Mk 14:12-26 Corpus Christi
While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many…” Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
There is an old Chinese saying about faith and feelings. Fact, Faith, and Feelings are three men walking on a wall. Fact goes first, Faith second, and Feeling third. As long as Faith keeps his eyes focused on Fact, all three stay on the wall and make progress. But as soon as Faith takes his eyes off Fact and turns around to see how Feeling is doing, Faith falls off the wall, and Feeling follows, while Fact walks on. The point of this little saying is obvious: the object of our faith is not feeling but fact, not subjective experience but objective truth. (Peter Kreeft, Jesus Shock, pg. 126-127)
When faith is rooted in facts, it’s much easier to stay on track.
It’s much easier for a twelve-year-old to keep her promise of purity than it is for a seventeen-year-old who is dating. The reason is obvious: the child's faith, feelings and the facts are one. They speak loud and clear! What will keep a seventeen year old from breaking their promise will not be their feelings but their faith in God and his Word made known to them. It is admirable that a child consecrates their purity to the Blessed Virgin Mary before their teenage years, but it is essential that they repeat it every single year after that. Only in this way will their feelings be guided by faith which is rooted in facts.
Faith is my response to God's facts (or the facts of God). If my faith depended on my feelings, then my faith would come and go as quickly as my feelings come and go.
I believe that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. I believe He is objectively, physically and literally present in the Eucharist. I don’t believe it because I feel it or see it or sense it. I don’t even believe it because I completely understand it. I believe it because He said it, and that makes perfect sense to me even without the use of my senses.
Christ said to his Apostles, “Take it; this is my body.” No explanations. He did not tell his Apostles, “Take it and feel my presence.” Feelings are not a bad thing, but if they get in the way of the facts, then they are a bad thing. It’s that simple.
People often ask me what I feel as I am holding in my hands the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The answer I give them usually shocks them: If I don’t feel anything, then I feel terrible.
I don’t consider myself a very sentimental guy. But ever since my ordination, I have experienced a physical problem that happens to me while I celebrate Mass. It doesn’t always happen, but when it does, it always happens during the consecration of bread and wine; that is, at the moment I lift the Blessed Sacrament up for adoration. That’s when I feel like my heart is about to explode out of my chest. It doesn’t happen to me because I’m holy. It doesn’t happen to me because I’m special. It doesn’t happen to any of the priests I know. But it happens to me, and when it does, it doesn’t feel good at all. But regardless of how I feel, I will always, while celebrating the Mass, take my time with the holy words of consecration; take my time in raising the Lord for all to see, and lift as high as I can the Blessed Sacrament for all to adore.
This is regardless of how I feel because I know one thing: THIS IS MY LORD’S BODY AND BLOOD. Take it!
This “take it” means a lot more than just receiving. It means, “TAKE IT!” Get it?
Thank you Father for 'taking it' so you can bring Jesus IN THE FLESH to us.
ReplyDeleteThis morning Fr. Jonathan at Mary Immaculate said the BEST homily I have ever heard. Sorry Father.
I don't think he even did any preparation for it. He started out saying how the Eucharist is a symbol of Jesus' Body and Blood. That got my attention, but I know he's not a heretic, so I was waiting to see what came next.
And what came next was a simple and thorough explanation about the Real Presence of the Eucharist and how the mass today is pretty much the same as it was just after Jesus left the earth. It was on a level for elementary school students but he didn't talk down to anyone.
I did not learn a thing. But I was so excited because I know some people who've gone to mass every Sunday for decades DID learn something.
I get so excited about the Eucharist. I have such a hard time understanding how anyone who truly believes that Jesus is truly present isn't ecstatic at His presence.
If some actor or singer were in their presence they would be all goo goo eyed. Curtis Stephen often gets more attention than Jesus Christ. Don't get me wrong. I love Curtis, but he's not God!!
When I spoke with Father after mass and told him how I appreciated it, he said so matter of factually,"It's just basic catechism". Exactly! I believe that is what we need sometimes.
We are not like Protestant churches we will never get most Catholics to put more than their obligatory one hour a week into their 'spiritual' bank. So that 15 minute homily needs to teach them what they did not learn in CCD or anywhere else along the way and give them the tools to get to heaven.
I'm not saying I don't love your homilies, Father. You do keep people's attention and you make them think. So I'm not criticizing.
I'm just sharing the joy I felt when I left mass this morning thinking. "I wonder how many people walked in here not knowing Jesus would be here in the flesh and walked out knowing he was?"
This feast day is the most exciting one. It’s neck and neck with Pentecost for me.
