  • Jesus Died - - -
  • - - - and Stopped Being Dead
  • The Last Hour — Two Millennia and Counting
• "Corpus Christi: 'Whoever Eats My Flesh,' Two Millennia Later"
  (June 22, 2014)
  Particularly
  • "Take and Eat"
  • "The Words of Eternal Life"
  • Hypostatic Union, Transubstantiation, and All That
• "Where Past, Present, and Future Come Together"
  Guest post (February 23, 2014)

---

¹ "...my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink..." — small wonder folks "quarreled among themselves:"

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.'

"The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?'

"Jesus said to them, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.

"Whoever eats 19 my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.

"For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.

"Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.

"This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.' "
(John 6:51-51)

Corpus Christi: Gnawing on a Hard Saying

It's Corpus Christi Sunday: the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

Weather permitting, we'll have a Corpus Christi procession here in Sauk Centre. That photo is from last year's event. I won't be walking, but I plan to take photos, posting them later today.

Taking what looks like a bit of unleavened bread for a walk makes sense to Catholics who understand our faith — maybe not so much to other folks.

Corpus Christi is Latin for Body of Christ, and what happens to unleavened bread connects to why we've been celebrating ever since that first Easter. (April 20, 2014)

Adoration

(Adoration chapel in Sauk Centre, Minnesota (2013))

I spend an hour each week in that room, doing something that's generally not even close to my top-one-hundred favorite activities: 'doing nothing.'

That's how Eucharistic adoration felt when I started two years back. Staying awake hasn't been a struggle lately, although I'm not sure how midsummer afternoons will be this year. (July 14, 2013)

Folks have many ways of spending their time in the chapel: praying; meditating; reading, either the Bible or one of the many booklets of prayers and meditations kept there. Lately I've started doing prayers from "The Catholic Prayer Book."¹

So, what's the big deal with spending time in that room? It's a nice place: quiet, comfortable, with plenty of reading material. But what's important is the Eucharist in that monstrance: the cross-shaped thing on the table.

My eyes perceive the Eucharist as a disk of unleavened bread: a perception confirmed by other senses each time I receive the Eucharist at Mass. That's all anyone has seen, touched, and tasted for the last two millennia — for the most part.

Some Eucharistic miracles, like the one at Bolsena, aren't well-documented. Others, like what happened at the St. Longinus monestery in Lanciano, are.

Besides documentation, the Lanciano incident left a bit of flesh and five globs of blood.

CSI, Lanciano

(From Junior, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
(Monstrance in the Lanciano shrine, 1971 analysis results.)

At the time, some 1,300 years back now, The Frentani city's name was Anxanum at the time. The city had been sacked by Goths, destroyed during the Lombard invasion, rebuilt around a castle built by the new rulers, and I'm getting off-topic.

Anyway, a Basilian hieromonk (It's a real word) doubted that Jesus Christ was really present while saying the Words of Consecration.²

I'm pretty sure that's happened quite a few times before and since — but this time the unleavened bread became flesh, and the wine became blood.

The flesh and blood have long since dried out, but they're still in a church in Lanciano.

The most recent analysis of them I know of was made in 1971. Odoardo Linoli, professor of anatomy and pathological histology/chemistry and clinical microscopy, found that the flesh is human cardiac tissue.

The blood is type AB, the same blood type found on the shroud of Turin. The blood's sero-proteic percentages are consistent with fresh normal blood. Linoli found no trace of preservatives.³

I suppose someone could have been maintaining a scam for all these centuries, making forgeries using technology we don't have yet, but my guess is that a simpler explanation is true.

When Jesus said "eat my flesh," and "this is my body," our Lord meant it. (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22)

"This Saying is Hard"

Our Lord didn't mince words about what's needed:

"Jesus said to them, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.

"Whoever eats ¹⁹ my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.

"For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink."
(John 6:53-55)

Matthew 26:26-29 says pretty much the same thing, with emphasis on the forgiveness of sins.

"Eats," in John 6:54, isn't the verb Greeks used for nice human-style eating. It's the verb for how animals eat. "Munch" or "gnaw" are somewhat equivalent words in today's English. (John 6, footnote 19, NAB)

One of the things I like about Jesus is that our Lord doesn't avoid awkward realities.

John 6:60-66 starts with many of our Lord's disciples saying "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" — and ends with many of them leaving.

I'm in Simon Peter's position: I must accept the reality of the Eucharist. There is no other viable option:

"Jesus then said to the Twelve, 'Do you also want to leave?'

"Simon Peter answered him, 'Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

"We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.' "
(John 6:67-69)

As a Catholic, I'm obliged to receive the Eucharist once a year — minimum — and I'm expected to be at Mass each Sunday. Adoration of the Eucharist is a good idea, transubstantiation is what we call the bread and wine becoming flesh and blood, and there's a lot more to say about it. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1373-1381, 2177-2183)

I receive the Eucharist each Sunday, by the way. It's my compromise between the bare-bones minimum and daily Mass. Maybe someday I'll stop being a night owl and make morning Mass part of my routine, and that's another topic.

I understand and accept that our Lord really is present at each Mass, but don't understand how bread and wine become body and blood. As I said last week, I like to understand things: but God's God and I'm not. Some things I can't understand. (May 31, 2015)

Two Millennia and Counting

Accepting that our Lord really is physically present at each Mass is easier for me, now that Peter's Bark has been under under way for two millennia.

As Gamaliel said, "if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself."

Since then, the authority my Lord gave Peter has been passed along to hundreds of Popes: including recognized Saints; terrible administrators; and Benedict IX, who was kicked out twice and sold the Papacy once.

An outfit "of human origin" would have torn itself to bits by now: several times. And that's — what else? — yet another topic. (September 14, 2014; July 13, 2014; April 27, 2014)

Finally, a bit of what three recent Popes said about the Eucharist:

"...Really partaking of the body of the Lord in the breaking of the Eucharistic bread, we are taken up into communion with Him and with one another. 'Because the bread is one, we though many, are one body, all of us who partake of the one bread'. In this way all of us are made members of His Body, 'but severally members one of another'...."
("Lumen Gentium," Pope Paul VI (November 21, 1964)

---

"...It is most fitting that my first stop among the Korean people should be in a church such as this, where the minds and hearts of the faithful are constantly raised up in adoration before Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist,

• Christ offering himself to the Father in Sacrifice for our salvation;
• Christ giving himself to us to be eaten as the Bread of Life, so that we, too, may give ourselves for the life of others;
• Christ consoling and strengthening us on our earthly pilgrimage with his abiding presence and friendship.

