SOLEMNITY OF SAINT PIUS X (21ST SUNDAY IN
ORDINARY TIME)
23 AUGUST 2015
For the last four Sundays, we have been
reflecting on the Mystery of the Eucharist.
After feeding 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish, Jesus has
revealed that he is the Incarnate Word of God, come down from heaven for the
life of the world. He promises that his
sacrifice on the cross will continue even after he has been raised from the
dead and ascended to heaven. Those who
eat his flesh and drink his blood will live forever.
Today, he asks for a decision, much
as his ancestor, Joshua, had asked centuries earlier. Joshua reminded his people of all that God
had done for them in bringing them out of slavery. Would they make a commitment to God, or to
the false gods of the pagans? Their
response was clear: we will serve the
Lord our God. The response to Jesus is
not as positive. Many of his disciples
(those who had previously committed themselves to him) cannot believe that he
is the Incarnate Word of God who can continue his Real Presence under the form
of bread and wine. So, they walk
away. In turning to the Twelve, he asks
if they will leave. Simon Peter speaks for
them: Where else can we go? You have the words of eternal life.
As we celebrate the Solemnity of our
Patron Saint, Pius X, we look back at all the ways in which God has manifested
himself in our lives and in our parish.
We may not understand any more than Peter did about how the Lord can be
really present under the form of bread and wine. But we believe in his Real Presence. In gathering to celebrate the Lord’s Real
Presence at this Eucharist, we give thanks for all that we have been given and
all that we are.
Like Joshua’s community, and like
the disciples of Jesus, we are at a crucial time in the history of our
parish. After years of study, we have
embarked on a bold construction project to ensure that our parish can sustain
our community and serve its needs and the needs of the poor for years to
come. We see the visible signs of the
construction. I remain extremely
grateful for the outpouring of generosity so far -- $12 million pledged. Those funds have enabled us to begin the
first phase of our project: the construction of the new church and the
renovation of this church into a gathering space and meeting rooms.
In the next two years, as this construction continues, we cannot forget
the other needs outlined in our facilities study. The Parish Education Center expansion will
provide six more classrooms, including 3 rooms for our growing parish preschool,
more restrooms, a multipurpose room for the school for the school cafeteria and
youth ministry programs, and a dedicated space for Catechesis of the Good
Shepherd. We will continue to work on
raising the $3 million needed to accomplish these goals. I am also grateful to those who have set
aside our educational needs to begin this first phase. I am hopeful that all parishioners will take
part in these efforts and will commit a sacrificial gift to this important
project.
When Saint Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he knew the household code of the
Roman Empire which brought order to families.
That code established the father as head, and clarified the roles of the
rest of the family. That included
slaves, who were a part of every family.
Within the context of daily life, Paul urged the family to be
subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. In other words, he tells everyone in the
family to treat each other as Christ (the Bridegroom) treats us (the
Church): to lay down their lives for
each other. Living in this way has the
potential to transform ordinary human existence into a living temple.
Saint Paul’s words apply equally to us today. Treating each other as Christ would treat us
can transform our ordinary lives and allow God to create a new reality. I give thanks to God that you have remained
in the parish, and not walked away in the light of our challenge. Keeping the Eucharist as the source and
summit of our parish life, we move together to equip this parish with the
facilities we need to accomplish the motto of our patron saint: To renew All Things in Christ.
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