Thursday, May 27, 2010

Weekly THIS AND THAT for May 30, 2010: An Educational Mission That Has Grown Out of Ordination

This and That:
An Educational Mission That Has Grown Out of Ordination


“Though priests are called to preach a message that is not their own, they are also called to identify with that message, allowing themselves to be profoundly transformed in it.” This was a reflection made by Benedict XVI at a recent general audience in St. Peter’s Square. As the Year for Priests draws to a close – closing celebrations are scheduled for June 9-11th – the Pope said he would dedicate a series of reflections to priestly ministry.

In that address he took up the first of the three offices the priest receives (teaching, sanctifying and governing), reflecting on the importance of the priest in the midst of what he refers to as an educational emergency. “We live amid great confusion about the fundamental choices of our life,” the Holy Father observed, saying there are “so many contrasting philosophies, which arise and disappear, creating confusion about the fundamental decisions.” However, as promised in the Gospel, the Lord has compassion on his “sheep without a shepherd,” the Holy Father said. “The Lord, moved by compassion, interpreted the Word of God, he himself is the Word of God, and thus he gave guidance. This is the function ... of the priest: to render present, in the confusion and disorientation of our times, the light of the Word of God, the light that is Christ himself in this our world.”

This means, Benedict XVI explained, that the priest “does not teach his own ideas, a philosophy that he himself has invented, has found and that pleases him; ... but, in the confusion of all the philosophies, the priest teaches in the name of Christ present, he proposes the truth that is Christ himself, his word, his way of living and of going forward.”

Of course, the Pope clarified, that this does not mean the priest is “neutral” in relation to this Word, “almost like a spokesman who reads a text which, perhaps, he does not appropriate.” Instead, like Jesus with the Father, the “priest who proclaims the Word of Christ, the faith of the Church and not his own ideas, must also say: I do not live from myself and for myself, but I live with Christ and from Christ and because of this all that Christ has said to us becomes my word, even if it is not mine.”

It is clear that the teaching the priest is called to give must be internalized and lived as an intense personal spiritual journey, so that the priest first enters into a profound interior communion with Christ himself. I have come to realize that anything I teach by way of doctrine or Catholic moral practice must first be grounded in the relationship I have with Jesus. Without a daily regular practice of prayer and presence to the Lord, no such relationship is possible. On the other hand, with it, one gains a sense of compassion and understanding to act as Jesus would act and with the same respect he had for the Law.

In beginning a new ministry in July, I will be doing many of the same things I have done the past 15 years among the people of Our Lady of Grace, namely celebrating Mass, preaching, and teaching. What I will not be doing anymore is administration, attending meetings, or fundraising. So in offering Contemplative Retreats for the Laity, conducting Parish Missions, and presenting Days of Recollection, my ministry will take a decided fuller emphasis on teaching and preaching. The support and the power to do this will come from a more regularly lived contemplative lifestyle with early rising and time for extended daily prayer, reflection, physical labor, and the preparation of food. As I see it, it will have a monastic flavor. The daily lifestyle of union with the Lord will then flow over into the preaching and teaching any given week. Weekends that I will not be presenting will be spent assisting parishes that need a celebrant and preacher for Masses.

Who among us would not like to slow life’s pace down a bit? Who among us would not want more time for inner silence and reflection? Who among us would not want a closer union with God? In this sense the priest/teacher is called to be a countercultural voice in today’s society, opting for each of these values and not only opting for them, but helping provide them in a concrete way for those wanting to do something about bringing them about. Only such a lifestyle of prayer and union can bring about an authentic and profound renewal for our people grounded in Christ as the Living One and experience of a God who operates in our life and for the life of the world and gives us his very presence as a way to live.

The priest is always a teacher, but he gives his lesson with the humble and happy certainty of one who has found Christ and in his encounter with the Lord, he has been gripped and transformed. Because of this he can do nothing less than proclaim and assist others in experiencing it.

Our people are asking us to assist them in renewing our encounter with Christ who alone can give us the inner joy and peace we crave. It is my desire to serve the Lord by helping others experience the loving embrace of God the Father, the healing forgiveness of Jesus, and the abiding, sustaining presence of the Holy Spirit.