"In beholding the Word made flesh, now sacramentally present in the Eucharist, the eyes of our bodies are united with the eyes of faith in gazing upon the presence 'par excellence' of Emmanuel, 'God with us', until that day when the sacramental veil will be lifted in the Kingdom of heaven. ..."
("Eucharistic Adoration in the parish church of Nonhyondong," Homily of St. John Paul II (October 7, 1989))

---

"...Actually it is wrong to set celebration and adoration against each other, as if they were competing. Exactly the opposite is true: worship of the Blessed Sacrament is, as it were, the spiritual 'context' in which the community can celebrate the Eucharist well and in truth. Only if it is preceded, accompanied and followed by this inner attitude of faith and adoration can the liturgical action express its full meaning and value...."
("Solemnity of the Sacred Body and Blood of Christ," Pope Benedict XVI (June 7, 2012))

---

Background:

• Matthew 26:26-29
• John 6:53-55
• Code of Cannon Law (English)
  • The Most Holy Eucharist (Cann. 897 - 958)
  • The Reservation and Veneration of the Most Holy Eucharist (Cann. 934 - 944)
• "Solemnity of the Sacred Body and Blood of Christ"
  Pope Benedict XVI (June 7, 2012)
• "Eucharistic Adoration in the parish church of Nonhyondong"
  Homily of St. John Paul II (October 7, 1989)
• "Mysterium Fidei"
  Pope Paul VI (September 3, 1965)
• "Dogmatic Constitution on the Church - Lumen Gentium"
  Pope Paul VI, Documents of the II Vatican Council (November 21, 1964)

Why we celebrate:

• "Death? Been There, Done That"
  (April 5, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Jesus Died - - -
  • - - - and Stopped Being Dead
  • The Last Hour — Two Millennia and Counting
• "God's Kingdom, a Wedding Parable, and the Rest of the Story"
  Guest post (October 12, 2014)
• "Corpus Christi Procession: Sauk Centre, Minnesota, 2014"
  (June 22, 2014)
• "Corpus Christi: 'Whoever Eats My Flesh,' Two Millennia Later"
  (June 22, 2014)
• "Where Past, Present, and Future Come Together"
  Guest post (February 23, 2014)

---

¹ "The Catholic Prayer Book;" Msgr. Michael Buckley (Compiler), Tony Castle (Editor); Servant Books; Revised Updated edition (February 22, 2013)
Paperback ISBN-13: 978-1616366100.

² The Words of Consecration in English are "This is my body, this is my blood." My language wouldn't be close to its present form for more than a thousand years when the Anxanum/Lanciano incident happened, and I've been over that before. (May 24, 2015)

³ ("The Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano:Historical, Theological, Scientific and Photographic Documentation," Fr. Nicola Nasuti, OFM Conv.)

Corpus Christi: "Whoever Eats My Flesh," Two Millennia Later

Earlier this year, someone asked me if I realized that Catholics are cannibals. I responded with something like 'yes, but it wasn't our idea.'

I'm pretty sure that the person wasn't trying to be offensive. I run into odd notions about Catholic beliefs fairly often. I suspect they're often rooted in America's endemic anti-catholicism. (January 6, 2013; February 29, 2012)

Besides: the person was quite right in this case.

Here's part of today's Gospel reading:

"Whoever eats ¹⁹ my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.

"For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink."
(John 6:54-55)

After two millennia, that part of the Gospel may not seem as shocking as it did when my Lord told folks in Capernaum's synagogue. Not, at least, until we start thinking about it.

"Take and Eat"

Some of the more fastidious versions of Christianity sidestep my Lord's indelicate comments, like the ones in John 6:55 and Matthew 26:26-28.

Folks who heard Jesus that day in Capernaum's synagogue understood what my Lord meant. Quite a few went back to their old way of life after their leader said 'eat me.' (John 6:60-66)

I can see why, since the what Jesus said was more like "...whoever gnaws my flesh...."

Translations from one language to another can be tricky, since words with nearly the same 'dictionary' meaning can be associated with very different feelings. More about this bit from John:

"Eats: the verb used in these verses is not the classical Greek verb used of human eating, but that of animal eating: 'munch,' 'gnaw.' This may be part of John's emphasis on the reality of the flesh and blood of Jesus (cf ⇒ John 6:55), but the same verb eventually became the ordinary verb in Greek meaning 'eat.' "
(footnote 19)

"The Words of Eternal Life"

Jesus said, 'I am God,' and made the claim stick. (John 8:58; John 14:9-11; Luke 24) Since I believe that, it's like Peter said: my options are limited.

"Jesus then said to the Twelve, 'Do you also want to leave?'

"Simon Peter answered him, 'Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

"We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.' "
(John 6:67-69)

I didn't become a Catholic just because I read those verses, and that's another topic.

Discussing who Jesus is and why this is a big day for Catholics doesn't demand words like hypostatic union and transubstantiation, but I'm a recovering English teacher and an adult convert to Catholicism. Feel free to skip to the next heading (Baldachins, Halos, and Diversity in Unity): or check out World Cup trivia.

Hypostatic Union, Transubstantiation, and All That

Since I'm a Catholic, I acknowledge that Jesus is human and divine. The Son of God is one person: "eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father...," as it says in the Nicene Creed.

I don't understand how that works, not in detail. But we've got a word for it: hypostatic union.

"HYPOSTATIC UNION: The union of the divine and human natures in the one divine Person (Greek: hypostasis) of the Son of God, Jesus Christ (252, 468).

"The Chalcedonian Definition agreed with Theodore that there were two natures in the Incarnation. However, the Council of Chalcedon also insisted that hypostasis be used as it was in the Trinitarian definition: to indicate the person and not the nature as with Apollinarius."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, Glossary)

Some folks who accept the idea that Jesus is divine have had trouble believing that Jesus is really human. Occasionally someone decides that my Lord couldn't, or shouldn't, have been both human and divine. Their names for the workarounds vary, but these alternatives to reality fall into one of three groups: or four, depending on how you split them up. (May 4, 2014)

What we're celebrating today involves transubstantiation. It's why that person asked me if I knew that Catholics are cannibals.

