Ten Suggestions for Spiritual New Year Resolutions

 

“Auld Lang Syne” is a traditional Scotish dirge that is often used to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight.   Auld lang syne translates to “old long since”, and the song is generally a call to not forget our old acquaintances, on in this context, the old year.

The transition from the old year to the new year can be a springboard for our spirituality, if we allow it to.

New Year's Eve is a reminder of Eve, the mother of all of the living.  Eve is a symbol of our fallen nature, of our sinfulness, and of our weaknesses.  Christ came to transform us, and to make us partakers of the divine nature through the Sacraments He instituted in His Holy Catholic Church.

Tomorrow, New Year's Day, we will celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (and mother of all Christians).  

Through His conception, birth, life, death, and resurrection, Jesus invites us to become metaphysically one with God (i.e., Theosis).  He made a new creation in His likeness.  He baptized us into that new creation, making Mary our mother, and He feeds us through that new creation with His true Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity (i.e., the Eucharist).

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the reality of the transformation Christ is calling us to make.  A transformation from a fallen nature, to a divine nature.  A transformation from the world of Eve to heaven with Mary.  It is a time to entrust our past to the mercy of God.  It is a time to let go of our resentment and regrets.  The confessional is an awesome place to encounter Christ and to let go of our past.

Use this day to look to the future with great hope.  Having gone to confession, we have a clean slate for a new beginning.  Through the Mass we can surrender our new year and our will to the love and compassion of Jesus.  In, with, and through Jesus (always fortified with the sacraments of His holy Church), our new year will be victorious.  In union with Jesus through the Eucharist, we can truly put joy into the New Year.

Ten Suggestions for Spiritual New Year Resolutions

1. Live Our Lady’s Messages at Fatima

The Fatima message brings us back to the first and greatest commandments Jesus gave us in the Gospels: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself”.

2. Make more time for spiritual reading

St. Athanasius once said, “You will not see anyone who is striving after his advancement who is not given to spiritual reading.”  Ascension Press has their Bible in a Year and Catechism in a Year programs.  These are both wonderful opportunities to grow in our faith through spiritual reading.

3. Make good stewardship a lifestyle

The love of money and possessions is the root of all evil.  Find new ways to share your talent and treasure with those less fortunate.

4. Share your Catholic faith with others

We are called to live as missionary disciples in a world that has largely turned its back on Christ.  Engage in the All Things New evangelization initiative as well as the Eucharist Revival initiative to find new ways of spreading the Good News of the Gospel to the world around you.  Your efforts will be rewarded ten-fold, if not more.

5. Bring back regular penances

Living a penitential life has been a bedrock of the Christian life since the crucifixion of Christ.  Make Friday as special day of penance with abstinence or fasting.  Whether of abstain from something like coffee or meat, or completely fast, you'll quickly experience the spiritual condolences from God that are allowed to grow with such practices.

6. Go an extra day to Mass

The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life.  Championship football teams down win by simply playing the game once a week.  They devout themselves to the game nearly every day.  The more we can devote ourselves to receiving Jesus through the Eucharist at Mass, the more Jesus can transform us into Himself and make us partakers of the divine nature.  Find ways to increase you Mass attendance throughout the week, in particular, try to make First Friday (Consecration to the Sacred Heart) and First Saturday (Consecration to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart) part of your devotion.

7. Pray the rosary and the chaplet of divine mercy

The rosary is a spiritual pilgrimage to the Holy Lands. The rosary is a meditation on the life of Jesus, on the Gospels, through the eyes of Mary, our blessed mother through Christ.  After regularly looking at Jesus through the eyes of Mary, you can't help but increase your love and devotion for Him.  Similarly the chaplet of divine mercy is a most glorious way to enter into the abundant Mercy of God.

8. Pick a new saint buddy

Choose a patron saint whose virtues you would like to emulate in 2018, and entrust your year to their special intercession.  In particular, if there is a specific vice that you struggle with, find a saint that also suffered from that vice or is the patron saint for those that suffer from that vice.  Their story describing their experience, strength, and hope can be a useful tool as you work to avoid the temptations in your life.

9. Consecrate yourself to Jesus through Mary

Consecration means setting yourself aside for service to God. From the time if the Apostles, Christians have consecrated themselves to Jesus Christ through the Blessed Virgin.  Mary is the perfect model of discipleship.  Living out our consecration with willingness and humility, natural gifts are elevated to holiness and fruitfulness. As Jesus said to those who would stand up and follow him: “Even greater things than these will you do.”