ReplyDeleteI have felt God asking me to share the truth about the Eucharist with others for some time. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I made magnetic bumper stickers. One says: DOES YOUR CHURCH HAVE JESUS IN THE FLESH? MINE DOES! Then there are the scripture references that support that fact. I have another one right next to it that says,” Jesus is Bodily Present in every Catholic Church across the globe 24/7, John Chapter 6. I’ve had comments from other Catholics that they like it. But today I needed a bulb at the auto part store. My husband went in while I stayed in the car. (not my kind of store). He soon came out with a man that wanted to know about my bumper stickers. He said he grew up Catholic and believed it, but married a Baptist so they compromised and went to the Lutheran church. He said he knew something was missing. We talked a few minutes and I happen to have had an apologetics video in my purse so I gave it to him. He seemed to really miss the Eucharist. Let’s pray he finds his way back and brings his wife with him.
Marriage is filled with compromises, but giving up JESUS should be a non- negotiable. I know people who give up "The Church for a time" to make their spouse happy and they'll go back one day. But what if they die before that day?
We are to love Him above ALL. I imagine I will get ‘crap’ for that. but that’s what scripture says.
This is beauiful, how your love of Jesus is working within you during this most special time during Mass. I personally love when you or any priest lift the Blessed Sacrament high and for a lengthy period of time. Heaven has opened up for us and its such a perfect time to life up prayers to our Lord.
ReplyDeleteAs an EMHC, my hands still shake as I'm placing Jesus onto the hands of those who are receiving Him! I can't help but wonder if this feeling like your heart is going to explode out of your chest is a painful or an emotional feeling? Regardless, this is a beautiul Grace from God! May God bless you as you continue on with your beautiful vocation!
Father - Did you experience the feeling of your heart exploding out of your chest while celebrating Masses today?? (You looked so tired at the early morning Mass. You worry me sometimes.) My first thought (logical fact) is that you're experiencing some kind of anxiety attack. Then I "feel" that maybe Sacred Heart of Jesus is touching inside your own heart, helping to transform the basic bread and wine into His Body and Blood! If the chest pain starts happening too frequently, I'd get checked out by a doctor. But, it may be only a spiritual phenomenon. Very interesting.....
ReplyDeleteThe Eucharist seems to affect all of us differently. There's times I take communion and feel nothing. All I can taste is a stale host mixed with sweet sour wine. Other times receiving the Eucharist seems to ignite my whole body. I feel total love pouring inside of me . There's that inner peace that's indescribable. I kneel quietly with my eyes closed breathing deep long breathes with a smile on my face knowing Christ is present in my body! He's there to give me the strength to move forward in my faith! Yes, faith and fact are important. We must have fact to back up the faith. But, the feeling is what ignites our faith and gives it an interesting dimension! I guess women tend to be a lot more sentimental than men.
Blessings,
-Jennifer
Jennifer,
DeleteI know what you mean about "feeling" Jesus' presence when we receive Him at Holy Communion. I heard a priest say once that when We receive the Holy Spirit or when Jesus is given to us through the Eucharist, we are then pregnant with the Lord. Somestimes I dont feel Him at all, other times though, Hes alive and kicking!
Your experience during the consecration is amazing. You are suffering to bring Jesus to us. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOften at the time of the consecration, my heart flutters and I can feel my heart swell and my chest expand, like it could explode, but mine is an ecstatic feeling of love. Sometimes like the fireworks that happen at the height of love between a man and a woman.
I know it’s not about a feeling and my love is there whether I feel Him or not, but that feeling is out of this world. I wish everyone could feel it. It is like a touch of heaven.
Thank you bringing Jesus to me.
Father Alfonse,
ReplyDeleteGod Bless you! I've been feeling lost and Mass at St. Joseph's has not been the same since you've left. I'm thankful that you continue to guide my faith thru fact and your daily meditations provide me the food my spirit needs.
Father,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for defending the Eucharist. I recently went to a sports bar that I have been going to recently and got into a discussion with a man who wasn't Catholic. It got pretty heated at first but when I mentioned the Eucharist he got very quite and just listened for a split second. In his 47 years, and growing up as an evangelical Christian, he never knew that we Catholics believe in the "Eucharist" nor did he know what it was and what it is till our conversation. He made other attacks on the church but he was extremely courious about the word " transubstanciation" ( dont know if I even spelled it right!) so we went our seperate ways, not sure I got through to him. Well sure enough I did! He told me that after we talked, he went home, looked it up and was completely amazed and best of all he actually understood it quite well. Let me tell ya, it was challenging talking on the patio of a bar full of drunks about a topic like that, and your the only one sober. But I couldnt help it I had to tell him about this awesome mystery!!!