Dear Parishioners,
Our nation is being encouraged to
grow in our love of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. We use terms like Eucharistic Revival. National events are
in process. Currently there are four walking pilgrimages (May 17 to July 16)
taking place throughout the United States which began from the east (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Route), west (St. Junipero Serra Route), north (Marian Route) and south (St. Juan Diego Route). These four
pilgrimages plan to converge in Indianapolis, Indiana this summer for a National Eucharistic Congress (July 17
to 21).
I invite you to go to the web
site (eucharisticrevival.org) to see
the route of the pilgrims passing our area this weekend. Saturday (June 1) the
path includes the St. John Neumann Shrine, while Sunday they will converge on the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, both locations right
over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in
neighboring Philadelphia.
This pilgrimage motivated me to
remind all of you what we have available right here in our own parish to show
the importance of the Holy Eucharist and to encourage love and devotion to
Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Let’s begin with daily Mass at 9
AM. From Monday to Friday, Mass is followed by Eucharistic Adoration until 12
noon at which time there is Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. This
weekend (as we celebrate Corpus Christi), we planned a small
procession with the Holy Eucharist around our parish property with Benediction
in three locations after the 4:30 PM Mass. Later in the month of June, we have
three days of around-the-clock Eucharistic Adoration—typically known as 40 Hours—scheduled for June 20-22. This
devotion is purposely designed to occur around the feast of the patron of our
parish, St. Thomas More (June 22).
I must also remind all of us to
take our reception of the Holy Eucharist most seriously. We should never
receive the Holy Eucharist when conscious of mortal sin in our lives. Go to
confession first to be reconciled to
God and the Church. We should always receive the Holy Eucharist with utmost
reverence and respect. This is not ordinary food and drink, but we are being
fed with the Bread of Life—Jesus
Himself! Be aware of when we pass the tabernacle. Genuflection is most proper (or a profound bow, if we are physically unable to genuflect). Unnecessary
or frivolous talking should be avoided in the presence of Our Lord, allowing
people to pray, adore and worship the Lord in the tabernacle or on the altar. A
proper thanksgiving after receiving
our Lord is also essential. Remember to express your love and adoration for the Lord, to give Him thanks, to beg
forgiveness for your sins from the Lord and to petition Him for all of your spiritual and temporal needs. Please
realize you have just received Jesus,
the Son of God—Body, Blood, Soul and
Divinity. Finally, leaving Mass early (habitually) is never
proper—especially after just having received Our Lord—unless someone is dealing
with health issues, etc.
I want us all to realize the
great gift we have been given by the Lord Himself and to take the command of
the Lord to “Do this in memory of me”
most seriously. Too many Catholics have fallen away from the requirement
to worship God each week by attending Holy Mass in person.
How much do we really love the
Lord in the Holy Eucharist?
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
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