10. Wear a Miraculous Medal

Originally called the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, it became known as the Miraculous Medal was because of the numerous miracles reported by those who wore it.  Ultimately, the Medal is a visual reminder of our salvation through Jesus Christ.  Those who wear it with the right intention and with humility often receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck.

Reverent Worship

The idea of an ongoing "Liturgical War" is something that I often come across in conversations and in perusing social media sites.  On the one side are the actions objectively classified as "liturgical abuses" that are practiced day-in and day-out by many of the faithful…many out of ignorance of the "abusive" nature of their actions.  On the other side are the actions that don't subjectively fit into the Tridentine model and are viewed by the "radical traditionalist" as abusive, irreverent, and/or worse.

I believe Ars Celebrandi captures the truth that reverent worship and celebration lies between the two sides of the "liturgical war".

Ultimately, we need to cultivate a liturgy that invites the faithful to active participation, creates a focus that is always Christ-centered, and draws the faithful into a sense of holiness and mystery.  Along the way, connecting how the liturgy and related piety connects to the reality taking place in the mystery.

We need to be charitable in helping the faithful understand and be obedient to the liturgical norms of the Church; i.e.,  rejecting the forbidden things and not forbidding the things allowed in the rubrics.

Like Bishop Elliott, I have a great appreciation to the Divine Liturgies used in the Byzantine Ritual Family of the Church.  I believe there is a lot we could learn from the East in terms of how to be more intentional in our worship. Intentional in the sense of a realization we are actively participating in the eternal worship of heaven.  A Liturgy that seems to flow as a continuous movement of grace with a spirit of reverence from the moment of entering the nave to the moment we exit the nave.

I have started to see this sense of mystery and reverence in the latest generation of priests coming through our seminary…a true movement of the Holy Spirit.  It gives me hope for the future.  It gives me hope that while Father Ratzinger's prophecy about the Church becoming small may come true, increasing the reverent nature of the Liturgy (that speaks to the heart of Ars Celebrandi) will spread the Flame of Love and enkindle a new Pentecost for the true faithful.

Eucharistic Prayers of the Mass

 Purpose of the Eucharistic Prayers

The Eucharistic Prayers were created by the Church, in alignment with the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus Christ, to join the bread and wine offered (as well as the substance of our lives) to the perfect sacrifice of Christ.

These prayers are offered to God the Father by Jesus Christ through the priest.  The prayers are offered by Jesus (through the priest) at the moment of His passion, death, and resurrection.

By virtue of the Eucharistic Prayers (originating in the Last Supper), Jesus, as the one true mediator between God and humanity, initiates the covenant through His divinity and responds to the covenant through His humanity (Feingold).  During the Mass, these prayers (along with our active participation in the Liturgy and worthy reception of the Eucharist) enable our participation in the response of Jesus to the new and everlasting covenant. The Eucharistic Prayers and the Covenant are the action of Christ's body, which we are part of by virtue of the Eucharist.

 

Scriptural Basis of the Eucharistic Prayers

Ultimately, all of Scripture points to the Eucharist.  We see the Eucharistic Prayers of the Mass prefigured in the Old Testament, such as the Prophet Isaiah's vision of the seraphim crying out  “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!"  Equally, we see the ultimate fulfillment of the Eucharistic Prayers of the Mass throughout the Revelation of the Apostle John (Guevara-Mann).

At the core of the Eucharistic Prayers are the words of institution prayed by our Blessed Lord in the Upper Room hours before His Passion as recorded in Saint Paul's first letter to the Corinthians and the synoptic Gospels.

 

History and Tradition of the Eucharistic Prayers

Early Christians referred to the Eucharistic Prayers of the Divine Liturgy as the Anaphora.  The Anaphora encapsulates how the Divine Liturgy carries us back to the Pashcal Mysteries of Christ's passion, death, and resurrection.  This Anaphora is similar to how the Hebrews participation in the Passover of the Old Testament "carried them back" to the original Passover described in Exodus (King).

The earliest records of an anaphora of the Latin Rite Church go back to the early third century with the writings of Hippolytus of Rome (King).  Other rites of the Catholic Church also have early written records of an anaphora, such as the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom.

Historical evidence suggests that the Eucharistic Prayer of the early Church was chanted aloud for the whole community to clearly hear it.  In later centuries, the emphasis changed to focus more on mystery (King).  Thus, the priests began to pray more of the prayers quietly.  This became codified in the Tridetine Mass in the 16th century.