Fondly,
Father Nicholas

Weekly HOMILY for May 30, 2010: From Human Experience to Divine Persons

Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
May 30, 2010

From Human Experience to Divine Persons
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato


In the Image of God

We believe that we are made in the image of God. The Book of Genesis says that God made us “in his image and likeness.”

Given that, there must be reflections of God in us and in our experience.

Today, we honor God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – the Holy Trinity.

This evening/morning, I do not want to start with the doctrine of the Trinity and attempt to explain it.

Instead, I suggest that we start with ourselves and our own human experience. Our experience of ourselves as persons must in some way reflect God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I say that because this body of mine, if made in God’s image – and this is a God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – than that 3-fold reality must also be part of this (point to self) reality.

Let us reflect for a bit and see where this leads us.


The Father

First, let us be aware of our desire to foster life.

Be aware of our desire to be a mother or father and to bring a child into this world. Or be aware of our desire to pass on life by teaching or by spiritual guidance or by emotional support.

Be aware of the sheer pleasure in bringing life forth from the earth by growing tomato plants or by seeing Gerber daisies flower in our gardens. Be aware of our pleasure in feeding and grooming and tending our dog or cat and those soul-full eyes.

Be aware of our satisfaction in repairing the clothes’ washer. Or be aware of humanity’s satisfaction in exploring the universe or discovering new ways of healing through adult stem cells.

Be aware of all of this within us human beings. These are all reflections of God, the consummate creator, God whom we call the Father.


The Son

And now, be aware of our thirst to restore.

Be aware of our thirst to restore our marriage to the feeling of love it once had. Or be aware of our thirst to patch up a friendship that has grown distant.

Be aware of our undeniable need to forgive and our restlessness when we do not forgive. Or be aware of our lack of peace when we have not asked for forgiveness, even though we know we are responsible for wrongdoing.

Be aware of the crosses we have to bear and the strength that comes from beyond us to bear them. Or be aware of our seeking for meaning and purpose and the way to live our lives fully.

Be aware of all of this within ourselves as human beings. These are all witnesses of God, our Savior, God the Son.


The Holy Spirit

And last, let us get in touch with our passion for certain things.

Be aware of our passionate love for spouse or children or parents or close friends. Or be aware of our passionate care for all victims of violence and war.

Be aware of our ardent faith in God or our strong commitment to the environment or our undying care for human life. Or be aware of whatever it is that we will skip a meal for or even die for.

Be aware of our excitement at a new insight, perhaps the simple insight that God is love and that I am unconditionally loved by God. Or be aware of our growth over the years in wisdom and understanding, in patience and compassion.

Be aware of all of this within ourselves as human beings. These are all expressions of God, the Spirit operating from within, God the Holy Spirit.


Conclusion

I believe these human experiences reflect God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are in harmony with Jesus revealing to us the Father, calling himself the Son, and sending us his Holy Spirit.

It was these sorts of experiences that led to articulating, as a Church at the Council of Nicea, a statement about our belief in the Trinity.

This, of course, came to be known as The Nicene Creed that we recite each Sunday here at Mass.

Let us be aware that when we recite this Creed together that it is something that comes out of our very experience of our imaging God.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Weekly THIS AND THAT for May 23, 2010: Pentecost = Jesus is Everybody's

This and That:
Pentecost = Jesus is Everybody’s


Today we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost, traditionally called “the birthday of the Church.” During the 50 days of Easter, we have celebrated Jesus’ triumph over death and his gift of eternal life to each of us. Pentecost reminds us that our mission is to spread this good news to anyone and everyone. Following is a reflection by Father Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest who is the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation is Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Accepting Our Acceptance

God has chosen us. That is simple and clear. But for us to accept that we are chosen or beloved is actually quite difficult, just as it was for Israel. It demands major freedom from self. (Only the "nobodies" seem to be ready for chosenness. Meanwhile God has to lead most of us on long 40-year journeys before we get to that place.)
God chooses each of us—not to "raise us up a notch," but to lead us through necessary and transformative journeys so we can allow ourselves to be beloved, and to relish a mutual relationship. At Pentecost the Spirit is poured out on "all humankind" regardless of status.