"TRANSUBSTANTIATION: The scholastic term used to designate the unique change of the Eucharistic bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. 'Transubstantiation' indicates that through the consecration of the bread and the wine there occurs the change of the entire substance of the bread into the substance of the Body of Christ, and of the entire substance of the wine into the Blood of Christ—even though the appearances or 'species' of bread and wine remain (1376)."
(Catechism, Glossary)

"Substance," and "appearances" or "species," in this case are philosophical terms. What they mean is that the unleavened bread doesn't look or taste any different; and the wine is still wine, as far as my physical senses can tell. But under, or behind, or beyond, what my senses tell me: my Lord is there: actually present; not a symbol; really, unequivocally, there.

Eucharistic miracles happen, when we're able to perceive the change with our senses: but these events are very few and far between. The highest-profile one I can remember offhand is the Miracle of Lanciano, about 1,300 years back.

What happened in Lanciano, Italy, isn't the sort of 'I saw the face of [whoever] in a jar of peanut butter' thing. The Church methodically checks out claims of miraculous happenings, and that's yet another topic. (December 8, 2010)

Baldachins, Halos, and Diversity in Unity

Where was I? Who Jesus is, The Body and Blood of Christ, and why today is special. Right.

Weather permitting,we'll do a Corpus Christi procession from Our Lady of Angels to St. Paul's. I'm hoping that we can have the procession: maybe between thunderstorms. This will be the last one we'll have with Father Statz. He revived the tradition here, this is his last month in Sauk Centre, and that's yet again another topic.

Although Corpus Christi is a city on the Texas Coast, that's not what we're celebrating today. "Corpus Christi" is Latin for Body of Christ. In a sense, every Mass is a celebration of Corpus Christi, but we set aside one each year as a special event. (Catechism, 1322-1405)

The current (2003) English translation of the Roman Missal calls today "the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ." That'll probably upset some folks, and that's — what else? — another topic.

Pope Francis celebrated Corpus Christi Thursday, Rome time. He celebrated Mass in front of the main entrance to the Basilica of St John Lateran in Rome.

Folks in Rome did the traditional Corpus Christi procession to the Basilica of St Mary Major, but the Pope wasn't with them.

I think he had good reasons:

"While thousands of people lined the streets holding candles and praying as the Holy Eucharist was carried by the Vicar General for the diocese of Rome and the procession was led by the bishops of Rome, Pope Francis made his way in a closed-in car to Mary Major for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and his solemn blessing.

"Pope Francis decided not to take part in the procession on foot between the two basilicas partly due to his upcoming commitments over the next few days but more importantly he preferred to avoid the attention he would receive in an open car which he thought could distract the faithful's attention from the Blessed Sacrament, exposed and taken in procession."
("Pope Celebrates Corpus Christi," Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese (June 20, 2014))

Keeping the focus on the Blessed Sacrament, my Lord under the appearance of unleavened bread, is why folks from Poland to Minnesota and beyond have the Consecrated Host under a sort of traveling tent. It's called a baldachin, and has been a symbol of authority in Europe and cultures with European roots for a thousand years, more or less.


(From Silar, Magdalena Bryll Cefeida, Joyce Chan, Eigenes Werk, via Wikipedia, used w/o permission.)

A thousand years from now, we may have another widely-recognized symbol of authority: but we'll still have the same reason for using it.

A sort of bonus to being Catholic is that we're accumulating a growing collection of symbolic expressions of faith. For example, the pelican became a symbol for the Eucharist about eight centuries back; ichthys (fish) and two letters of the Greek alphabet go much further back, and of course there's the Cross.

Most if not all Christian symbols have been used by folks who weren't Christians: like the halo, which has roots in ancient Greece and Egypt, and probably Buddhist iconography.

Then there are Christmas trees, which showed up in 15th or 16th century Germany.

Many Nigerian Christians have celebrated Christmas with Jollof rice/Benachin and Tuwon Shinkafa.

The point is that for two millennia and counting, we've been practicing diversity in unity. And that's still more topics. (December 9, 2012; April 18, 2012)

Related posts:

• Yesterday, today - - -
  
  • "Jesus: Two Millennia of Truth and Alternatives"
    (May 4, 2014)
  • "Believing Impossible Things: Not Required"
    (March 30, 2014)
  • "Jesus, God, and What St. Augustine Said"
    (December 26, 2012)
  • "The Man Who Wouldn't Stay Dead"
    (March 11, 2012)
  • "Miracles, Mass, Bread and Wine"
    (June 7, 2010)
• - - - and forever
  
  • "Looking Forward to Heaven"
    (August 25, 2013)
  • "Fasting, Penance: and Infinite Depths of Joy"
    (June 3, 2012)
  • "Marching Through Time"
    (April 1, 2012)
  • "An Eternal Life I can Live With"
    (August 27, 2011)
  • "Last Judgment: Attendance Mandatory"
    (May 21, 2011)

Where Past, Present, and Future Come Together

Readings for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary time 2014:

• Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18
• 1 Corinthians 3:16-23
• Matthew 5:38-48

---

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary time 2014

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
February 23, 2014

You know how it goes sometimes. You sing your greatest song in the shower, you always think of a response too late, for a Deacon sometimes he preaches the best homily when he's laying back in his chair praying his rosary. He gets by with this by calling it, horizontal meditation.

That has happened to me after Mass this past Thursday when the question was posed by Jesus to his followers, "who do the people say that I am?" The answer came to Him, while some say Elijah some say one of the prophets and so forth, but who do you say that I am, He asked? Peter responded by saying, "you are, the Christ, the Son of the Living God." And as you all know this response by Peter counted him first among the Apostles.

So I'm thinking to myself as I also asked of myself the question, what does that mean to you and I. If I am to believe that Jesus is who he says he is, then for me there must be a past, a present, a future/eternity.

So many of us, I am convinced, we so live completely in the past that the present becomes obscured. What I'm trying to say is, the past is past and it must be relegated to the past. I am reasonably sure, therefore, a good number of us, sin is the bugaboo. But keep in mind what Pope Francis said, not all that many days ago, " do not be afraid to go to confession".

I remember going to a retreat at Barrington and part of the retreat, of courses, you go to confession, how many times at that point had I gone to confession and heard the words of absolution, but this time for some reason, it was different. It was like for the first time I really heard and absorbed the words of absolution. What a wonderful feeling. So in my meditation I would say to you if your past needs a good confession, don't wait. Now we are ready for the present.