Following the Second Vatican Council, the Mass was revised based off new archeological forensic evidence of how the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the early Church (Ratzmann).  Thus, the priest began to pray or chant most of the prayers out loud for community to hear.

Today, there are several Eucharistic Prayers listed in the Roman Missal, but four are most commonly used.  Eucharistic Prayer II is nearly identical to the anaphora of Hippolytus of Rome.  It is considered the most ancient prayer of the Mass (King).

Eucharistic Prayer I was compiled under the direction of Pope St. Gregory the Great.  The third and fourth Eucharistic Prayers were compiled after Vatican II.  The third prayer was influenced by the Gallican and Mozorabic rites of past centuries.  The fourth draws from Eastern sources, especially the fourth century anaphora of Saint Basil (King).

Beyond the Latin Rite, there are several different rites within the communion of the Catholic Church.  Each of these have their own forms of Divine Liturgy.  Even though the outward spiritual expressions vary across culture, there is only one reality of the Divine Liturgy, only one Calvary, only one Eternal Passover, only one sacrifice.  Each form of Divine Liturgy celebrates the same reality:  an active and substantial participation in the saving sacrifice of Christ.

 

Participation in the Eucharistic Prayers

Ultimately, the Eucharist means thanksgiving.  Thus, it is fitting that the Eucharistic Prayers would start by giving glory to God the Father and declaring our thanks to Him for His grace in our lives and the work of salvation He has propelled through time (USCCB).  

As a community, we can join all of the angels and saints in this praise and worship of God the Father, which finds its true voice in the Acclimation (USCCB).  The Acclimation is the singing of the Sanctus as we add our voice to those in heaven and on earth in song.

The next step of the Eucharistic Prayer is the Epiclesis.  During the Epiclesis, we implore the Holy Spirit to descend on the bread and wine in order to bless the gifts and turn them into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ (USCCB).

The Institution Narrative is then completed in order to enact the words of Christ as the Holy Spirit completes the transubstantiation of the Eucharist and re-presents His sacrifice on Calvary (Guevara-Mann).  This is the point where we are mystically present at both Calvary and the eternal Passover in Heaven.  This is our chance to adore Jesus as His Body and Blood are offered under the appearance of bread and wine for our salvation.

Once our Blessed Lord is sacramentally, yet substantially, present before us, we enter into the Anamnesis.  During the Anamnesis, we take the opportunity to intentionally recall His passion, death, resurrection, ascension and promise of return in glory (USCCB).  This is another opportunity for us to mindful of the reconciliation and sanctification that is available to us through the Blessed Sacrament as well as our fullest participation in the New Covenant through the Divine Liturgy.

The next step of the Eucharistic Prayer is the Oblation, where we pray that through the Eucharist that we may learn to truly unite with God and with each other as a fragrant and acceptable sacrifice to the Father as the Son reconciles us to Him (USCCB).

The Oblation is followed by Intercessions that recall all members of the Church, living and dead, for their participation in the redemption and salvation purchased by the Body and Blood of Christ through the Mass (USCCB).  The prayers include holding up the Pope and the bishops.

The Eucharistic Prayer concludes with a Doxology where all of the faithful, in union with all of the angels and saints, acclaim "Amen" (Guevara-Mann).  This is the ultimate expression of faith in God and His working through the Church and the highest expression of glorification of God.  In this "Amen", we unreservedly declare our belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, in the work of salvation, and in the deposit of faith preserved by the Catholic Church.

As the faithful, during Mass, we actively and whole-heartedly participate in the faithful responses of the Mass.  We are open to allowing the Holy Spirit to carry us back to the Pashcal Mysteries of Christ's passion, death, and resurrection.  We are mindful that we are receiving from the one bread the Lord's Body and from the one chalice the Lord's Blood in the same manner that the Apostles received them from the hands of Christ.

Annotated Bibliography

1. Feingold, Dr. Lawrence.  The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us.   January 21, 2021  Dr. Feingold offers deep insights into the nature of Christ and the salvific power of Christ to configure His mystical body to Himself.

2. Guevara-Mann, Deacon Pedro.  Deacon-structing the Mass | Part 9: Deeper into the Eucharistic Prayer.  https://slmedia.org/blog/deacon-structing-the-mass-part-9-deeper-into-the-eucharistic-prayer.  Accessed 10/21/2022.  Deacon Pedro offers a deeper reflection on the Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass, including some of the highlights of how much the Mass is based on Scripture.

