Dear Parishioners,
Happy Corpus Christi Sunday!
Are you living liturgically?? In recent weeks, we have gone from Pentecost Sunday to Trinity Sunday to Corpus Christi Sunday today. Week after week, we have contemplated different mysteries of our Faith so as to get caught-up in God. Live liturgically! It’s fun! And, it grounds us in our spiritual lives in the midst of our business.
Today we meditate on the gift of the true presence of Christ’s body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Holy Eucharist. Let’s consider the mystery of the Eucharist as friendship.
The gift of self to another—that is, charity or love—is a defining characteristic of true friendship. Friendship is charity, St. Thomas Aquinas taught. Whether it is friendship between spouses or between the best of friends, one desires to give their whole self to the other. Jesus is a true friend who gives us everything; nothing less than Himself. He says as much in John 15: “I have called you my friends… no greater love has one than this than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Having called us His friends and explained what the greatest love is, we come to realize just what He meant when we look at the cross. His love is revealed not just there, but in the Eucharist. He said that this greatest love is what the Eucharist is. Taking bread and wine, He said, “This is my Body which will be given up for you; this is my Blood which will be poured out for you and for many.”
This greatest Love is Who and what the Eucharist is. This Friend and His greatest act of friendship is Who and what the Eucharist is. We are so loved by our Eucharistic Friend and Lord.
May His love continue to heal and inspire us at each Holy Communion. May His friendship present in the Eucharist inspire our love for everyone God puts in our path. If you are not in the habit, I encourage you to make a weekly visit to Jesus in the tabernacle, whether at our churches or a church near your place of work. Friendship grows through quality time!
We are thankful to God for giving us five new priests yesterday, June 21, for service in our Archdiocese of Baltimore! Please pray for them!
We hope that all those who attended the bus trip to see the Noah production enjoyed their time. God’s promises are deeper than rising waters!
Over the next month, Father Steve and I both have time away. First, we will attend a retreat this week with the priests of Baltimore, and then we will each have time away for vacation. Please pray for us to have good prayer and good rest! We are grateful for the gift of serving you.
God bless you and thank you for keeping the Pastorate of the Visitation in your daily prayers!
Father John
