Shamus
O’Reilly lived alone in the Irish countryside, his pet dog was his companion. When
the dog died, Shamus went to the Fr. Patrick, the parish priest and asked, "Father,
my dog has died, would you say a Mass for him?"
Father
Patrick replied, "Shamus I know you loved your dog very much, but we
can’t have services for an animal in the church. Why don’t check with the
Protestant church down the road, they might be willing do something for your
dog." “Thank you Father do you think a $15,000 donation is sufficient?"
Father Patrick exclaimed, “Shamus why didn't you tell me your dog was
Catholic?"
In 1983
Anne Murray released a hit record “A Little Good News”, the song
enumerated many of the troubles of that era: war, economic woes, murders,
robberies, fires, etc. –
Sound familiar?
One of the verses asked for some hope, “We sure could use a little good news
today.”
Many of
us want A Little Good News Today.
You are
here for “Good News” & the Good News is we will be fed with God’s Word &
Eucharist, offered to us. There is an old saying, “You are worth your
weight in gold.”
Way
back in 1947 on September 6, I was born & the price of an ounce of gold was
$34.71; this last Wednesday it was $4,550.00. So my value has increased at
least “… in gold.”
Our real value lies in how fully we allow Jesus to guide our
lives. Jesus gives
us “The Bread of Life” to nourish us on our journey here on earth &
we are blessed to be partakers in “That Bread.”
In Today’s Gospel Jesus teaches us that He “… is the living bread that
came down from Heaven.”
One of
my grandchildren finished a Popsicle & on the stick was this [awful] Pun. “Where
do bad rainbows go?” “Prism, It’s a light sentence.”
In that awful Pun, but a beautiful
analogy for the Light of Christ.
We
are the Prism for the Light of Christ – dispersing His Light by our actions.
Jesus gave us the Extraordinary Gift of the Eucharist, His Body,
Blood, Soul & Divinity: At once:
Simple & Mundane [bread & wine]
Esoteric & Divine [His body & blood of Jesus].
The Real Presence Offered to us in the Eucharist – Bread for the
Journey - foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet.
Jesus
call us, invites us, beckons us to experience Him, the Bread of Life, as nourishment/food
for our journey.
Let me
share some excerpts from a poem,
“Light
after darkness,
gain
after loss,
Strength
after weakness,
crown
after cross;
Sweet
after bitter,
hope
after fears, …
Alpha
and Omega,
beginning
and the end,
He
is making all things new.
Springs
of living water shall wash away each tear,
He
is making all things new.
Joy
after sorrow,
peace
after pain;
Love
after loneliness,
life
after tomb.”
[Adopted from Frances Havergal’s “Light After
Darkness” & Revelation 21: 5-6, Elaine Hagenberg’s “All Things New”]
After
Communion we conclude our Diocesan 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory by offering
the Prayer for Eucharistic Consecration to Jesus, Bread of Life: True God/True
Man. Today as we conclude our preparation, may our devotion to the Sacred Heart
of Jesus guide us & our nation each day.
St.
Teresa wrote, “Christ has no body but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but
yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world. Christ
has no body now on earth but yours.”
When you receive the Eucharist the
Lord enters your body, let Him guide your heart & your soul.
May God
Be Praised.