3. King, Msgr. William J.  A Look At The Eucharistic Prayers.  https://www.simplycatholoic.com/a-look-at-the-eucharistic-prayers/.  Accessed 10/21/2022.  Msgr King offers historical and practical perspectives on the Eucharistic Prayers of the Mass in an effort to bring more meaning to our celebration of the Mass.

4. Ratzmann, Fr. George. History of the Mass.  https://youtu.be/mr7D62Whm6y.  Accessed 10/21/2022.  Fr. Ratzmann recounts the history of the Mass in a presentation at Saint William Catholic Church in Naples, Florida.

5. USCCB.  Liturgy of the Eucharist.  https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/liturgy-of-the-eucharist.  Accessed 10/21/2022.  The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops offers description of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, including the Eucharistic Prayers used by the Church for consecration of the bread and wine during Mass.

Beyond Time, Space, and Eternity

I am particularly struck by the statement that "through the fraction and through Communion, the faithful, though many, receive from the one bread the Lord's Body and from the one chalice the Lord's Blood in the same way that the Apostles received them from the hands of Christ Himself."

This served as sort of confirmation of something that I had come to believe in my personal faith journey.  When I am at Mass, I always try to allow myself to be drawn into a transcendent mystical space that enables me to be spiritually present to the Last Supper and the Crucifixion, as well as the Eternal Passover in Heaven. 

Through the Eucharistic prayers, Jesus is made present to us in a special way through all time, all space, and eternity.  Through the Eucharistic prayers, it is like we are mystically pulled into a spatial anomaly that makes us simultaneously present in the eternal now and all points of salvation history.  We are brought heart to heart with love Himself…at His finest hour of glory.

Through the Eucharistic prayers, we have the privilege of being mystically present to Jesus along with Mary, John, and the angels at both Calvary and marriage banquet in heaven.

This mystical experience took on a new dimension for me on a recent trip to the Holy Lands.  Standing on Mount Zion, where Jesus instituted the Eucharist is an experience that I will never forget.  Praying in the spots where Jesus suffered, died, and resurrected Has brought a new perspective for me as I engage in and more actively participate in the Divine Liturgy.  Participating in a Mass, engaging in the Eucharistic prayers, and receiving the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Blessed Lord on Calvary was the most incredible thing I have ever participated in.

The experience I had on Calvary, is the same experience each of us can have at each and every Mass.  It is true that we "receive from the one bread the Lord's Body and from the one chalice the Lord's Blood in the same way that the Apostles received them from the hands of Christ Himself."  This is the Mass!

Hearts on Fire

I've been reflecting on the question posed in Luke's Gospel, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us."  As such, this question came to mind a number of times as I read the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, especially as it repeatedly stressed the meditative environment that must be fostered during the celebration of the Liturgy of the Word.  

The Liturgy of the Word, complete with reverent reading and chanting, reflective homily, and sacred silence is meant to offer spiritual nourishment, but also increase a spiritual hunger (a burning heart) for communion with our Blessed Lord in the Eucharist.

One of the deacons I have had the honor of serving with often says that the Liturgy should flow.  I believe the intention behind this statement is to always foster an environment that facilitates meditation and fosters a yearning for communion with the Lord, both in the Word and in the Flesh (the Eucharist).

Throughout the history of the Church, the Mass and the Eucharist have been the key to a fervent faith life.  Indeed, getting the most out of Christianity is dependent on our understanding of the Mystery of the Eucharist.  With that understanding comes hearts that burn for communion with Him.

Through the Liturgy of the Word, we have the opportunity to introduce and deepen that Eucharistic understanding.  Through the Liturgy of the Word, we have the opportunity to ignite burning hearts, whet Eucharistic appetites, and foster a deep yearning for true communion with our Blessed Lord.

Let us always approach the Liturgy of the Word with reverent reading and chanting, reflective homilies, and sacred silence that are meant to offer spiritual nourishment, offers a meditate environment that enables to have a true encounter with our Blessed Lord, and prepares us to enter into true communion with Him through the Eucharist.  Lord, set our hearts on fire with hunger for You!

