Year C: Holy Trinity
Year C: Corpus Christi
Year C: Feast of the Assumption

Year A: Baptism of the Lord
Year A: Holy Trinity
Year A: Corpus Christi

Holy Trinity Sunday
1st Reading - Prv 8:22-31
2nd Reading - Rom 5:1-5
Gospel -Jn 16:12-15

On this Feast of the the Holy Trinity, we are reminded of our purpose for being here on earth. We were created by God our Father, redeemed by Jesus Christ His Son, and Sanctified by the Holy Spirit. We were created, redeemed and made holy for the purpose of knowing, loving and serving our God in this life and the next. By following this purpose we participate in the perfect communion of love shared by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

As Christian stewards, we know that we have received many gifts from God. The greatest of these gifts is love. As the Second reading reminds us, "the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" by Jesus. This tremendous gift of love is meant to be shared. In this way, the love of God - is poured into the world. As Stewards of God's love, how can we be a vehicle for sharing that love in the world? How can we share that love in our families today? How can we share that love with our friends and with those who have even hurt us?

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Corpus Christi Sunday - Body & Blood of Christ
(June 13, 2004)
1st Reading - Gn 14:18-20
2nd Reading - 1 Cor 11:23-26
Gospel -Lk 9:11b-17

The first time we hear of a priest in the Old Testament is during the meeting between Abraham and Melchizadek. Melchizadek was the King of Salem. Many scholars believe that Salem was the city we now call Jerusalem (Jeru - Salem). Abraham had just won the support of neighboring kings in rescuing his nephew Lot from capture. After the battle, Melkizadech offered this blessing:

"Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
the creator of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
who delivered your foes into your hand."

According to Hebrews 5:1-10, Jesus is the high priest in the line of Melchizedek. We have a share in the priesthood of Christ. Ordained priests and all baptized share in the one priesthood of Jesus Christ. On this Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, we are reminded of our powerful calling to share in Christ's priesthood and offer ourselves (as members of Christ's Body) as a sacrifice pleasing to God. The prayer of Melchizedek, the prayer of Christ, and the prayer of the Church are one in in the same. This sacrificial prayer is a sweet smelling oblation to God on high for the good of all God's people. Our Eucharistic prayer is not a selfish prayer. It is a priestly, self-giving, and sacrificial offering.

As Christian stewards, sharing in the priesthood of Christ, let us bring to this Sunday's liturgy, the prayers and requests of God's holy people and offer them up to our God, through Jesus our High Priest.

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Feast of the Assumption
(August 15, 2004)
1st Reading - Rev 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10ab
2nd Reading - 1 Cor 15:20-27
Gospel -Lk 1:39-56

Saint Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, reminds us that Christ is the first to be raised from the dead. We believe in his bodily resurrection because of the testimony of the early Christians. It is the early Christians who also testify to the bodily assumption of Mary. What is the fullness of Truth revealed in Christ's resurrection and Mary's assumption? Namely, that those who belong to Christ will enjoy a perfect life in Christ when, upon his return in Glory, we will be raised incorruptible. That is, we will be raised body and soul.

This Feast Day reminds us that we are uniquely made. We are like angels in that we have a soul with intellect and will. Yet, we are like animals, in that we have a body made of flesh. Humans are made of body and soul. Therefore, if we were to be raised as souls alone, we would lose our unique essence - what it means to be human. Nevertheless, there is much debate about how we shall be raised bodily. What will my body look like in heaven? What we shall look like has not been revealed. Rest assured, we will not lose our essence of being human. This Feast celebrates not only the assumption of our Blessed Mother. It celebrates the essence of our humanity and the saving Grace of her Son who chose to die so that all may be raised to the Glory of God the Father.

As Christian Stewards, we know that God has given us many blessings. Most importantly, we have received the unique blessing of being human - made of body and soul. Therefore, we must treasure our humanity and do our part to care for our bodies and tend to our souls in prayer.
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Baptism of the Lord
(January 9, 2005)
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
Acts 10:34-38
Matthew 3:13-17

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord can rightly be called the Epiphany. In the Western Church, we celebrated Epiphany last week with the proclamation of the Gospel about the wise men who followed the star. Epiphany means "Revelation." Here, we discover who Jesus truly is for us. He is the complete revelation of God. Matthew's Gospel tells us that God spoke from heaven and said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Nothing more can be revealed about God beyond Jesus Christ, the only Son of the Father. Even private revelations (e.g., Our Lady of Fatima) act only to support the One True Revelation that Jesus is Lord and God.

The Baptism of the Lord begins the ministry of Jesus. On this Feast Day, we are reminded of our own ministry and mission. Our mission is the Mission of Jesus.

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Holy Trinity Sunday
Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
John 3:16-18

Every time we gather for Mass, we begin with the sign of the cross and in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Then, the priest offers a greeting based on the salutations offered by St. Paul in his letters. The Second Reading today offer us just one example, "The grace of the lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."

This greeting, in the name of the Triune God, is an invitation to pray to God. More importantly, it is an invitation to pray "with" God. God invites us to communicate with him. As the Gospel reminds us, the Father loved the world that he gave his only Son, that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. God wants us to be in communion with him in eternal life. Thus, in God's holy name - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - we are invited into his communion of love.

As we come to the altar this Sunday, let us accept the invitation to be in communion with our most Holy Trinity. Let us bless and praise the Father, through the Son, and with the Holy Spirit, one od, forever and ever.

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Corpus Christi Sunday - Body & Blood of Christ
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
John 6:51-58

On this Feast of the Body and Blood of our Lord, we are reminded that what we receive is not bread and wine but in fact, the Body and Blood of our Lord. Some may ask how this is possible. This was asked by those around him. The Gospel of John tells us, [They] quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

Clearly, not everyone believes that what we receive is the Body and Blood of Christ. Some will say it is symbolic. But, when Jesus said, "Take this all of you and eat it. This is my body," he did not say, "This is 'like' my body." No. Jesus, in the Gospel today, says, "For my flesh is true food and my blood real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him."

You are invited to learn more about our Church's teaching about the Holy Eucharist - the Body and Blood of Christ - by going to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You may find what you are looking for, by visiting our website at www.strosecv.com and visiting the Catechism Page.

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