After talking to a friend this past week, our conversation also became a part of my meditation. The question posed is what about the present? Well I guess, to put it in perspective everything is in the past except for the present moment. What is happening at this moment, think about it? What from the past has become so present that without it you and I would have no hope! Okay! I'm beating around the bush little bit, but the next question posed to you might be, if you know that Jesus Christ is the son of the Eternal Father, what is your reason for being here?

I will tell our servers from time to time that they are taking part as servers at the most important happening of the day, that nothing that happens this day is more important and life-giving than what takes place on this altar. I can say that because the Church has taught us from the very beginning, that what happens on this altar is a reenactment of the Passion Death and Resurrection of Christ, of course in an un-bloody manner.

Christ and his Church has made it possible for each one of us to be a part of the past so intimately involved that the past is made present. Do you believe that? Why do you believe that? It is very much like the little girl who is to receive her first communion and was asked a question, do you really believe that that's Jesus, really Jesus? How do you know that it is Jesus? Her answer was because Jesus said so!

In the first reading the Lord said to Moses, "speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: be Holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy!" This living out the present while observing the statutes of the past brings us to the future, or one could say, Eternal Life. The past, the present and the future all come together right here on this altar. There's another question that begs for an answer, how can we come here, daily or weekly and receive the body and blood of Christ, and not love one another including our enemies. Ouch, that hurts! For I'm betting that there is not one of us here in this church that can honestly say that we live up to the perfection of this Commandments, that Jesus is giving us.

There was a book written a few years ago entitled, "The 100:" a ranking of the most influential people in history, by Michael Hart. Who would you think-ranked first in his book it was, Mohammed-- based on the fact that he had more followers. Number two was Sir Isaac Newton based on the idea that his discoveries form the basis of all modern technology.

Jesus doesn't show up until third on the list but here's what's interesting. Hart says he would have no trouble at all placing Jesus first especially because of the uniqueness of Jesus' teaching about loving your enemies but he doesn't-- and here's why. Hart writes: "Now these ideas about loving your enemies, which were not a part of the Judaism of Jesus' day nor of any other religion — are surely among the most remarkable and original ethical ideas ever presented. If they were widely followed, I would have no hesitation placing Jesus first in this book."

This should give each one of us here reason to reflect on our own actions and biases for that matter and how we live up to the letter of the law that Jesus said, of Himself, that he came to perfect the law, not to do away with it.

I leave you today with one final thought. God in His Divine Wisdom has given to us a family to live out the precepts of His Law. Where we learn his law and learn to live his law so that, our past can be the past, our present be a time of joy and happiness and our future be Eternal Life.

Be Good, be Holy, preach the Gospel always and if necessary use words.

---

'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.

---

More reflections:

• "Reflections from Sauk Centre's Our Lady of Angels Church"

Related posts:

• "God, Jesus, and Me: Personal?!"
  (January 5, 2014)
• "'Waking Up Catholic,' a Guide to Catholic Beliefs"
  (July 1, 2013)
• "Giving Up Skydiving for Lent"
  (February 13, 2013)
• "First Sunday in Lent; God is Reclaiming His Broken Creation "
  (February 26, 2012)
• "A Prayer for Clouded Hearts"
  (December 4, 2011)

Finding Gratitude

Readings for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time:

• 2 Kings 5:14-17
• 2 Timothy 2:8-13
• Luke 17:11-19

---

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
October 13, 2013

The setting for today's story about Naaman the Syrian takes place between the borders of Galilee and Samaria and is really a fitting location and involving the Jews and Samaritans. For you see the land itself is very much a part of this biblical drama.

You may well remember the story of Naaman not recorded this morning but is covered in earlier passages of the same book of Kings where we learn he was a commander in the Army of the king of Aram.

This Naaman had leprosy and if you remember that in that day leprosy was really an opportunity to anticipate your own death for there was no cure. A little girl captured from the land of Israel encouraged her master to seek healing in the land of Israel.

From there we pick up the story in today's readings from the second book of Kings, he is told by an aid of the prophet to plunge into the Jordan seven times and his flesh would be healed. Upset at the lack of attention, I guess, he said are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all of the waters of Israel, could not I wash in them and be cleansed? As the story goes, he leaves angry.

But once again encouraged by his own people he does what the prophet has commanded and washes in the Jordan and is cleansed. In much gratitude now, he returns to the prophet Elisha to offer a gift. Even after some insistence Elisha turns down the gift. But here's a little twist in the story that needs a little investigating to understand. For he asks for two mule-loads of earth.

Why? As they believed in those days, gods were not transferable from one nation to another or one people to another. Naaman asks for these two mule loads of earth that he could take back to his own country so as build on it an altar upon which to offer holocausts or sacrifice to no other God than to the God of Elisa. A story of gratitude.

We look now to the story of the 10 lepers found in our Gospel reading for today. Leprosy in that day was so horrible a disease that people who had leprosy were ousted from the community they could not come within say 8 to 10 feet, even of family members. And in the case of a windy day even required even to stay further away, so afraid where they of catching this, so horrible disease of leprosy.

As the story is recorded for us today we hear the 10 lepers petitioning Christ, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" Jesus tells them that they must go to the priest and show themselves because until they do they really cannot enter back into society. Nine, did as they were told but one, we are told, was a Samaritan. So! you may wonder, why is that such a big deal. Will first of all, the Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans, but in this story Jesus is telling them and us that the Samaritans, too, are to receive God's mercy. The key to this story is the gratitude of the one and the ingratitude of the nine.

I want to pose a question for you today and that is concerning your gratitude to Almighty God for what he has given you and is still giving you every day of your life? Maybe I should even clarify that question by asking you point-blank why are you here today? Why do you come back every week and celebrate the Mass with our priest, how would you answer that? Would you say that you come regular because the church obliges you to? Or is it the command to keep Holy the Sabbath? Some may respond that they want to offer a good example to their children. Others may say well it's become a habit.

Still others look upon their weekly worship as an expression of faith, a spiritual oasis if you will, a place to fuel up for the week ahead. For many of us, the words of Vatican II come quickly to mind: "The liturgy is the summit toward which the activities of the Church is directed and the font from which all its power flows. The goal of apostolic endeavor is that all who are made Suns and Daughters of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of the church, to take part in the sacrifice and eat the Lord's supper."

