WEDNESDAY HOMILY: Living Your Faith or Wearing a Mask?
called for because many within the Church, seated in the pew, seem to not allow their faith to bear fruit in the way they live on a daily basis, let alone in the way they celebrate and feast.
In the Gospel for today, Jesus says that many will say, "'Lord open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from.' And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.' Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!'"
The mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist is where we eat and drink in the company of the Lord. How then would Jesus say that we are evil doers? Clearly if we eat the Lord's Most Holy Sacrament in a state infected by mortal sin, we are, as St Paul tells us (1 Cor 11:27): "Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord."
Is this not Eucharistic ignorance also a blaring icon of Catholics who have let the world influence their faith rather than letting their faith influence the world?
Don't let your Catholic faith be like a Halloween mask. Be real. Your eternal salvation depends on it. Jesus tells us right there in today's Gospel, "I do not know where you are from." Not that he is ignorant of the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, but that when our hearts do not know Jesus Christ we cease to live in the knowledge of God and the glory of union with him, and we are cast out of his presence.
The Eucharist is the source, summit, and center of authentic Catholic culture. The Second Vatican Council (Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World, 58) says: "The Gospel of Christ constantly renews the life and culture of fallen man, it combats and removes the errors and evils resulting from the permanent allurement of sin. It never eases to purify and elevate the morality of peoples. By riches coming from above, it makes fruitful, as it were from within, the spiritual qualities and traditions of every people of every age. It strengthens, perfects and restores them in Christ."
Jesus said in John 6:51, "the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the".church choir? folks sitting on the pew attending mass? For what? For the WORLD!
So obviously Jesus' sacred flesh, his Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, are given to Joe Lunchbox in the pew so that he can go out and transform the world with the same transformation which has ought to have happened by him receiving Jesus Christ in holy communion and being inspired and fired up with his Word.
This is how the Eucharist you celebrate must leaven Halloween.
The Church is not going to tell you how to do that. Neither is God. He is too happy to let you use the head that he gave you and the will that he gave you to let you figure out what way in your sphere of influence will change the pagan sacrifices to the Holy Sacrifice of Mass lived out by people on the street.
But since you might need a kick start, here are few suggestions:
1. Have an All Saints party.
2. Have masses and prayers said for reparations against the Holy Eucharist on All Hallows Eve.
3. Don't be afraid to go trick or treating. Don't be afraid of culture. Claim it for Jesus Christ! Just be real about your Catholic identity and your intentions and use the occasion to teach your children how to let their faith inspire culture. Keeping in mind the first reading for today, "bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord."
4. Feast! It is a feast not a fast. Rejoice and enjoy the Catholic attitude of celebrating the supreme Love of God not just in the church, but at your dinner table and your way of living your faith at home.
5. Blog. Facebook. Tweet. Digg. Whatever. Preach the Gospel always and don't be afraid to preach it using words the pagan culture can understand. Be careful of Halloween becoming an occasion where you become a "hater" using the media or some kind of weirdo who can't dialogue with most people who simply see this as a time to have good clean fun. Remember most people haven't a clue of Halloween's origins. Show the attractive way of the Love of God.
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Father Samuel Medley, SOLT, is a priest of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, and is currently based in Hythe, Kent, United Kingdom. He speaks to groups around the world on Blessed Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body. Visit his homily blog http://medleyminute.blogspot.com and http://loveandresponsibility.org.
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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.
Keywords: Year of Faith, Halloween, daily homily, Holy Eucharist
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God bless you, Michael!
I usually wear what used to be my Carmelite Habit on this night, but this night 2012, I have to be at work early in the morning. My faith is an open book to all who wants to know. I do not try to hide it. As a Gay Man within the Gay Community (not sexually active), I am also an open book there too, as I do know how negative the LGBT are of Catholicism, and I also almost always has to explain (though not necessary) why I remain a Catholic. Can it be prayed away? Nope! I can at least try my best to remain chaste/celebate, and live an Inner-City Hermit in the traditions of both the O.Carms, and the Discalced Carmelites, and remember it on nights like tonight, and on the Carmelite All Saints and All Souls Days November 14th and 15th. Happy All Saints and All Souls to all Catholics.
Sometimes the truth of the fruit lies in abstaining from the fruit, like not eating the fruit off the tree of the knowledge of Good & Evil, to the Commandment of God that which yields the true fruit, the fruit called "The Power of Resistance". Wisdom is to the saying "there is not the reason why but to do or die" to the word of God , to take it as it is given & not to twist it like saying "God by forbidding to take the fruit of good & Evil actually meant to take it" which are but the words of the Adversary through what is called Gnosticism based on Paganism(the product from the tree of good & evil), to the Hallow-ing