The election of the Jews, God's "chosen people," eventually becomes a message for the whole world, and not something to keep them superior, satisfied or apart. It will take the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Jonah, Jesus himself, the rest of the Book of Acts and the fierce ministry of Paul to resolve God's universality. Because the implications of "one God who created all things" gradually became clear, they soon called this new religion "catholic." Our attempts to limit this election have often made us more ethnic than catholic. Not only does God end up looking very small and scarce, but we do too.

We are ready for the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit only after 50 days of enjoying the wisdom of the risen Christ. It takes a while to move from Jesus as mine to Jesus as everybody's. Originally only Paul was strong enough to get the point, and his ministry to the gentiles (which is most of us!) was a scandal to James and Peter. He had to argue with Peter about this, and God had to give Peter a vision to prove it to him.
Choosing, Changing

When God makes a choice, it is definitive and irrevocable. The biblical God does not love us if we change, but so that we can change. God has not stopped choosing Israel any more than God stops choosing us because we do not respond (see Romans 11). As our Catholic tradition and recent popes have affirmed, the Jews are still the chosen people.

God’s love, it seems, is never determined by the worthiness of the one loved, which is almost impossible for us to comprehend—because that is the only way we know how to love. The biblical God seems to be both extremely patient and extremely humble. This is good news, for where would any of us be if God's choice depended upon our response?

Resting, Rejoicing

As humans, we cannot recognize, much less affirm, another person's inherent, God-given goodness until we have rested in that lovely place ourselves. God is inviting us first of all to rest and rejoice in what it means to be God's beloved son or daughter. When we have learned to live and abide in that chosenness, only then can we communicate that same beloved status to anybody else or any situation at any level of depth, joy or freedom. If we have been there, we can proclaim a true and new alternative to the drudgery and darkness of this world. This is healthy and happy religion, and it is offered to us.

Happy Birthday to us – and to all who believe because of us!

Sister Mary Therese

Weekly HOMILY for May 23, 2010: Images of the Spirit's Presence

Feast of Pentecost, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
May 23, 2010

Images of the Spirit’s Presence
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato


The Spirit: Brick and Mortar

This church and a number of our other parish buildings are made of brick.

We call them brick buildings even though they are really brick and mortar. The mortar is soft and wet when it is applied, but then when it dries, it hardens and is far less visible than the brick.

The mortar ties the bricks to the foundation and holds all the bricks together. It transforms a pile of bricks into this church building.

Now the Holy Spirit whom we celebrate today is something like this strong but not very visible mortar. The Spirit binds us to God the Father and Jesus the Son.

In this way, the Spirit is our strength and security against the many insecurities of life. This is why each one of us seeks some security, some firm grounding that we can rely on and build our lives on.

When we look for this security or feel secure, it is really the Holy Spirit present within us. And when we feel insecure, it is again the Spirit moving us to seek our security in the Father and the Son.


The Spirit: Quilt and Thread

Today I also think of the image of a quilt.

A quilt can begin with many scraps of cloth. It can be made of material with different patterns and colors and textures.

But thread is a key component. Thread is barely visible to the eye, but it holds the pieces of cloth together and makes them into a quilt.

Once again, the Holy Spirit is something like this barely visible thread. The Spirit knits or binds us to one another.

Saint Paul today compares us to the parts of a human body, and says that we are all made one body through our baptism. This is why deep down, we all want to feel accepted and be part of the group and have friendships.

It is the Spirit present within us and moving us to that. And when we feel unwanted or alienated or cut off from others, it is again the Spirit at work moving us to seek the oneness for which we are all made.


The Spirit: Flute and Breath

A third and final image I think of today is a flute.

A flute is basically a metal tube. A few holes are drilled into it at strategic points.

And that’s all it is until a musician breathes into it. The breath or air makes music and the metal tube becomes a musical instrument called a flute.

Once again, the Holy Spirit is something like this breath or air that flows through the metal tube. The Spirit empowers us to do good and continue the work of Jesus.

In today’s gospel, Jesus sends us forth to love, to be persons of love. This is why we feel so fulfilled when we do good things for others.

It is the Spirit present flowing through us and empowering us to be loving. And when we feel restless or when our conscience bothers us for not doing what is right and good, it is again the Spirit at work moving us to do the good that Jesus calls us to do.


Conclusion

I hope these three images help us on this feast of Pentecost.

1) The unnoticed mortar that ties the bricks of our church to the foundation and holds all of them together is something like the Holy Spirit – binding us firmly to God the Father and to Jesus the Son.