If in much gratitude to Almighty God for all that he has given us, including life, should we not spend at least one hour per week in giving thanks. We have the opportunity in every Eucharistic encounter to be transformed by God and by grace. We are chosen not just to pray, pray and obey, but to be so in love with Jesus and so passionate about the Gospel that we cannot help but Glorify God, fall at Jesus' feet and thank him. Is not this what keeps bringing us back to the One who never stops giving: loving, is compassionate, forgiving, and each time we returned Jesus, will assure us," stand up and go, your faith has saved you." Gratitude, is the key, do you really understand what God has done for you? If you are really, steeped in much gratitude to Almighty God for all that is done for you how can you stay away?

You will note: that for the most part I am back with you. I had a rough go of eight days in the hospital and many more days in recovery and I'm still not sure about the recovery part but may be being almost 80 years old has something do with that as well, don't you suppose. Being as how our theme for this homily is gratitude I wish to express my gratitude to all of you for your prayers and your concerns and especially those doctors and nurses who cared for me those eight days and on going, because without their tender loving care I probably wouldn't be here today. And I want to say a special thank you to the lady who cleaned my bedroom after a night doing battle with my inability to stand which turned out to be the beginning of this whole episode. God bless you all and thank you I promise to keep you in my prayers.

Be good, be Holy, Preach the Gospel always and if necessary use words.

---

'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.

---

More reflections:

• "Reflections from Sauk Centre's Our Lady of Angels Church"

Somewhat-related posts:

• "Gratitude, Authority, and Duty"
  (December 2, 2012)
• "Thanksgiving: Cartoons and Gratitude"
  (November 25, 2012)
• "Fasting, Penance: and Infinite Depths of Joy"
  (June 3, 2012)
  Particularly
  • Emotions, Faith, and Something Indescribable
  • God, Rain, and Me
• "Being Catholic on Memorial Day Weekend"
  (May 27, 2012)
• "Compassion, Apathy, and This Catholic"
  (June 5, 2011)

An Hour with Jesus: Staying Awake

The Adoration chapel near St. Paul's in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, is a quiet place.

Light filtering through south-facing windows fills the room with soft light. Even when someone else is there with me, the only sound is a soft murmur from fans in some distant part of the building.

For some folks, it's a wonderfully calm place for prayer, meditation, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

I'd enjoy taking a nap there, but that's not why I go each week.


Looking into the Adoration chapel near St. Paul's, Sauk Centre, Minnesota. June 26, 2013.

Oops

I signed up for an hour each Wednesday afternoon at the Eucharistic Adoration chapel last month. I've only missed two shifts so far: once because I forgot about the new routine; once because I had to be in North Dakota that day.

Happily, someone was there the day I forgot. It's important for someone to be on hand 24/7 while the chapel is open.

Transubstantiation and All That

That's because my Lord is there: really, physically present in the Eucharist. We call what happens transubstantiation.

It's a hard idea to swallow. Small wonder that folks didn't like it two thousand years back.

Quite a few folks stopped following Jesus when my Lord gave the conditions necessary for eternal life. Like Simon Peter said, though: if we want to live, staying with Jesus is the only option. (John 6:53-60; 66-69 - Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; and Luke 22:19-20, too)

Failure and Trying

I was not a happy camper when I remembered my promise to be at the Adoration chapel: with about seven minutes to go on my shift. I detest making mistakes.

I didn't see a point to 'coming in late' with so little time left on the clock, so I called the lady in charge of scheduling at the chapel and explained the situation.

I suggested that my failure to show up might indicate that I wasn't qualified to be a 'regular' at the chapel. On the other hand, I wanted to keep trying.

The two of us discussed schedules, habits, and ways to help me remember. Spending an hour at the chapel is a routine now, so I don't expect a repeat of that memory lapse. Not soon, anyway.

Feelings

I'm a very emotional man: but try to make decisions based on reason, not feelings. Actually, I think my mercurial mood ricochets help me understand why reason is important.

Some decisions I've made by 'trusting my feelings' haven't had happy results, and that's another topic.

Maybe some folks feel 'uplifted' after an hour at the Adoration chapel. I don't, and didn't expect to.

I'm there because it's a good idea: a way to express my love for Jesus. It's also 'the right thing to do.'

"Because Christ himself is present in the sacrament of the altar, he is to be honored with the worship of adoration. 'To visit the Blessed Sacrament is . . . a proof of gratitude, an expression of love, and a duty of adoration toward Christ our Lord' (Paul VI, MF 66)."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1418)

They've got books, pamphlets, and prayer cards in the chapel. I've been spending much my time there reading parts of the Old Testament.

My hour with the Blessed Sacrament still feels like 'doing nothing,' sometimes. But although emotions are important: so is doing what I should, whether I feel like it or not. Compared to what some folks have gone through, I've got it easy. More topics.

Posts about faith and feelings:

• "Gray Afternoon of the Soul"
  (April 29, 2012)
• "Catholics Invented Transubstantiation Like Newton Invented Gravity"
  (September 21, 2009)
• "Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Born August 26, 1910"
  (August 26, 2009)
  Particularly
  • Mother Teresa's Letters and the Dark Night of the Soul

Other related posts:

• "The Important Idea, Charisms, and Working With What I've Got"
  (June 24, 2012)
  Particularly
  • Prayer, Pep Rallies, and Me
• "Sunday Obligation, Rules, Emotions, and Me"
  (October 9, 2011)
• "Corpus Christi, and Running into Walls"
  (June 26, 2011)
  Particularly
  • The Eucharist: Something to Gnaw On
• "The Road to Emmaus, and Rome, and Sauk Centre, and - - -"
  (May 8, 2011)
• "Really 'Spiritual' Experiences: Those are Okay"
  (April 22, 2010)

The Adoration chapel near St. Paul's, Sauk Centre, Minnesota. June 26, 2013.

"Love One Another"

Readings for March 24, 2013, Palm Sunday:

• At the procession with palms - Gospel
  • Luke 19:28-40
• At the mass
  • Isaiah 50:4-7
  • John 13:31-33a, John 13:31-35
  • Philippians 2:6-11
  • Luke 22:14-23:56 or Luke 23:1-49

---

Second Sunday of Advent 2012

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
March 24, 2013

Much has happened since father left us three months ago, but we'll leave that to him to tell us the stories. I suppose we can say that much has happened here as well as we with great joy welcome a new Pope by the name of Francis.

