As you know, I begin many of my homilies with a question. Today, I would like to begin this pastor's column with a question. What image of Jesus in statue form is found the most in Catholic churches that still have statue adorning their sanctuary or throughout the Church building? Did you guess the Sacred Heart of Jesus? I know that would be my answer though there's probably no way to get a "correct" answer to that question.
I have been in a number of older Catholic Churches recently and have seen a "Sacred Heart of Jesus" statue somewhere on pedestals in those churches. Going to visit sick parishioners at St. Vincent Hospital as much as I do, has led me to see not just one, but two statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus image there. If I asked you to tell me where the Sacred Heart of Jesus statues are inside and outside of our church complex, I doubt that many of you would be able to answer that one is on the side wall in our adoration chapel and the one outside is down by the entrance of the lower hall on the right as your car comes into the drive-through in front of the lower hall doors.
On Valentine's Day (and the days leading up to it), we see hearts on a variety of objects and cards. Obviously it reminds us of love. What a blessing it is that we have an image of Jesus with his heart showing surrounded by a crown of thorns and a cross on top of it to remind us all the time of Christ's unique love for us and all mankind, a love that showed itself in the most giving of way through his passion, death AND resurrection.
I invite you to join us any and/or all First Fridays for Mass. Most of the year we celebrate the votive Mass of the Sacred Heart immediately after Mass is over. I promise to slow down as I lead it, so we can appreciate just how wide and deep Christ's love is for all.
I have been in a number of older Catholic Churches recently and have seen a "Sacred Heart of Jesus" statue somewhere on pedestals in those churches. Going to visit sick parishioners at St. Vincent Hospital as much as I do, has led me to see not just one, but two statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus image there. If I asked you to tell me where the Sacred Heart of Jesus statues are inside and outside of our church complex, I doubt that many of you would be able to answer that one is on the side wall in our adoration chapel and the one outside is down by the entrance of the lower hall on the right as your car comes into the drive-through in front of the lower hall doors.
On Valentine's Day (and the days leading up to it), we see hearts on a variety of objects and cards. Obviously it reminds us of love. What a blessing it is that we have an image of Jesus with his heart showing surrounded by a crown of thorns and a cross on top of it to remind us all the time of Christ's unique love for us and all mankind, a love that showed itself in the most giving of way through his passion, death AND resurrection.
I invite you to join us any and/or all First Fridays for Mass. Most of the year we celebrate the votive Mass of the Sacred Heart immediately after Mass is over. I promise to slow down as I lead it, so we can appreciate just how wide and deep Christ's love is for all.
I want to take time to thank those of who attended our eighth Seminarian Fundraising Dinner on Saturday, June 8, and for ALL who donated to the seminarian fund -- whether you were able to come to the dinner or not. And, of course, a big THANKS to our Knights of Columbus Council 10208 who sponsored this dinner in an ongoing effort to support our seminarians in a monetary way. Special thanks to Murray Claassen, his wife Kim, and all those whose who put forth effort before, during and/or after the event to make it a great success (as it raised around $31,000) for the seminarian fund to form and educate the future priests of our diocese.
For those who didn't come, I want to give a recap of the evening, in part to inspire new people to join us next year -- as well as our "every year" faithful participants.
We enjoyed music and singing from Larry Womack as we gathered and socialized before dinner. We then had a delicious meal prepared and served by Home Plate, with my homemade ice cream for dessert. A short video by the diocese that included reflections from (now) Father Jon Misken that was taped just shortly before his Ordination. We then viewed parts of his Ordination Mass. We also heard some encouraging and thankful words from Monsignor Scott Friend, the vocation director of the diocese, who spoke after he introdued the 11 seminarians who were with us at the dinner, including our own "home-grown" seminarian, Jonathan Semmler. Transitional deacon, Joseph Friend, spoke of his attendance to our fundraising dinner multiple times (the earliest being six or seven years ago), and how grateful he is for all our support that has led him to be less than a year away from his Ordination to the priesthood (May 23, 2020).
Six lucky people had their names drawn during a raffle and each left with over a gallon of my homemade ice cream.
It was once again a memorable evening as our ongoing support of the seminarians of Arkansas has led to an historic number of priests being ordained in our state in these past eight years (and more on the way to Ordination soon).
Those who have contributed and are contributing monetary support, and, of course prayers, for our seminarians are responsible, in part, for a legacy of priests who will serve in our diocese for many years to come!
For those who didn't come, I want to give a recap of the evening, in part to inspire new people to join us next year -- as well as our "every year" faithful participants.
