Independence Day

This Monday our country celebrates the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.The last sentence of that document, right before the signatures of our Founding Fathers, contains an important phrase: “with firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence.”

“With firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence”: Someone could say, “That doesn’t sound like a Declaration of independence; it sounds like a declaration of dependence.” And they would be right. Our Founding Fathers declared their independence from an oppressive foreign power, but they also declared their dependence on God.

This teaches us an important principle that is almost never stated: freedom and independence are not the same thing. Freedom requires dependence on the only one who can make us free. This is true politically and socially; it is also true (and especially important) morally. The only way we can be free from sin (the most oppressive and tyrannical force that exists) is to be completely dependent on the one who frees us from sin; that is, of course, Our Lord.

May the Lord bless our nation on this weekend, and may we always show our “firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence.”

Gratefully yours,

Vacation Time

There is a time and place for everything (see Ecclesiastes 3:1); and summer is often a time for vacations. It is so important to get away and have a change from our usual routine.In the gospels Jesus even tells his Apostles at a very busy time, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mk. 6:31) I don’t know if I am going to manage any vacation this summer, although I am good about getting rest on my day off. I certainly hope you will be able to find time to travel and enjoy rest and recreation.

Of course, we all know that we should never take a vacation from our relationship with the Lord and his Church. In practical terms, this means remembering to pray every day (life is so much better with prayer!) and to participate in Mass on Saturday evening or Sunday. Among the many ways to find Mass near you is the website www.masstimes.org; on this site all you have to do is enter your city and state or your zip code, and information about nearby Masses is yours.

Some of you know that on June 15 I had cataract surgery on my right eye.It was a good and successful surgery, and I am now seeing through my right eye with a level of clarity and detail I have never experienced in my life. God has really placed us in a beautiful world! If possible, during your vacation find opportunities to enjoy the beauty of creation. Thanks to my surgery, this beauty seems more wonderful than ever to me. How blessed we are!

Another recent event was the 38th anniversary of my priestly ordination on June 25th. When I was ordained, I had no idea that one day I would be sent to the beautiful parish of St. Edward the Confessor and San Felipe de Jesús. I thank God for this daily, and I pray for you daily. Please pray for me and for all priests.

Gratefully yours,

Our Greatest Treasure

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, often referred to as “Corpus Christi.”The Eucharist is our greatest Treasure, and is at the center of our life as Catholics. Jesus tells us clearly, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” (Jn. 6:53-54) We believe that when Jesus said “This is my body….This is my blood” during the Last Supper, he meant what he said. And he gave his Apostles and their successors the power to “do this,” that is, to continue to transform bread and wine into his living Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

We call the transformation of bread and wine into the living presence of Christ transubstantiation. The bread and wine keep their outward appearance in every respect, but the reality—the substance—is changed. After the Consecration of the Mass, they are no longer bread and wine. They are the living presence of Jesus Christ. To be sure, this is beyond our power to understand completely, although we know that with God all things are possible.

In the United States we are beginning a three-year National Eucharistic Revival: a “grassroots revival of devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.” Our Bishops state that “the National Eucharistic Revival aims to be a movement that renews the Church by enkindling a living relationship with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.” During these three years, let’s do what we can to increase the faith and devotion that the Bishops are encouraging. For more information, please visit https://rcbo.org/revival/ and follow the links. This is a movement we can all get into! Let’s always recognize the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of Christian life!

Gratefully yours,