So I beg your patience as I start my homily today, the way in the past I have concluded: you all be Good, be Holy, preach the Gospel always and if necessary use words! As this little exchange becomes popular between you and me further explanation becomes necessary, in that we must know, who we are, who we represent, and that we love one another as God has loved us, in Christ Jesus.

This exchange is a reflection not onlyof pope Francis, but also St. Francis, who you will remember taking a young man out to preach the gospel on a particular day: returns to the abbey and the young man says to Francis but father we didn't do any preaching today and Frances answers, if necessary use words. And I would add, do all things in Love!

"Love one another. Love your neighbor as yourself." Ancient commandments. When these words are genuinely heard and obeyed, however, there is utter newness. New, revolutionary things begin to happen. Consider how new and even startling it is when, centuries after Leviticus, a man appeared in Palestine who loved his neighbors as himself. When the commandment was actually lived out, something so new happened that it threatened all those who had an investment in the status quo. The religious establishment in Jerusalem couldn't handle Jesus' radical obedience to the ancient commandment that they had known all their lives. The commandment to love was old, and as long as it stayed in print, OK. When it was embodied, it was something new, with awesome implications.

Before he was crucified, Jesus gave his disciples a renewed commandment. It was not merely, love one another. It was to love one another just as I have loved you. In Jesus, a higher kind of love was revealed. Divine Love transcends all forms of human loving. Jesus' love was like God's love, gracious, and self giving to the point of costly sacrifice. No one has greater love than this, he said, then to lay down one's life for one's friends. Then he demonstrated it on the cross.

From the feast of St. Mark, from last Thursday," go into the world and proclaim the gospel to every creature, hallelujah."

Pope Francis this past Wednesday, said, "Christians know they will be judged at the end of time on how they used the talents God has given them and how they served others especially the poor." He also admitted that we will always have the poor with us, he objected, however, when governments made people poor.

Being as how we belong to a church, that one of its basic tenants is a fundamental option for the poor, recalling this is important for our salvation. Pope Francis also spoke about the importance of using the talents God has given each person, and, in both Italian and Spanish, he urged young people to recognize their gifts and seek ways to use them to serve God, others and the whole world. And of course this is not only true for young people it is true for those of us getting on in age.

This past Monday I removed from the tabernacle 65 hosts and began my rounds, concluding about noon, and found I was even running short. I'm not asking for a pat on the back, I am simply doing what I must do. But the question came up at the nursing home why am I doing what I'm doing on Monday mornings, and finally, I said, for no other reason than that, I love you! But it also challenges us to see that these people that I see on Monday mornings are now classified as being poor among us. And you may ask how can I say that because most certainly some of these people are very wealthy. But it really isn't the point is it. When in our lifetime whether it is the unborn, whether it is the handicapped or the aged, being poor is far less to do with wealth than it does with the inability to care for oneself.

Pope Francis adds: "Faith is a gift and salvation is a grace," but in order to bear fruit, God's grace requires us to be open, to give a free and concrete response." And I would add, as we respond to the poorest among us.

So you all be Good, be Holy, preached the Gospel always and if necessary use words.

---

'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.

---

More reflections:

• "Reflections from Sauk Centre's Our Lady of Angels Church"

Related posts:

• "Still Coming to America"
  (April 28, 2013)
• "Love, Neighbors, and Asteroids"
  (April 26, 2013)
• "Bombs at the Marathon: Death, Anger, and Love"
  (April 19, 2013)
  Particularly
  • Overcoming Evil
• "Pope Francis I: 'Seeming Anomalies' and a Sense of Humor"
  (March 15, 2013)
• " 'Arrogant Scoundrels,' 'People Who Care,' and Me"
  (March 10, 2013)

"Eternal Life is Yours, Live It"

Readings for April 15, Mercy Sunday 2012:

• Acts 4:32-35
• 1 John 1-6
• John 20:19-31

---

Mercy Sunday 2012

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
April 15, 2012

30 years ago the Message of the Divine Mercy as revealed in the Diary of, now St. Faustina, came to Sauk Centre. Which caused the Image of the Divine Mercy to be carved as you find at St. Paul's Church. As it turned out, it is in an iconic style that is consistent with the Easter Church from which St. Faustina came. The image was not to be as is the picture in front of you, but one in which no human distinct features could cause you to see some one other than Jesus. Because in an icon, you are to superimpose the beautiful image of Jesus that you carry in your heart and therefore see in that image very possibly what no one else sees. You may even say the many faces of Jesus.

In this image you will note that the rays appear to spread out more then in some of the other images of the Divine Mercy. It just so happens that as we completed the carved image a picture was sent to Stockbridge while the artist was painting their picture. He was given the instruction to spread the rays as seen in the carving. I am told that that was the first time it was done. It seemed to me at the time of the carving that if these rays were to be a reminder of the Mercy of God, then they should not be confined: and so you see what you see. You'll hear more about the rays later.

30 years ago we wanted to dedicate our community to the Mercy of God. The story of which is far to long to share with you this morning (afternoon). But you need to know that we asked our Bishop Speltz to conduct the dedication but were told, no he can't come because of confirmations. Just days before the dedication he personally called and said that it was too important for him not to be here and so changed appointments to be with us. At one point he said, he saw this as a way to get the Sacred Heart enthroned in every home and saw this as a means to fulfill that, because The Divine Mercy image fits perfectly with the Sacred Heart: as well it should. Now what does he do? Not only does he dedicate our community but dedicates the whole Diocese to The Mercy of God to the great joy of all who were aware of what was really going on. So we have for the Diocese the Shrine of the Divine Mercy right here in Sauk Centre. Again there is a whole realm of stories around this that time won't permit retelling.

This whole revelation, and I use the word revelation deliberately, of the Divine Mercy is not new but old teaching of the Church that had either been lost or ignored. So this little Polish Nun with hardly a third grade education, but obedient to God, became the Secretary of Jesus and writes what He tell her. And for only one purpose and that to build Trust in the Infinite Mercy of God. Here again more stories could be told.

For 18 some years we have been praying and waiting for the time when foretold by Sister Faustina She would be declared Saint and that Mercy Sunday would be declared for the Universal Church. Now the Catholic calendar lists this day as Divine Mercy Sunday. What a Glorious Blessing for our Church.