2) The barely visible thread that holds together pieces of cloth to make them into a quilt is also something like the Holy Spirit – binding us to one another and making us one.

3) And the invisible breath that flows through a flute and makes beautiful music is also something like the Holy Spirit – moving us to be loving persons and to do good for one another.

This is the Holy Spirit, God within us whom we celebrate on this feast of Pentecost.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Weekly THIS AND THAT for May 16, 2010: What I Will Be Doing Beginning July 1, 2010

This and That:
What I Will Be Doing Beginning July 1st


It was after three months of prayer and discernment with a Spiritual Director at the Trappist Monastery of Mepkin Abbey in South Carolina that I began to have a clearer understanding of where God was calling me in ministry as a priest. After 13 years as the Secretary of Education and 21 years as pastor of two parishes, there was a new need I saw emerging in our Catholic People, namely, the desire for a contemplative presence during prayer. It was with that new goal that I began 18 months of study at the Shalem Institute for Spirituality in Washington, DC. Those studies will come to an end this June.

As a result of the process of discernment and preparation I will be offering Contemplative Retreats to the laity, directing Parish Missions, and running Days of Recollection for parish staffs and other interested groups. On free weekends I hope to help out in different parishes by preaching and celebrating weekend liturgies. Over the past two years, in preparation for the new ministries, I have had several opportunities to offer retreats, missions and days of recollection, as well as contemplative prayer group sessions to see if they were a good “fit” for me. I must say I have found them very life-giving and am excited about doing them full-time.

Some have asked where I would be living after Our Lady of Grace, beginning July 1, 2010. In 1988 I built a small rancher in the Susquehanna Valley just 20 miles north of Bel Air in Pennsylvania. Just this year I was able to add an office/den to the small home where I can do all my preparation, copying and printing. While I will officially be a resident of Pennsylvania, I will maintain a Maryland address.

The contact information is:

Father Nicholas Amato
P.O. Box 40
Whiteford, Maryland 21160
FatherNicholasAmato@gmail.com

Once I see how my weekly schedule shakes out, I am also thinking of offering prison inmates an opportunity to learn contemplative prayer. I have often thought of facing the Lord one day and my asking him, “Lord, when did I see you hungry, ill, naked, or in prison…?” and realized there was an area in my caring for others over the years that needed some attention. It also seems like a great opportunity to give them something transformative in the many hours they have while incarcerated.

In the retreats, missions, and days of recollection I have already given, at the conclusion of our time together the question has often arisen among participants, “How can we do this again?” As a result, what I have begun generating are several avenues for individuals to learn more about what I’m offering in this area, should they want to avail themselves of the opportunities:

➢ An email list of names that every six months will receive the retreats, missions and days of recollection I will be offering. More about getting on this list in a moment.

➢ A blog (frnickamato.blogspot.com entitled “WordsWorthNoting”) that is updated weekly with homilies and other presentations. It has all homilies and “This and That” columns since July 2006

➢ By June 30th there will be available a fully developed Facebook page regarding these ministries

➢ Also by June 30th the ministries will be on Twitter for daily up-to-date photos and summaries of what is going on in the areas of retreats, missions and days of recollection

➢ If all of this sounds like garble or is overload, simply google FatherNicholasAmato and that will get you to my blog.

That, in a nutshell, is probably more than you needed to know about what the future holds for me. The next month and a half will certainly be a bittersweet experience for me as I begin to share our farewells. I do hope there will be times to do that face-to-face. Our Lady of Grace will always be my #1 home and because one day I would hope to rest in peace somewhere on the property, it will also be my final home before heaven.

If you would like to be added to the 6-month emailing list for retreats, missions, and days of recollection, simply let me know by sending an email to me at: FatherNicolasAmato@gmail.com.
See you at Mass soon.

Love,
Father Nicholas

Weekly HOMILY for May 16, 2010: Understanding the Ascension of Jesus

The Ascension of the Lord, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
May 16, 2010

Understanding the Ascension of Jesus
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato


Life with Morrie

Most of us have heard of the book “Tuesdays with Morrie” or perhaps we have seen the movie that was based on the book.

It is a story about a Detroit sportswriter named Mitch Albom and a university professor, Doctor Morrie Schwartz.