Words Have Power

Recently, I reflected on the section of the Catechism entitled "The Sacrament of the Eucharist".  Paragraph 1381 struck me in a way that I hadn't noticed before:

"That in this sacrament are the true Body of Christ and his true Blood is something that 'cannot be apprehended by the senses,' says St. Thomas, 'but only by faith, which relies on divine authority.' For this reason, in a commentary on Luke 22:19 ('This is my body which is given for you.'), St. Cyril says: 'Do not doubt whether this is true, but rather receive the words of the Savior in faith, for since he is the truth, he cannot lie.'"

Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore
Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more,
See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart
Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art.
Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived;
How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed;
What God's Son has told me, take for truth I do;
Truth himself speaks truly or there's nothing true.

We cannot apprehend the reality of the Eucharist with our natural senses, yet we dare not doubt that we consume the "true meat" and "true drink" of His Flesh and Blood (John 6:55) since He is the Truth and He cannot lie.

We have seen the power of the words of the Lord repeatedly, starting in the book of Genesis, "Let there be light!" (Genesis 1:3).  God speaks and the laws of physics must obey.  "Let there be light", and there was light.  "Let there be vegetation", and there was vegetation (Genesis 1:11).  "Rise, take up your mat, and walk", and the man became well and walked (John 8:8-9).  The Lord speaks and the laws of physics must obey.

The same holds true during the prayers of consecration during Mass.  Through the celebrant priest, the Lord says, "This IS my Body" (Luke 22:19).  Is the almighty God that is capable to creating light from a command, growing vegetation from a command, and healing a sick man from a command somehow only capable of a symbolic gesture in declaring His presence in the Eucharist?  I think not.  His words have power.  He is the Truth.  It doesn't matter what our natural senses detect.  If Jesus says, "This IS my Body", then we can trust in His power to make His real presence manifest as taught the Catholic Church.

Either Jesus has the power to do what He says, or He doesn't.  It is a matter of faith as to whether or not we receive His words and believe.  Let us pray the Holy Spirit continues to open our eyes of faith to the true and substantial presence of Jesus in the Eucharist so we may fully encounter Him and adore Him more fervently in the Sacraments.

Dynamic Discipleship - Reflection for Evening Prayer - Monday of the 26th Week of Ordinary Time (1 Thessalonians 2:11-13)

Our reading from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians, along with a couple of the verses prior to those cited in the reading, in a way encapsulate our missions as baptized disciples.  The words of Saint Paul represent a challenge we are called to meet in our daily lives.

Through the ministry of Paul and Silas, the Thessalonians were moved to turn from their idols.  They were moved to truly worship and serve the living and true God.  Our lives as baptized Christians ideally have a lot of similarities to that of Paul and Silas.  We are called to engage a world that is full of idols and other distractions that often prevent true worship.  Idols and distractions that often act as a sort of spiritual contraception in the blossoming of spiritual fruit in our lives and in the lives of those we are called to serve.

Let's strive to embrace our mission as Christians similar to how Paul and Silas embraced them, and look to Paul and Silas for encouragement and hope from their experiences.  

Paul and Silas preached for free and worked professional jobs to pay their expenses.  Similarly, most of us do not have paid positions within the Church.  We work our secular jobs to pay our expenses, support our families, and support the Church. Let us always strive to be an active part of the world, influencing it with the values of Christ, but never fall for the ways of the world.

Paul and Silas practiced what they preached.  They led by example with conduct that was upright, just, and irreproachable.  Similarly, we are called to lead by the same example.  Let us always strive to be a visible example of what it means to truly love, worship, and serve the Lord.

Paul and Silas related to the Thessalonians as a father relates to their children.  Similarly, let's strive to be a source of spiritual nourishment to those God puts in our lives…guiding and teaching them in matters of faith, morals, and spirituality as a father may guide and teach their children.  Let's strive to always be loving and accepting of others where they are, but at the same time always encouraging them to be more than they are.  Let's strive to always present objective truth with respect and condor.

Remember always the words of Saint Catherine of Siena, "If you are what you were meant to be, you will set the world on fire."

If we can follow the example of Paul and Silas with self-sacrifice, holiness, and a sense of community, we can truly be an instrument of the Holy Spirit to move hearts, facilitate conversions, and renew the Church.  We will set the world on fire.

Clear and Present

Paragraph 1391 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes the Lord saying, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.”  In fact, I believe in John 6, the Lord says this four times in six verses.  In another one of those six verses, the Lord specifically declares that “my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink”.  

I have always been fascinated about how Zwingli and other Protestant reformers could come to the symbolic conclusions they taught when Jesus was so very clear about the reality of His flesh and blood.

