The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
When I was a young altar server, I once overheard two very different comments about the Eucharist. One person asked, “Is Father distributing the bread or the wine?” Later, another asked, “Can you go get Jesus from the tabernacle?” Same parish, same Mass, but two very different ways of speaking. I pondered: So, is it bread that we pretend is Jesus? Or is Jesus a tiny white thing in a box? I was utterly confused. This Feast of Corpus Christi is an excellent time to think about how we should speak about the Eucharist. In today’s Gospel, Jesus declares: “My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” (John 6:55) His words scandalized His listeners, who feared cannibalism, and even today puzzle many, who reduce them to metaphor. Both miss the truth. The Church gives us better words that honor Jesus’ words in the Gospel. After the consecration, we do not call it “bread” or “wine.” Nor do we say, “a piece of Jesus” or even “Jesus.” We say: the Eucharist. We say: the Body and Blood of Christ. We say: the Real Presence. We say: the Most Blessed Sacrament. These words safeguard the astonishing reality that Christ Himself is truly present, whole and entire, under the appearances of bread and wine. If we speak well about the Eucharist, we will think more clearly and believe more deeply. And if we believe more deeply, we will adore more truly the One who gives Himself to us — not bread, not wine, but Jesus Christ Himself, whole and entire. — Father John Muir
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Below is the article that ran in the bulletin for Corpus Christi in the past, which I thought was worth repeating since there are few receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation and still many that from my observation on how they receive the Eucharist do not recognize not what they are receiving, but who they are receiving:
Matthew 18:3 “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” “A child shall lead them”
Last weekend I gave the Sacrament of Reconciliation to our young ones in our religious education class and this weekend I will be giving them Communion for the first time. This is what prompted the above quotes. First the Sacrament of Reconciliation: the children were nervous of course but at the same time they were excited. They knew what the sacrament was all about, and they knew what they needed to say including knowing how to pray the Act of Contrition. At the time I also asked them about their upcoming First Communion and asked how they would receive and what they would receive. They demonstrated perfectly, placing one hand over the other to make a cradle to receive the host, they answered Amen both when receiving the host and from the chalice. As to what they were receiving they correctly told me it was not what but who they were receiving for they were receiving Christ, they were receiving His Body and Blood. I asked them if they were excited about receiving though I had no real need to ask for I already knew the answer for I could see how excited they were about receiving the sacrament – receiving our Lord. What about us? Do we go to Confession? If we do, do we know what to say? Do we know the Act of Contrition? How about Communion, do we recognize that it is the Body and Blood of Christ and not bread and wine that we are receiving? Do we recognize that it is Christ that we are receiving? Are we excited about receiving or are our minds on other things – less important things? Let the children be our guides/examples, let us receive the sacraments as often as we can, let us recognize it is an encounter with Christ both in the confessional and at the altar.
God Bless you and have a wonderful week, Fr. Michael
SCRIPTURAL REFLECTIONS ON STEWARDSHIP
“Because there is one bread, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”
As disciples of Jesus, we are called to lead holy lives and invite others to join us. We are called to be fed and to feed others. Living a stewardship lifestyle, being grateful and generous with our gifts, serves a twofold purpose. One, it helps build God’s kingdom here on earth. Two, it helps us strengthen each other’s relationship with God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. It becomes our roadmap to Heaven. Let’s help each other get there! PRAYER REQUESTS
That God will relieve their suffering and restore them to health.
Please pray for: Please pray for: Kellie Salata,, Kelly Chinchar, Jessica, Daniel Breslin, Stanley, Joseph Marrone, Anthony, Michael, Joseph, Jessica Esopo, Steve, Audra, Bernadette, James Weiss, Baby Ford, Rosemary Malangone, Elizabeth Malangone, Sue West, Danny, Colleen Emery, Richard, Joan Russo, Christina Martin, Mornia Evans, Valerie Valverde, Diana McGuckin, Manny Scarangella, Cheryl Prinjinski, Stephen West, Bryan Westfall, Cathy Bruno.
Holy Name Medical Center is looking for Eucharistic Ministers, volunteers, who are willing to help out in giving out Holy Communion to their patients. If you are interested, you can email them at pokafor@holyname.org or call their office at 201-833-3243 or stop by their Pastoral Care Office, behind the chapel, lobby/ground floor at Holy Name Medical Center.
The gift of Bread & Wine for the month of June has been given by Mr. & Mrs. Phil Iacono. The first two weeks are in memory of Angelina & Sebastian Falato and the second two weeks are in memory of Carmela & Salvatore Iacono.
The gift of Altar Flowers for the month of June has been given in memory of Charles Sylvestri by Linda J. Sylvestri.
The gift of the Sanctuary Lamp for the second two weeks of June has been given in memory of the Deceased Members of the Catral & Camacho Families by Paz & Federico Camacho.
Please consider sponsoring our Bread & Wine, Altar Flowers, and the oil for the Sanctuary Lamp.
Opportunities for Parish Support
There are several ways you can help support our parish and honor loved ones at the same time. As you may have noticed on the first Sunday of every month in our bulletin, we thank the donors of our Altar Gifts. You can donate the Bread & Wine, Altar Flowers, or the Sanctuary Lamp in a two-week block for $50 in someone’s memory. We have blocks open for this year. We also need to purchase a new Easter candle each year (the tall candle on the altar) for $300-$400 which can also be donated in someone’s memory. You do not have to fund the entire amount, anything you wish to donate towards the purchase of our Easter candle is appreciated. We also have masses available for your intentions. If you wish to honor someone in any of these ways, please call the rectory.
Prayer for our Nation
God our Father, giver of life, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. You are the rock on which this nation was founded. You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Reclaim this land for your glory and dwell among your people. Send your Spirit to touch the hearts of our nation’s leaders. Open their minds to the great worth of human life and the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Remind your people that true happiness is rooted in seeking and doing your will. Through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, patroness of our land, grant us the courage to reject the “culture of death.” Lead us into a new millennium of life. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Praying the ROSARY
The Rosary is a meditation, a time to recall and think about the life of Jesus as seen and experienced by Mary. As the model of faith, Mary’s life sets a pattern that we strive to follow: saying ‘yes’ to God’s will in our lives and sharing His love and message with others. The Mysteries of the Rosary form a mini lesson of faith, using the highlights and significant moments of the life of Jesus. Like paging through a family scrapbook, we see in brief the events of salvation history that are the core of our belief and the hope of our eternal life.
WE NEED BULLETIN ADVERTISERS!!
We would like to thank all the advertisers who have supported us throughout the past year. Our parish benefits greatly from the ads you see in the bulletin. The revenue pays for the printing which is an important means of communication for the parish. If we do not have enough advertisers, the cost of our bulletin goes up. We thank the local businesses that advertise with us especially in these tough economic times. We have some spaces on the back of our bulletin that need filling so if you would like to advertise your business as well as benefit your church, please contact John Patrick Publishing at 1-800-333-3166.
Please support our advertisers at the back cover of bulletin.