So fitting is this Feast that none of the Reading or Prayers of the Sacramentary had to be changed. In other words, the Mercy Feast was there all the time but no recognized as such. All that was needed is that the Church would once again declare it. I think I could even say with little fear of over-statement that this day is the Climax of Easter, not a falling off or low point, as the name for this Sunday used to be called Low Sunday. But is built up to the Most wonderful Truths of Divine Mercy.

I wasn't going to tell you this story because of time but not only is it a little cute, but also so 'church.' Sister had written in her diary that the greatest attribute of God is His Mercy. Some learned men got a hold of it and said no, no All God's attributes are Infinite so her diary can't be accepted: and for almost 20 years was not allowed to be spread. Our Pope John Paul II, then a Cardinal caused her diary to be once again looked at, and finally someone remembers what the early Church Fathers taught: that the greatest attribute of God is His Mercy. Plus it said in the Old Testament the chief attribute of God is His Hesed, His loving Kindness or Mercy. six months after her diary was approved this same Cardinal became Pope.

It is not possible to fully appreciate the Gospel reading until you get a feel for the Old Testament counterpart; and that is the Feast of the Atonement as is found in Leviticus 16. Once a year the high priest would offer sacrifice for the sake of all the people, and how he did that was a very drawn-out and exacting ceremony from the offering of two male goats and one ram for a holocaust. From the sprinkling of blood to the sending out of the Scapegoat upon whom the sins of the people was placed and sent into the wilderness. How Aaron was to wash was also a part of this protracted day of Atonement. What became key to the Israelites and also for us is the fact Aaron the high priest must go into the Holy of Holies to make an offering to God by a very precise formula. So tough was this to fulfill that two sons of Aaron died in the Holy of Holies because they had offered unholy fire. From that day anytime the high priest had to enter the Holy of Holies they would tie a rope around one leg so that if he died in there they could draw him out without any risk to themselves. But it had to be done to fulfill the ordinances of the Lord and so that the sins of the people could be expiated. Now! Here is the result of all this. If the high priest died in the Holy of Holies the sins of the people remain. If the high priest comes through the veil from the Holy of Holies ALIVE, can you hear the shout of the people, he's alive, he's alive. God has accepted the atonement made and the sins of the people are forgiven.

Somehow this feast of the Atonement was imperfect: otherwise there would have been no need to reenact it time after time, year after year. What was missing? The feast of Atonement of Leviticus 16 couldn't open heaven, the blood of sheep and goats could not do what the blood of the Eternal Lamb, Jesus Christ could do. The blood of goats lack the perfection of the Son of God, by whom, because he is equal to the Father, could once for all: open the gates of heaven, closed because of the sin of our first parents. So even though the people were cleansed from sin they had to wait until that time in human history when Jesus come on the scene to make a perfect Sacrificial Atonement that they and us could in the Infinite Mercy of God attain Eternal Life. How do we know this? Twice in our Gospel reading for today Jesus appears through the door of the upper room and yes he greet them saying, "Peace be with you." But there is a resounding reality proclaimed by Jesus and confirmed by the Apostles, I'm ALIVE, He's ALIVE, He's ALIVE.

God has accepted the Sacrifice of His Only Son, heaven is opened. Part of this image shows that Jesus is coming from someplace. He's came from the Father after releasing the Old Testament people from the place of the dead and now to make ready that we too may follow. We are now ready to take part fully in the Inheritance that belongs to the Son by hereditary right. What belongs to the Father belongs to the Son. That is why the Hebrew people made such a big issue of the hereditary right of the first born son to inherit everything that belongs to the father. This once again sets the stage to confirm that same hereditary right that Jesus has to inherit everything that belongs to His Father. I once asked that question of my 7th graders and they answered, everything, everything. Then one student said heaven, right on, Eternal life is everything the Father has, which now belongs to the Son. Jesus' own words confirm that when he said the Father and I are ONE.

Are you beginning to get an image of what OUR GOD has done for us. In all of human history has any god done more for the people then our God has done for us? An Infinitely Merciful God sends His only Son as Mercy to save a sinful world. In sister's diary she says that in all of eternity we will not be able to fathom the Infinite Mercy of God. When you were Baptized, symbolized by the white rays, you were Baptized into Christ Jesus and therefore now have everything that belongs to Jesus, making us not slaves but sons and daughters. In His Mercy and knowing human nature as it is, knew sin would still be a part of out lives and so he set up, in the Church he founded, a means by which we can confess our sins in sorrow and receive absolution and do a penance to make things right with God, but there seems to be a temporal effect still lingering that must be satisfied. That brings us back to this day as stated in Sister's diary, to Confess our sins and to go to Communion on THIS DAY, all punishment due to sin is not only mitigated but wiped clean as if you are newly Baptized. It is not totally clear how close to this day you must go to confession but it seems to be that as close as possible is all that is asked. In other words, sincerely do the best you can and God will take care of the rest.

This brings us to the point of the red rays on the image, which stands for the Eucharist. Many homilies could be preached and not be able to exhaust the subject. The point I want to make for today's feast is that the Eucharist is alive. When the priest holds the Host high, can't you hear Jesus saying, Peace, be with you. I'm alive, it is really me. Likewise the Chalice held high, Peace, be with you, I'm alive, it is really me. We respond as did Thomas, "My Lord and My God."

What a joy it is for me to share this message with you, in this community, where by the way, the carved image of Divine Mercy was first displayed. What a Glories account of the Mercy of God. What return can we make to a God so Merciful to us? One priest I know answered that question by saying we are to be Merciful to Mercy. Meaning to live out the fullness of Mercy granted us in a way that is pleasing to God and inspiring to all those we meet. After all it is in God's Mercy that we are what we are and in His Providence who we are, that His kingdom may be made present on earth as we pray in the Our Father, "thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Everything I've said to you today would have no meaning what-so ever if Jesus had not risen from the dead, but He has risen, He is Alive and He says to everyone of you present today, PEACE BE WITH YOU! I am Alive, my Father has accepted the Atonement I made for your sins. Eternal Life is yours, Live it.

---

'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.