Equally fascinating is how the Evangelicals and Fundamentalists that claim to follow only the Bible would reject the positions of the real presence of Jesus when the Bible clearly says that His flesh is true food (in fact; the King James version goes a step further by saying His flesh is meat indeed) and His blood is true drink.

St. Alphonsus said, “The devil has always attempted, by means of heretics, to deprive the world of the Mass.”  I have no doubt Satan is well aware that “receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus.”  Satan certainly tempts non-Catholics into believing the symbolic teachings of many non-Catholic faith traditions and persuades them to reject the truth of the substantial presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as taught by the Catholic Church for nearly 2,000 years.

Ultimately, Jesus prayed that we “may all be one”.  Per the Divine plan, that oneness that Jesus prayed for can really only come to fruition through, with, and in Him via the Eucharist.  Our evangelization efforts should be Eucharist focused with the goal to bring those not in full communion with Christ to “the fullness of the means of salvation” and “full sacramental life” Christ established.

Jesus Christ is substantially present in the Eucharist.   Let's stand firm to Him.

Passover and the Eucharist

 I find the continuity between the Jewish Passover and the Eucharist to be fascinating.  

The Jewish Passover meal includes unleavened bread, wine, and an unblemished lamb.  Participating in the Jewish Passover meal recalls freedom from slavery in Egypt, and was a necessary component of being part of the Hebrew community.

Similarly, the Eucharist includes unleavened bread (at least in the Latin Rite), wine, and an unblemished Lamb, namely Jesus Christ.  Participating in the Eucharist recalls freedom from slavery to sin.   A Catholic must receive the Eucharist at least once a year (generally during the Easter season) to continue to be in a state of grace; i.e., part of the Catholic community.

The Jewish Passover meal includes four cups of wine: the cup of sanctification, the cup of proclamation, the cup of blessing, and the cup of praise.  When Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His Apostles in the upper room on Holy Thursday, He only drank the first three cups.  After drinking the cup of blessing, He and the Apostles sang a hymn of Hallel and left to go to the Mount of Olives without drinking the final cup (Matthew 26:26-30).  Jesus didn't drink the fourth and final cup of the Passover meal until He was given wine to drink on the cross (Matthew 27:48).  This fourth cup is also known as the Hallel Cup and  the Cup of Consummation.  We mystically drink from this fourth Passover cup at every Mass.

Thus, the Mass is a direct participation in the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary, a fulfillment of the Jewish Passover that God directed all generations to celebrate at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, and an anticipation of the eternal Passover in the Kingdom of God as described throughout the book of Revelation.

The Eucharist truly is the source and the summit of the Christian faith.

Heavenly Communication - Reflection for Morning Prayer - Sixth Saturday of Easter (Romans 14:7-9)

We celebrate two joyful anniversary milestones this year.  One is joyful and happy, the other is joyful, but sad.  The 50th anniversary of entering into the covenant of Holy Matrimony is certainly the happy and joyful occasion.  Over those 50th years, there have been many happy times.  But, we have also seen a number of not-so-happy times.  We've seen illness and disease that have robbed us of our joy.  We suffered loss of loved ones, sometimes tragically and without warning.  The other anniversary marks one such event, the tragic loss of Erin and Barry 10 years ago.

You may be wondering why I would refer to that as a joyful anniversary.  After all, some of us may still be angry at God for allowing it to happen.  We still feel the loss, we still hurt, we are still in pain.  We want, actually, we need someone to blame. 

I think God is fine with being the target of our anger, but let's not let our anger blind us to the truth.  The world tries to convince us that this world is all we have.  To the world, there isn't a heaven.  To the world, there isn't a hell.  To the world, when someone dies, that is it.  The world convinces us that when a person dies, they are cut off from us and that we can never experience their presence again.  I think we can all agree that there is no joy in that. 

But, the world mindset is not even close to reality.  Our reading this morning reminds us that Jesus is the Lord of both the living and the dead.  This statement has immediate consequences for us as we reflect on the glorious mysteries of the Rosary and what those mysteries mean to us personally.    The promise of our own resurrection and eternal life.  The promise of our own assumption into heaven.  The promise of our own coronation in heaven.