Morrie had been Mitch Albom’s teacher, faculty advisor, and mentor at Brandeis University just outside of Boston. He helped Mitch realize his potential as a writer.

In 1994, Doctor Morrie Schwartz was diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Doctors told him that he had a year to live and he decided to do just that – to live his last year to the fullest.

Morrie Schwartz appeared on ABC’s Nightline program and talked about what he was learning about life.

Mitch Albom just happened to see the program and decided to visit Morrie Schwartz at his home in Massachusetts.

It was the first of fourteen weekly Tuesday visits that became the content of Mitch’s book, Tuesdays with Morrie. In these visits, Morrie and Mitch reflected on life, suffering, family, marriage, aging, and death.

Most important, all of this was from Doctor Schwartz’s perspective as a man facing his own death. The book – Tuesdays with Morrie – chronicles what Mitch heard in these visits.

Morrie Schwartz’s reflection brought a whole new perspective to Mitch. Mitch’s life had been overwhelmed with work and he was desperate to find love and meaning in it.

In the last class, Doctor Schwartz summed up everything they had discussed the prior 13 weeks. He said this.

“As long as we love each other, and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without really going away. All the love you created is still there.

“You live on – in the hearts of everyone you have touched or nurtured while you were there. Death ends a life, not a relationship.”


Life with Jesus

That experience with Morrie Schwartz and his final words are similar to what we see and hear in Jesus today.

Jesus has taught great lessons to the Apostles. He has taught them, above all else, to become loving persons – to love God as God has loved us, and to love one another as we love ourselves.

Jesus now returns to the Father. This is what we hear in both our first reading and the Gospel.

And yet, Jesus is still with us. In fact, he has prepared the Apostles for this and told them it would happen.

He has told them he will leave them and return to the Father, but then, he will continue to be with them – and us – through his Holy Spirit.

Jesus will no longer be bound by the limitations of a physical body. Now he is still with us through his Hoy Spirit.

So, as Morrie Schwartz says, “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” We would say: “Death ends a form of life, a way of living simply in a physical state.”


Conclusion

From today’s celebration of the Ascension we learn that Jesus will live on with the Father and he will even live on with us through his Holy Spirit within us.

And now we, God’s sons and daughters, live with Jesus present within us.

Living with Jesus’ presence means living in love and out of a center of love. This is how life with Jesus continues and how we are his witnesses on this earth.

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Weekly THIS AND THAT for May 9, 2010: Religion and Politics

This and That:
Religion and Politics


The “God question” is part of everyone’s life, and the public life. We simply can’t avoid it. Does God exist or not? If we REALLY believe God exists, that belief will inevitably color our personal and public behavior: our actions, our choices, our decisions.

What we believe about God shapes what we believe about men and women. And what we believe about men and women shapes how we act -- socially, politically, and economically. Jesus tells us in John 15 that if we stay united with the vine, we will bear much fruit; apart from Jesus the vine, we wither and die. Washington Post columnist Robert Samuelson wrote as early as 1995, that for all of our American development in medicine, science and technology, we, as Americans, are neither whole nor happy. Technology has made U.S. workers more competitive. It has also deepened worker stress by overloading employees with information. It has lead to longer workdays and heavier demands for productivity. We now spend up to $ 44 billion dollars each year treating depression. Too, our consumer economy turns appetites into needs. Nobody makes us pile up credit card debt but millions of Americans do exactly that. Further, over the past couple decades, our civic vocabulary has coarsened. An overfed understanding of our personal rights and individual freedom has squeezed out responsibility and decorum we owe each other. We’ve moved off and away from the vine of our lives.

The Catholic mission in the world comes from the nature of God Himself. Catholics believe in one God. But He is a God in three Persons, sharing one nature. This belief is central to Catholic life. For Catholics, God is a living community of love -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- and in creating us, God intends us to take part in that community of mutual giving. All of Catholic life comes down to sharing in the exchange of love within the heart of the Trinity and then offering that love to others in our relationships.

The word “love” unpacks into a lot of other words: truth, repentance, forgiveness, mercy, charity, courage, justice. These are action words because in accepting Jesus Christ, the gospel says we will know the truth, and the truth will make us free (Jn. 8:32) -- not comfortable; not respected; but FREE in the real sense of the word: able to see and DO what’s right. This freedom is meant to be used in the service of others. Actively witnessing to, and advancing what we (Catholics) believe to be true about key moral issues in public life is not coercion. It’s honesty. It’s also a duty -- of faith, and of citizenship.

