Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, July 6, 2025

On Friday, July 4th, we celebrate the 249th “birthday” of our country! Next year, I am guessing that we will have a tremendous celebration for the 250th anniversary of our founding.  Wow, I distinctly remember the “Bi-Centennial” in 1976.  I certainly don’t feel almost 50 years older.  Yikes!

As countries go, the United States of America is relatively young.  Several nations, including Egypt, Japan, China, Iran, and India were established many years before Christ was born.  Of course, these countries and many other long-standing countries have faced periods of conquest, governmental instability, and war.  Our country faced its own period of darkness and uncertainty during the Civil War from 1861 to 1865. Had the outcome of that war been different, we would likely not have achieved our 249th birthday.

Our nation is relatively young when compared to our Church.  If we assume that the Church was founded when our Lord was 33 years old, then our Church is 1992 years old this year.  It too faced difficulty and division.  There were those who tried to eradicate the Church within its first 300 years of existence.  Yet, it has not only survived, but has thrived.  It has been, and continues to be, the largest denomination of Christians in the world. 

One thing that holds the people of a nation (and of our Church) together is a shared set of ideals.  When we celebrate our nation, we must strive to put aside our differences, our prejudices, our dislikes, and our selfishness.  Our nation is bigger and more important than any single issue or agenda item.  It is bigger and more important than any individual.

Paul tells the Galatians that the ideals shared by all early Christians emerged from the “the cross of Jesus Christ.”  Therefore, neither he, nor anyone else, may ever boast EXCEPT in that cross.  The cross is the great unifying force that brought (and continues to bring) together Christians of every race, color and culture.  Paul explains that the cross gave rise to a “new creation” – the Church.  This new creation is of heavenly origin.  Therefore, the Church does not concern itself with earthly concepts like circumcision or uncircumcision.  Those concepts are small, petty, and divisive.  The cross is bigger than life.  It includes, embraces, and welcomes ALL for the greater glory of God.

Fr. Mike

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, June 29, 2025

I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation…I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.

What does it take to be fully committed to something, to succeed at the highest level? When my son was young, he wanted to be a professional baseball player. Yet, he also wanted to play football, spend time with his friends, watch TV, and do many other things in his young life. He was committed to baseball, but he also had a few other interests which prevented him from being “all in.” On the other hand, when Paul says that he “competed well,” he means that he gave every ounce of his being to Christ. He has been “poured out” and there is not a drop left. He held nothing back. When he says that he “finished the race,” he means that he literally collapsed at the end because he had nothing more to give. Throughout it all, he never gave up – he “kept the faith.” What about our relationship with Jesus Christ? As someone once asked, “If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

Jesus is very clear about the ideals of discipleship: Love your neighbor and your enemy; welcome the stranger; visit the sick and imprisoned; help the hungry and thirsty; clothe the naked; and, forgive. That’s what it takes to be fully committed to Jesus. Most of us probably agree in principle with those ideals. But it’s much harder to follow Jesus in real life than in principle. Love, hospitality, and forgiveness, are great until we actually meet a stranger or are hurt by someone. Then it’s a different story. That’s when we are likely to say, “Yes, I know how He wants me to act, but I can’t follow Him in this situation.”

We all want to run the race for Jesus, with Jesus, and to Jesus. Yet, sometimes we face moments when it’s easier to take a break, do something else, stop training and racing. We may want to “save something” of ourselves just in cast this “Jesus thing” doesn’t work out. Those are the moments when we have to dig deeply, eliminate distractions, and remind ourselves that the pain and distractions are temporary. We are committed to winning the crown that is eternal.

Fr. Mike

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for Pentecost - Sunday, June 22, 2025

In 1944, Catholic theologian Henri de Lubac famously said, “The Eucharist makes the Church!” While that may have been clear during the first 1,000 years of the Church, many Catholics seem to have forgotten that premise. Yet, the Eucharist has been and continues to be essential to who we are as Catholics. If you ask me why I became a priest or even why I remained a practicing Catholic given all of the problems that the Church has faced, I would say: “I’m a Catholic priest because the Eucharist makes the Church.” It’s not made of the mistakes and sins of the leaders, or the clergy, or the faithful. NO, the Eucharist makes the Church.

This Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi or the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ! This feast celebrates the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It asserts that, in the Holy Eucharist, Jesus is literally and wholly present—body and blood, soul and divinity—under the appearances of bread and wine. On this day, more than any other, we tell the world that Christ really meant the words, “This is my body” and “This is my blood.”

Christ gives us the words that Catholic priests have repeated for nearly 2,000 years to transform simple bread and wine into Christ’s Body and Blood: “Take and eat, THIS IS MY BODY” and “Take and drink, THIS IS MY BLOOD” and “DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.” Through those words of consecration, bread and wine become the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. Not a symbol, not a re-creation, not a re-enactment, but the actual body and blood of Jesus.

St. Augustine said that we must, “believe what we see, see what we believe, and become what we are: the Body of Christ.” When we leave this mass, we must be transformed just as the bread and wine are transformed. The Eucharist makes the Church and the Eucharist makes US.

I smile when I distribute the Eucharist because it is a joy to say, “The Body of Christ.” When you joyfully respond with a loud and convincing “AMEN” (“YES!”) you should smile as well. Then, one with Christ, we must all go out and live that AMEN!

Fr. Mike