Ministry of Service

This past Saturday, June 17th, I was at St. Patrick's Cathedral for the Ordination to the Sacred Order of Deacon 12 men for the Archdiocese of New York. This brought back memories of my own ordination with 12 of my classmates on Saturday, June 19th, 2010.

At the ordination this past Saturday, one thing that Cardinal Dolan said that touched my heart was, "It's not about you becoming a Deacon but about Jesus and how you serve Him." That, coupled with the phrase that Cardinal Dolan says to each deacon as they receive the Book of the Gospels is very important, "Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are.  Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach."

All of us as Christians are called to live the life of Christian service. But as deacons, we are called to a higher standard of service to Christ and His Church. We are called to minister at the altar, to conduct wake services, perform baptisms, witness weddings. All things that we are called to herald the Gospel of Christ.

Over my years as Deacon I have done numerous baptisms & wakes. Each is special in it's own way.

One recent act of service I was able to do as deacon is for a woman who had twins born prematurely at Einstein Hospital in the Bronx. Isaiah and Josiah have been suffering much since being born prematurely. I was able to arrange with the hospital chaplain to have them baptized. Further, on a few occasions,  I was able to visit them and bless them and their mother and father. This is an example of what makes my diaconate special. Serving those who need the presence of Christ in their lives as they suffer and deal with issues that are beyond their control. Christ is present to Isaiah and Josiah and their mother during their suffering.

I am grateful to God for the gift my diaconate. I pray also for those 12 men ordained this past Saturday at St. Patrick's Cathedral that they receive many blessings as they serve people in their faith community.

The Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

The scripture readings for the Feast of Corpus Christi can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/061817.cfm

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” John 6:51

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is over 700 years old. Because Holy Thursday, when the Lord gave us the Eucharist, occurs in Holy Week which centers on the Lord’s Passion and Death, the Church set aside this special feast in June to reflect on the Eucharist itself, the gift of Jesus to His Church.

As Catholics we believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He is truly present: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the host and wine used at Mass. The Real Presence is the teaching of the sixth chapter of St. John’s Gospel. “The one who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has life eternal” says the Lord (John 6:54). This is central to our faith in Christ: the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

When we come to church, we don’t have to hope that the Lord will be there. His presence doesn’t depend on our mood, our feelings, our holiness, or even on our faith. Christ is TRULY PRESENT in the Eucharist by His promise and power. That is what is meant by the “Real Presence.” When entering a Catholic Church, the Lord is truly present in the tabernacle and at Mass not symbolically but actually. The distinctive strength, the center and heart of Catholic spirituality is the power of the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

As a result of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, we need to be sure to receive Him worthily. I would encourage all to regularly use of the Sacrament of Confession. St. Paul tells us, “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.^” (1 Corinthians 11:27)

The Eucharist embodies everything that Jesus did for us and everything that Jesus is for us. It is a mystery of faith that gathers together Jesus’ teaching, His Passion, His Resurrection and his pledge of eternal life for us. So, let us approach the Blessed Sacrament worthily and with great devotion.

Reflection for the St. Lucy's Religious Education Program

This past Wednesday, May 31st, 2017, I was asked to give a short reflection during a Holy Hour for the teachers of the St. Lucy's Religious Education program. Following is the reflection. This reflection can be applied to all who are responsible for the teaching of our children in the Catholic Faith.

Why do we do what we do with the students in our religious education program? Why do we come, week in and week out, giving up our Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings to come and teach those entrusted to our care? Why is sharing our faith in God so important that we sacrifice so much time and energy to share our faith with these young people, who at times don’t really want to be in the classroom learning about this Jesus Christ? Why is it so important to do so?

It’s because that this Jesus, who died 2000 years ago on the cross, and rose again on Easter Sunday morning has had a profound effect on each one of us. Our relationship with Jesus is so important to us, we feel compelled to share it with others.

Towards the end of the Gospel of St. Mark we read, “Jesus said to them, ‘Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.’” Then in the Acts of the Apostles we read, “...you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” So here we are, on Bronxwood Avenue in the Bronx, far from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, carrying out this command of Jesus to be his witnesses!

The Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and the church on that first Pentecost. Then the world was on fire with the saving power of God. These men, who were afraid to leave the upper room after the crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday, became bold witnesses of the fact that this crucified Jesus is now alive. Peter, in Acts, says, “God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Each week, all of us in the St. Lucy’s religious education program, are called to share this good news with those who come to our classes. We are called to share with our students that Jesus died for each one of us and that he is Lord and Messiah. We are called to plant the seed of faith in Jesus Christ with all those we encounter.

Let us always proclaim the gospel with love and devotion to all we come into contact with here at St. Lucy’s.