We enjoyed music and singing from Larry Womack as we gathered and socialized before dinner. We then had a delicious meal prepared and served by Home Plate, with my homemade ice cream for dessert. A short video by the diocese that included reflections from (now) Father Jon Misken that was taped just shortly before his Ordination. We then viewed parts of his Ordination Mass. We also heard some encouraging and thankful words from Monsignor Scott Friend, the vocation director of the diocese, who spoke after he introdued the 11 seminarians who were with us at the dinner, including our own "home-grown" seminarian, Jonathan Semmler. Transitional deacon, Joseph Friend, spoke of his attendance to our fundraising dinner multiple times (the earliest being six or seven years ago), and how grateful he is for all our support that has led him to be less than a year away from his Ordination to the priesthood (May 23, 2020).
Six lucky people had their names drawn during a raffle and each left with over a gallon of my homemade ice cream.
It was once again a memorable evening as our ongoing support of the seminarians of Arkansas has led to an historic number of priests being ordained in our state in these past eight years (and more on the way to Ordination soon).
Those who have contributed and are contributing monetary support, and, of course prayers, for our seminarians are responsible, in part, for a legacy of priests who will serve in our diocese for many years to come!
While I don't know as of yet what the Lord will inspire in my homily for this weekend, the feast of "The Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord," I know that today I want to reflect on the gift of Jesus who is present in the Tabernacle and in the Monstrance in Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in many churches (including ours).
It is right for us to give thanks for the nourishment Jesus provides to us through the gift of Holy Communion, not only on this feast, but at each Mass that is celebrated here and throughout the world. In addition to doing as Jesus taught in coming into Communion with God, the Father, every time we pray the Lord's Prayer, Jesus, through the words he spoke at the Last Supper (and at every Mass), comes to us and seeks a union with us that can bring us inner joy, peace and renewed confidence in God's love for us.
Most, if not all of us, remember when this feast was called "Corpus Christi," and I hope more than a few of us have participated in a Corpus Christi procession in which Jesus leads the way in the Monstrance (through the instrument of a priest or deacon) which among other blessings, makes a public statement of our belief in the REAL PRESENCE of Jesus in the Eucharist and says, either implicitly or explicitly, that he is leading us to our heavenly home!
WHAT A BLESSING it is for us that Jesus is made available to us in the Monstrance 24/7 in our perpetual adoration chapel where we can come any hour of the day or night to be close to him in words of prayer, in listening to him, and/or in quiet meditation or contemplation. I want to thank all regular adorers and our "ready and willing" substitutes, as well as our leadership team headed now by Tom Donnelly. If you have not yet been drawn by the Lord (or others) to join us in this devotion, PLEASE pray that the Lord will draw you (and others in this parish) into a deeper union with him through more frequent reception of the Eucharist at Mass and by participation in Eucharistic Adoration. I, and many others, can attest to what giving this time to Jesus does for us and for those we lift up to the Lord in prayer. I hope all of us share the sentiment that is expressed in this popular refrain: "O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be very moment thine."
It is right for us to give thanks for the nourishment Jesus provides to us through the gift of Holy Communion, not only on this feast, but at each Mass that is celebrated here and throughout the world. In addition to doing as Jesus taught in coming into Communion with God, the Father, every time we pray the Lord's Prayer, Jesus, through the words he spoke at the Last Supper (and at every Mass), comes to us and seeks a union with us that can bring us inner joy, peace and renewed confidence in God's love for us.
Most, if not all of us, remember when this feast was called "Corpus Christi," and I hope more than a few of us have participated in a Corpus Christi procession in which Jesus leads the way in the Monstrance (through the instrument of a priest or deacon) which among other blessings, makes a public statement of our belief in the REAL PRESENCE of Jesus in the Eucharist and says, either implicitly or explicitly, that he is leading us to our heavenly home!
WHAT A BLESSING it is for us that Jesus is made available to us in the Monstrance 24/7 in our perpetual adoration chapel where we can come any hour of the day or night to be close to him in words of prayer, in listening to him, and/or in quiet meditation or contemplation. I want to thank all regular adorers and our "ready and willing" substitutes, as well as our leadership team headed now by Tom Donnelly. If you have not yet been drawn by the Lord (or others) to join us in this devotion, PLEASE pray that the Lord will draw you (and others in this parish) into a deeper union with him through more frequent reception of the Eucharist at Mass and by participation in Eucharistic Adoration. I, and many others, can attest to what giving this time to Jesus does for us and for those we lift up to the Lord in prayer. I hope all of us share the sentiment that is expressed in this popular refrain: "O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be very moment thine."