The church engages the world in two ways: through the life of each individual believer and through the common action of believers working together. Every Catholic life, and every choice in every life, MATTERS! Baptism does not simply wash away sin. It also incorporates the baptized person into a new life; and part of that new life is a mandate to act; to be God’s agent in the world. Everybody shares the basic mission: bringing Jesus Christ to the world, and the world to Jesus Christ. We can’t uncouple what we “do,” from what we claim to “believe.” How we act works backwards on our convictions, making them stronger, or smothering them under a snowfall of alibis.

May God’s grace enable us to love the truth (Jesus Christ) strong, well, and with much love.


Love and Prayers,

Dr. Jack Buchner
Director of Religious Education

Weekly HOMILY for May 9, 2010: Peace Versur Peaceful Coexistence: What's the Difference?

6th Sunday of Easter, Cycle C / Mother’s Day
Our Lady of Grace
May 9, 2010

Peace Versus Peaceful Coexistence: What’s the Difference?
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato


Making Peace

Two boys in your second grade are fighting. It’s gotten ugly and they are really slugging it out

Your homeroom teacher breaks up the fight by physically separating the two of you.

They stand there with angry looks on their faces as the teacher makes them shake hands.

Is that peace?

Two girls are calling each other names. Bad names

The Lacrosse coach quiets them down

As things begin to settle, the coach tells them both to apologize. Through glaring eyes and tight lips, they do

Is that peace?

Well, it looks like peace from the outside, but is it peace in their hearts?

I don’t think so for there remains a level of strong feelings within both the boys and the girls, strong feelings of anger, resentment.

You know it’s going to last a long, long time

You see, the peaceful efforts of the teacher and the coach were not enough to move hearts


Moving Hearts

In today’s Gospel Jesus is talking about peace, when he says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.”

So how is Jesus’ peace different from the peace that the well-intentioned teacher and coach were trying to give?

For the answer to that we need to hear the opening lines of the Gospel again: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love them.”

Listen to what follows: “And we will come to them and make our dwelling with them.”

A very different kind of peace indeed! It’s not peace imposed from without. It’s not a peace that begins by demanding that we shake hands or apologize

No, it’s a peace that comes from God himself and is planted within the person having the conflict.

And it has been planted in there by hearing the Word of God and letting that Word take root in our hearts.

It’s really an indwelling power and energy.


Energy Boosters

Let’s talk about energy boosters, things we eat or drink that offer us a special boost.

Take this for example. It’s called 01 Prime Pre-Game Fuel by Gatoraid. It contains (read from label) “A concentrated blend of carbohydrates, B vitamins and electrolytes, delivering energy and helping to sustain your bodies ability to burn additional carbohydrates when taken 15 minutes before competition. 01 Prime helps your preparation pay off.”

My point is that the liquid promises to make an interior difference that will make winning possible.

Now I’d like to suggest that we have two other “energy boosters,” boosters that will give us real power to achieve peace and to achieve it from within our hearts. The first is this (show host) and the second is this (show Chalice.)

And if we read the label from Sacred Scripture about the host, we read from Jesus’ own lips “This is my body broken so your sins will be forgiven.”

And from the label of Sacred Scripture, about the chalice we read, “This is my blood poured out for love of you.”

And his promise? That, he and the Father “will come to you and make our dwelling with you.”

Responding to Energy Booster of Word and Eucharist

That is why when the Minister of Communion says, “The Body of Christ” We say? “Amen!” and eat this energy booster.

And when the Minister says, “The Blood of Christ” We say? “Amen.” Exactly! And drink this energy booster.


Conclusion

Boys and girls, you have prepared all year to receive Jesus the Lord. You have come this morning/afternoon to accept his offer to make a difference in your life.

We know that real peace cannot be imposed on us by a teacher or coach, a parent or a priest. It must come from within us.

It will take a real energy booster. It will take the life of Jesus coursing through our minds and hearts.

And it gets in by feeding on Jesus’ Flesh and Blood.

That’s the energy booster we have in this glorious Sacrament.