Easter Sunday, March 30, 2008

Father Felix's Homilies

Easter Sunday, March 30, 2008

 

You remember Little Johnny on Palm Sunday? Remember how when he got into the Catholic School and saw the crucifix, how he stood petrified at the door and couldn't move? Little Johnny was one kind of child.

 

Well, Little Johnny had now become Catholic and started to attend Mass with his parents. Back there where people walk to Church. Little children wait until they are six or seven before they can start to go to church and attend Mass.

 

You see, Little Johnny had heard about the Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus in the Eucharist but, unlike yourselves, First Communion Candidates, Little Johnny had little but not enough/sufficient catechesis (teaching) about this Mystery of Christ's Real Presence, substantial presence, flesh and blood, body, soul, and divinity. He is present in other modes of presence but you know what in the Eucharist He is Truly and Substantially present.

 

So, Little Johnny each time he entered the church, he was looking around to see Jesus descend like a helicopter upon the Altar from the ceiling. But he would not see Jesus come like that. So, he always wanted to see him come into the Eucharist in a visible way. He was more or less like Apostle Thomas, who doubted the teaching of the Apostles about Our Lord Jesus' Doctrine of the Resurrection unless he saw it himself.

 

Seeing is believing. In fact I don't even want to just see Him, I want to touch Him. In fact I don't just want to touch Him, I want to touch his wounds. If he has no wounds, even if he may look like him, sound like, I will not believe. He has to fit my needs, my expectations, my mental schema. I don’t want surprises. Things have to match my own mental constructs.  You have heard the famous saying in the courts of law: “If it doesn't fit, acquit”? If it doesn't fit me, it's not true. Truth is when it makes sense to me. Kind of “my way or no way” kind of attitude towards God.

 

One day, the 7-year-old Little Johnny fell sick with fever and terrible flu, just a day before the Palm Sunday. So he had to remain home the morning of Palm Sunday when his parents all left for church without him. That evening, the parents brought with them some green Olive branches. Little Johnny asked,

 

Johnny: “What are those?”

Parents: “These are Olive Branches.”

Johnny:” Where do you get those?”

Parents: “At Church this morning.”

Johnny: “What are they for?”

Parents:” You see, Little Johnny. This morning people were throwing them on the road as Jesus was passing by.”

 

Little Johnny: “Dan! Little you know!!! The minute you don't go to church, Lo! And behold! He shows up!!!!”

 

Even though, Little Johnny was a little off, he was actually on the point. God reveals himself to the Little Ones in his own way.

 

You see, Our Lord shows up whenever and wherever 2 or 3 of his disciples are gathered in his Name. As the 1st Reading says: “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.”

 

“Everyday they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes..”

 

They devoted themselves. Devotions, when we devote ourselves, God becomes really present. He shows up. You can bring God by devotions.

 

Coming to church is a devotion. And so God becomes present. Little Johnny realized that “the moment he did not go to church, Jesus showed up at the church.”

 

It happened in the Upper room, when the Apostles were gathered together on the first day of the week. On a Sunday like this. Jesus stood in the midst of them and said to them, “Peace! Be with you.” The bishop says that when he starts mass. We priests say, “The Lord be with you.” And He really becomes present when we say that. We say that because you are gathered together in his name (2 or 3) and you are devoted to gathering in his name.

 

Apostle Thomas ventured too far from the church and missed on the presence of the Lord, who becomes present most vividly when the Christians gather. Our Lord loves gatherings. Our God is social. He is also sociable. He loves gatherings. He is like you and I. Or better yet, we have some of his characteristics. We want to be where gatherings are. We like to congregate. To congregate makes the Lord's Day. You have heard a saying that you made my day. We make the Lord's Day when we congregate. We please him.

 

You wonder why Our Lord likes when we gather! It's because he is a communal God too. He is three persons in him/one. He is congregational. He is relationship God. That's his nature. We reflect God most when we congregate.

 

LESSON:

 

Those who think they don't need to congregate with the Church on the Lord's Day are very selfish. All they think of is themselves. Not even God. If you don't need others (your brothers and sisters) at least congregate for the sake of God. He will love you.

 

When we congregate, God breathes unto us a breath of His life. So that we have life in us, the Divine Life. He breathed into Adam his breath of life.

 

Some say, well, when I am in church I don't feel anything. They are so Thomas-ic (Thomaslike). Unless they are touchy, feely, cumbaya. One colleague of mine, upon knowing that I am a man of the cloth, told me he would not go to a church where there was no organ. He says, “I like music man. Without music, I don't feel like I have been to church. I come out the same as I got in.”

 

No! my friend's problem was not lack of music. Music is very important, but underlying that music must be the teaching of the Apostles on the Resurrected Christ.” He lacked the Apostolic Teaching or articles of faith upon which to hang the hat of his faith.

 

When you don't have faith, the tendency will be to be sensational, and you will confuse the sensation with faith. Your appreciation of music is as a spark of faith. Faith transcends senses.

 

“Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

 

This Thomasic stance is like reducing Faith to the level of scientific discovery or research. We are dealing with the Revealed Truth, not the discovered Truth.

 

The Lord also becomes present REALY AND TRULY PRESENT in the Eucharist. What do our senses see? All they see, all they smell, all they taste, all they touch, is bread and wine. But the Lord says,  “THIS IS MY BODY....THIS IS MY BLOOD.” Since I am Eternal, whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood, though s/he die, will live forever, and have eternal life.”

 

Again, Our Lord says about this, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

 

Similarly, “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, what God has ready for those who love Him.”