The Most Holy Body And Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
Dear Parishioners,
The last few years it has been difficult to gather for worship. This weekend, of June 18th and 19th we commemorate the Feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord. It would be good to consider why the Eucharist is an important part of our faith lives. We have various reasons for going to Mass.
When I was a child, it seemed like the main motivation was a fear of punishment. People were afraid if they did not go to Mass that they would jeopardize their salvation. Miss Mass once, it was said, and you will end up in hell. People came to Mass in large numbers. Probably seventy-five percent of Catholics attended Mass but looking back I now wonder about their level of enthusiasm. We had four Catholic Churches in town and it seemed like the object of many was to find out which priest would say the fastest Mass. Just fulfilling the obligation was the important thing. Homilies were usually short. Many times, there was no preaching or music at all. Few would have said the main reason to be at Mass was to celebrate.
Over the last fifty years people have gradually concluded that a God whose chief attribute is unconditional love would not condemn a person for all eternity for failing to attend Mass one Sunday. Somehow this does not make sense.
The fear of punishment is the weakest moral motivation. The highest motivation is the desire to do the loving thing. Jesus said we are to love God and our neighbor. Jews and Christians highest desire has always been to love God with all our heart, mind and soul. Our worship is a concrete proof of our love for God. The preeminent question of our spiritual life is not, “How do I avoid God’s wrath?” The most important question of the spiritual life is how I can experience, enjoy and express my love for God.
One of the best ways is attending Eucharistic celebrations.
May Our Lady of Peace pray for our violent world today.
Fr. Mark