Tomorrow, the Church will formally celebrate the Ascension of the Lord.  Therefore, it is fitting that we are praying in the cemetery today, surrounded by the bodies of our deceased family members, going back to the first Sparks to settle in Jasper County.  But, it is important that we remember that only their bodies are here, waiting for the promise Christ gave through the Eucharist in John chapter 6.  The promise that if we consume the Eucharist, if we eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, that we will be risen on the last day and will have eternal life.

While the bodies of our family lay here in rest, we hope their life, their essence, their soul, is in heaven.  In heaven, the greatest desire is for us to join them in their joyful bliss and the saints are praying that we truly follow the way of salvation that Jesus instituted in the Catholic Church.  The promises of Jesus are real. The promises of the Eucharist and the other Sacraments Jesus instituted are real.  Through the Eucharist, we can have eternal life with Erin and our other loved ones.  Through the Eucharist our bodies can be risen on the last day to live the fullness of life God intended us to live before the fall of Adam and Eve…a life in paradise with Erin and our other loved ones.

When I was home a few weeks ago for Easter and Uncle Charlie's funeral, Gracey had made a comment about some sort of a sixth sense connection between twins.  Gregg, responded that it was a myth and didn't exist.  However, that is not completely true.  There is, at least a potential for, a very real spiritual connection.  The good news is that the spiritual connection isn't limited just to twins.  Think of the spiritual connection between Saul and Samuel in the first book of Samuel.  Saul sought a spiritual connection with Samuel by means of a medium that excluded the Holy Spirit, which is something we should not do.  However, the experience between Saul and Samuel show us that all of us can have this type of spiritual connection with our deceased loved ones.  But, it can only happen through, with, and in Jesus in the Eucharist….or as Father declares at Mass: Through Him, With Him, and In Him.

Because of this potential for spiritual connection, we don't have to wait for heaven to have a very real and substantial connection and relationship with Erin through Jesus in the Eucharist.  When we go to the Mass, and any time we are in the presence of the Eucharist, we are in the physical presence of the resurrected Jesus Christ –  Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.  Being at the Mass puts us in the direct presence of the Lord, and by virtue of the Lord in the direct presence of anyone else that is in the direct presence of the Lord, including anyone in heaven.  When you are in the presence of the Eucharist, you are in the real presence of Erin by virtue of the consummation of the Lord's passion, death, and resurrection.  Eastern Catholics and Orthodox refer to this as theosis.   Whenever we receive the Eucharist, we are not only brought into communion with Jesus, but we are also into communion with anyone in a state of theosis, including Erin and anyone else in heaven.  That is reality…that is a reality we can embrace and be joyful for.

St. John Damascene said that in receiving the Lord's precious Body and Blood, we communicate with and are intimately united to the Lord Jesus.  Since those of us on earth and the blessed in heaven are members of His Mystical Body, in the Eucharist, therefore, we also communicate with and are untied to one another.  Let's take a moment to comprehend the reality of St. John's statement.  Through the Eucharist, we can communicate with and are united to Erin, in heaven.  St. Therese of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. John Chrysostom and several other mystical saints shared this truth in their writings.

As you pray the rosary in the future, especially the Glorious mysteries that we meditated on last evening, I encourage you to ponder the reality of these things.  What is it like to encounter the resurrected Lord and our loved ones in heaven through the Mass and the Eucharist?  What is it like to feel the Holy Spirit descend upon the altar during the prayers of consecration at Mass, similar to how He descended in the upper room during Pentecost 2,000 years ago.  What do you think your personal resurrection will be like?  What do you think being assumed into heaven similar Enoch, Elijah, and Mary will be like?  What do you think you will be feeling as Jesus crowns you in heaven with the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant?" 

But those promises are available to us today, through the Mass and the Eucharist.  Tomorrow, we will be celebrating the Mass together, probably for the first time since Erin's funeral.  When we go, go with profound faith in and love for Jesus in the Eucharist.  Allow yourself to experience the true rapture of the Mass, where heaven and earth meet.  Allow yourself to mystically see the angels and saints present at the Mass with us.  Allow yourself to listen to the holy silence….listening for the voice of Jesus, and, perhaps, the voice of Erin. 

If we truly embrace the Truths that Jesus has given to us through the Catholic Church and truly surrender ourselves to His real presence in the Eucharist, we can unite with Erin and our other loved ones in heaven, and we can truly experience the loving union that can only be found in the Holy Spirit.

I'll close this reflection with a prayer from St. Thomas Aquinas.  "O Jesus, Bread of Angels, make us see your Good in the land of the living.  You who feed us here, make us there (in heaven) the intimate companions of the saints."