Corpus Christi Blog

My brothers and sisters, each of our readings today describe what faith is and what faith should look like.  May our faith be inspired and convicted by the word of God in today’s readings.  In our Gospel, Jesus asks his disciples the all-important question of faith- who do you say that I am?  Who is Jesus Christ?  That is a question we all need to answer for ourselves. 

Reflecting and praying over today’s readings were very inspiring for me personally, hopefully they will be for you too.  We have an opportunity to look at the people in both the old and New Testament and see how they relate to God, and decide for ourselves how we are going to act.

Today we are blessed to continue to unpack the most important chapter in Scripture to understand the Holy Eucharist, the Gospel of John chapter 6.  Have you read the chapter in its entirety lately?  It is necessary that every Catholic understand John 6 if you want to embrace the truth for yourself and help others believe in the greatest gift God has given us. 

We continue our 4 part homily series on the great Eucharistic discourse, John chapter 6.  Last week you might remember Jesus said in the Gospel that the Jews who had just been fed with five loaves and two fish, were looking for a sign.  The Jews were looking for a sign to believe that Jesus was indeed the Savior.  And Jesus encouraged them not to live for ordinary bread that perishes, but to live for the bread that endures to eternal life.  And Jesus went on to say to the Jews, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst”.  Last week, Fr. Rey inspired us to hunger for Jesus, for Jesus is the only one that will satisfy our every hunger.  And then Fr. Rey reminded us that faith in the Eucharist is a gift.

Today we are going to spend our time unpacking our 1st reading where we gain a deeper understanding of God calling shepherds to guide his people, Jeremiah is prophesying at a time when Jerusalem was about to be taken over by the Babylonians- this would be last time the great Temple city would belong to the Jews.  Jeremiah was lamenting over the kings of Israel who have not protected or cared for God’s people and have thus let the capital city be overrun and God’s people to be scattered.  And he warns them that God will hold them accountable for not being a good shepherd or king.  God was saddened that the kings did not rule His people the way He had appointed them to, and God was saddened that His people are going to be scattered once again.

In our 1st reading from the Prophet Amos, Amos is being persecuted for warning the king about the troubles that will come to him if he continues to live for himself and not obey the Lord.  Amos humbly admits that he is not like the other great prophets, like Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel whom God called from an early age to speak His words.  Instead, Amos says that that He was a common man, who like many other people- was a shepherd and did other kinds of jobs to make a living, but the Lord called him to prophesy to the Lord’s people Israel.  So to Amos, the Lord called an ordinary man to do a special task- to be a voice for God.  Being called to be a Prophet was a great and honoring calling, even though it came with great responsibility, and often times- persecution.

We celebrate the 4th of July, the day we as a United States of America gained our independence.  And so on this Independence Day weekend, we give thanks to those who have served in the military and everyone, especially God, who has made it possible for us to have the freedoms and liberties which we enjoy.   We should be proud and thankful to be an American, we enjoy many opportunities that others  living in other countries do not experience.   However at the same time we need to be very much concerned.  Truly our founding fathers established this great country on Christian faith, and desired there to be religious liberty as a right of every American.  However, that right is being taken away from us, and we no longer live in a Christian nation. 

My brothers and sisters in Christ, on this 13th Sun of Ordinary time our 1st reading tells us a truth which is necessary that each one of us comes to believe and know deep down in our hearts.  It says, "God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.  For he fashioned all things, that they might have being and all the creatures of the world are wholesome".  God is the author of life, God delights in the living. 

Most Catholics know that they should go to Mass every Sunday, and some know that it is a mortal sin if a Catholic does not (which by the way it still is); however, few Catholics really understand why. And so it is not knowing why going to Mass is so necessary, or not understanding what happens at Mass, which makes it easier and easier to think that it is OK to not go as long as one believes in God. Our readings today explain what happens at Mass and therefore why going to Mass is essential. For some these readings might appear to be hard too lofty or mystical understand, but they are vital to our understanding of the Eucharist, so let me do my best to explain.