Dear Friends,
Today is the awesome Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ or Corpus Christi Sunday. Today, we acknowledge and affirm our undying belief that the bread and wine consecrated at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass ceases as bread and wine and truly, really, substantially becomes Jesus, His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. The Holy Eucharist is not a symbol nor a mere remembrance of our Lord. He chooses to draw near to us humbly in the Holy Eucharist to fill us with His divine Presence and grace. He gives us access into the intimate Communion of Love who is God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
This ongoing presence of Jesus fulfills His words, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” It is distressing to hear that polling shows that 70% of US Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in Holy Communion. Our US Bishops have called for a three-year, grass roots Eucharistic Revival beginning this Corpus Christi Sunday. It is not a program but an effort to engage and reach the heart and souls of all of us. A renewed focus on the celebration of Holy Mass and Eucharistic Adoration will lead us to witness to the power, love, and presence of Jesus Christ with us.
Much will be offered to help us during this Revival, and you can see the initial steps on the Archdiocesan website, phillyeucharisticrevival.org. The Bishops have offered us a beautiful prayer that comes from one of the visions of Our Lady of Fatima, I invite you to recite it often and even daily beginning this weekend. While we will print up holy cards with the text shortly to make available to all, here is the prayer ~
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, nor adore, nor hope, nor love You. (repeat three times)
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly. I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference by which He is offended. And, through the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of sinners.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
At the end of our Noon Mass, we will process with the Most Blessed Sacrament through a portion of our parish via car. Jesus will be coming to our neighborhoods in a most special way. We encourage you to gather in front of your homes to give public witness to our Faith and to show your love for Jesus. Upon arrival back at Church we will conclude with Benediction. What a wonderful start to the Eucharistic Revival.
To all our fathers, we extend greetings for a very Happy Father’s Day! A special blessing will be given to all fathers at each of our Masses this weekend.
God bless you, God love you,
Monsignor McCulken