---

More reflections:

• "Reflections from Sauk Centre's Our Lady of Angels Church"

Related posts:

• "Death, Decisions, and a Working Lunch"
  (April 8, 2012)
• "The Man Who Wouldn't Stay Dead"
  (March 11, 2012)
• " 'Blessed are You Who Believed' "
  (December 21, 2011)
• "We Won: Quite a While Ago"
  (January 13, 2011)
• "He's Alive!"
  (April 3, 2010)

Sunday Obligation, Rules, Emotions, and Me

My new schedule says I'm supposed to write something about "being Catholic" today. The first one, last week, "Ancient Style and Today's Discussions at the 'Vatican Science Academy' " (October 2, 2011), was about part of the Catholic Church that focuses on one of my interests: the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. That, and the Church's clerical uniforms: very briefly.

I don't stay focused on one topic: not easily. And that's another topic.

Desperately Seeking a Topic

This week I thought I had something to write about when I heard the second reading at Mass: Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20. That's the one that starts:

"I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me."
(Philippians 4:12-13)

Chewing it over, I remembered that I'd posted about wealth, poverty, and getting a grip, before.¹

Besides, I'd be likely to start rambling about my checkered job history. I've been a sales clerk, beet chopper, radio disk jockey, office worker, and there I go: starting to ramble.

A King; Guests, Invited and Otherwise; and Being Prepared?

A few minutes after that bit from Philippians, Father Statz was talking about Matthew 22:1-14, the parable about a king and wedding guests. It's not one of those 'comforting,' feel-good parables. Not for me, anyway. There's the start of a discussion of it in footnote 1 of Matthew 22.

He mentioned, again, this statistic: 27% of Catholics (in context, I'm guessing that's Catholics in America) go to Mass each week. That's probably why we have three extra Masses on Easter and Christmas: to handle the 'Easter and Christmas' folks.

I'm glad, in a way, that so many folks apparently feel like going once or twice a year. And that's not what I'll be writing about, quite.

Church on Sunday: What's the Big Deal?

I go to church each Sunday because I have to. It's in the rules: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2180-2183. Sometimes I go late Saturday afternoon: which the bishops in this country say is okay in their territory.

I'm a convert to Catholicism, so maybe you'd expect me to be rabidly gung-ho about the spiritual ecstasy I feel each and every Sunday. That's not gonna happen, for several reasons:

1. I think there are quite enough gushy impression pieces about the beauties of the Mass
2. I'd have a hard time keeping a straight face while writing something like that
   • No criticism intended to folks who write and enjoy that sort of thing
3. I don't have that sort of glorious-visions-and-heavenly-voices 'mountain top' experience
   • Which is fine by me
   • I'd be a little suspicious if my faith was based on emotional highs
     • More than a little suspicious

I think that Catechism of the Catholic Church, Article 3 | The Third Commandment, is a pretty good place to start learning about why the Catholic Church makes such a big deal about 'church on Sunday:'

"The Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's life...."
(Catechism, 2177-2179)

There's more: Catechism, The Sacrament of the Eucharist, for starters.

Maybe I should feel like a hyperventilating teenager at a rock concert each time we celebrate Mass. I don't know. But I go, when possible, because I'm supposed to. And because no matter what my emotions are doing at the moment: for at least a few minutes each week, I'm with my Lord at the Last Supper, and Golgotha, and beyond.

I think it's worth the hour it takes each week.

Somewhat-related posts:

• The Eucharist
  • "Corpus Christi, and Running into Walls"
    (June 26, 2011)
  • "The Road to Emmaus, and Rome, and Sauk Centre, and - - -"
    (May 8, 2011)
  • "Celebrating Mass, Flossing My Teeth"
    (October 20, 2010)
  • "Catholics Invented Transubstantiation Like Newton Invented Gravity"
    (September 21, 2009)
• Sunday obligation
  • "Sunday Obligation, Kids, and Consistency"
    (July 16, 2011)
  • "Called to Holiness, Not Stupidity"
    (February 6, 2011)
  • "Sunday Obligation and Getting the Job Done"
    (October 9, 2010)
  • "Sunday Obligation, Recovering From Surgery, Wild Weather, and Martha"
    (July 17, 2010)
  • "Sunday: I've Got Lots of Time for Reflection Today"
    (January 3, 2010)
  • "Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2009: A Reflection"
    (June 28, 2009)
    • Guest post
  • "Working on Sunday: At Growing the Christian Interior Life"
    (January 2, 2010)

---

¹ I even had a post titled, "Success, Wealth, Poverty, and Getting a Grip." Bottom line, as nearly as I've been able to find out:

• It's okay to be
  • Rich
    • What matters is how a wealthy person deals with it
  • Poor
    • What matters is how a poor person deals with it
• Money
  • Isn't
    • Good
    • Bad
    • What matters is what each of us does with what we've got
• Love of money is
  • Idolatry
  • A really bad idea
    • 1 Timothy 6:10
    • Hebrews 13:5

A few decades ago, one of reasons folks were supposed to loathe and detest the Catholic Church was that we stole from the poor and gave to the rich. Specifically, those men in the Vatican.

As propaganda, it's surprisingly effective. Partly, I think, because St. Peter's in Rome is an amazing work of architecture, the Vatican's museums and libraries store treasures collected over two millennia, and you're not likely to find a headline about Catholics doing something nice.

Part of our mandate is to care for the poor, which the Church handles by having a few folks coordinating whatever work needs doing: and 'boots on the ground' in most places where local authorities let us in. More:

• "Charity, Nuns, and an Overloaded Helicopter"
  (April 28, 2011)
• "Bishops, Congress, and the Poor"
  (February 18, 2011)
• "Money isn't Everything: But it Helps"
  (April 10, 2010)

As far as being okay with the Church having St. Peter's as headquarters? I'd much rather be explaining why I didn't fuss about a fraction of 1,000,000,000 or so Catholics' resources getting spent on a visible reminder of my Lord's church in the world; than why we had the Pope celebrating Mass in a pole barn.

More:

• "Timothy, Amos, Money, and Getting a Grip"
  (August 4, 2011)
• "Passing Through Status Symbol Land"
  (May 14, 2011)
• "Wealth, Poverty, Stereotypes, and Snidely Whiplash"
  (March 8, 2011)
• "Success, Wealth, Poverty, and Getting a Grip"
  (September 27, 2010)
• "Wealth, the Vatican, the White House, Corporate Headquarters, and Cultural Values"
  (February 4, 2010)

Good grief, this footnote is long enough to be a post by itself. And that's yet another topic.