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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). The Catholic Church has consistently taught from Apostolic times that during a valid celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the bread and wine are truly changed into the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is what is meant by the “True Presence” or “Real Presence” of Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist. Although the elements still have the appearance of bread and wine, they have – through the power of the Holy Spirit – actually changed into Jesus’ Body and Blood, just as they did at the Last Supper.

Today we celebrate one of the most fundamental beliefs of Christianity: the Most Holy Trinity – three distinct, coequal Persons in one God. For the Church, the Trinity is considered a mystery. There are aspects of the Trinity that we will never fully grasp while we are this side of Heaven. But it is something we hold as revealed truth. We experience the presence and reality of the Most Holy Trinity as what has been described as “a divine communion of love.”

From the Gospel of John 20:19-23. Even though Pentecost is rightly celebrated in late spring, the robust experience of a New England fall can provide a profound metaphor for reflection. A full expression of fall colors is beautiful to behold. But, with all of its majesty and beauty, the observer knows the experience of death is soon to come. Creation will be dark and barren for a while. Pentecost cannot be separated from the cross. Before God’s transformative, life-giving power can bear fruit, we must first die.

From the Gospel of Luke 24:51. We have the ability to walk with joyful hope! Jesus, during his earthly ministry, pointed the way to God’s kingdom. What is finally understood about God’s kingdom is that it is filled with the glory of Christ! We are all in the process of being emptied into and becoming one with Christ. We are new creations, clothed in Christ, made in God’s very image and likeness, and on this incredible journey of glory. The Ascension allows us to see this truth about ourselves and it enlightens our hearts. Christ who was most perfectly, vividly, and brilliantly transfigured before the very eyes of the disciples will be our destiny. Seeing only imperfectly now, we will see perfectly then. We will bask in the brilliance of understanding and truth. Christ is our destiny and our hope. Alleluia!

From the Gospel of John 13:31-35  “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” Many folks really work very hard to circumvent difficult situations. We prefer the easier way around something, rather than risk inconvenience, hurt or prolonged suffering. It’s no wonder euthanasia is rapidly becoming acceptable around the world. Through purely human eyes, there is no issue bypassing the inevitable, taking control and bringing things more swiftly to a place of peace. If this is the way God sees things, then why does Jesus make such a big deal helping us understand the experience of suffering and embrace it? God’s wisdom clearly takes us in another direction.

From the Gospel of John 10:27-30 “Human beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good, and making a new start.” (Pope Francis) We have a difficult time figuring out what is true and best for us. There are many voices talking and so many trying to get our attention. We wrongly convince ourselves that the true voice is the voice of progress, the one that speaks of contemporary wants and desires, enticing us with the latest trends and causes. We are taught, by listening to the voices around us, that truth is found in feelings and thought, and ideals must match current and popular human wants. Because we feel a particular way it must be true.

I would imagine that most of us have had at least one experience in which we were deeply hurt by another person - perhaps by someone we cared for very much. Our emotions can be very powerful at such a time and we can be consumed with feelings of hostility and resentment. If the hurt is deep enough, we may be tempted to give up on the relationship and avoid that person altogether, stubbornly refusing even the slightest move toward reconciliation, and speaking badly about the person to anyone else who will listen.

From the Gospel of John 20:19-31 Even Thomas struggles to remove his boulder! Being very pragmatic and determined, he wants to see the risen Christ for himself! Thomas’s boulder is heavy with mistrust. Many of ours are too. A certain amount of skepticism is good, as it can save us from being duped or misled. But we can become so skeptical of things that it erodes our ability to trust anything we see or hear. Skepticism can actually be a well-disguised defense mechanism that we use to prevent us from being hurt or perceived as a fool. Having too much ego protection is a real risk. Thomas, because of the boulder blocking his vision, could not even trust the word of his friends.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is truly Risen! This proclamation, spoken since the first Easter, reminds us of what this day – the Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord – is truly all about. In our modern world, Easter is often seen as a one-day event of bunnies, candy, pastel-colored eggs, and a sumptuous family meal. But these things alone really miss the significance that this day truly holds.

From the Gospel of Luke 23:1-49. God’s love comes with an intimate and equal bond with love of neighbor. This moves the believer outward to truly see their brothers and sisters as equals and compels them to work for a world that mirrors God’s kingdom: a world based on justice, peace, mercy, and forgiveness. Sometimes, people want to keep God’s love to themselves and use it solely for their own benefit. When they only want to use God’s love to justify their own intentions and for their own projects, problems occur.

From the Gospel of Luke 15:1-3, 11-32. We love to make examples out of those who have erred and done wrong. Publicly punishing others serves as a means of demonstrating the consequences for what is deemed inappropriate or wrongful behavior. While this may appear an effective way of achieving conformity to established rules, it runs the real risk of distorting motivation. Obviously, we want people to do what is right and pursue healthy, virtuous behaviors and ideals. But is fear of punishment ever the best motivation for avoiding one action in favor of another?

From the Gospel of Luke 15:1-3, 11-32. God’s love story reveals itself in our stories, experiences, and aspirations. We are all prodigal sons and daughters. There are many times in our lives when we would “sell our souls” in order to pursue our passions. We pursued what we wanted without regard for others or God. We have sowed our oats, thrown ourselves into careless pleasures, spent what we know we ought to have saved, turned our backs on those we love and abused gifts we have been given. We even hit bottom and realized the silliness and self-destruction of it all. We needed to come home. We knew we erred and needed a gentle presence to show us God’s unconditional love. This wayward journey home changed us.

From the Gospel of John 4:5-42. Deserts can be lonely, isolated, and treacherous places. When a person wanders in a desert, they can easily get disoriented, dehydrated, confused, lost, and vulnerable. Temptation is at its peak, especially when confronted with something that may offer some respite or relief, even a mirage. Deserts can bring us to our weakest moment and tempt our faith. The Christian journey can be described as a desert experience as we vacillate back and forth, falling victim to the mirages of our lives versus the true, life-giving water offered by God. We need a burning bush experience in our lives that convinces us of the power of God and reveals Him as the “I am” of all existence.

From the Gospel of Luke 9:28b-36. There is so much wisdom in the first commandment. The daily demands of life, current political ideologies and dynamics, social expectations, corporate philosophies, and even technology can easily become lesser gods. We can find ourselves beholden to and held captive by these secular constructs and systems. Even for those who profess a faith in the one true God, these lesser, attractive but false gods are a temptation. Being overly preoccupied and even obsessed with the state of our present lives, we lose sight of our real destiny and purpose.

From the Gospel of Luke 4:1-13. One of the greatest temptations human beings face is leaving the truth of who they are, where they came from and who created them in pursuit of more personal satisfactions. When we consider all that desires our attention in a given day, there are many lures that attract us to illusions about ourselves. We can easily find ourselves distracted or tired, preoccupied with preserving our status in life, social relationships, current trends, and corporate demands, and intrigued by pursuing what we perceive to be the “path of least resistance.” The daily concerns of life can quickly take our eyes off of our truth, making the empty promises of worldly accomplishments and ideologies seem so attractive. What is at risk in giving into this temptation?

From the Gospel of Luke 6:39-45. What we say and how we say it can reveal the true intentions of our hearts. The content and manner of our speech is a window into the recesses of our souls. Our consciences, attitudes, sentiments, weaknesses, and motives are displayed. As much as we think we can hide the truth of our lives from others, we cannot. Who we really are is not only expressed on our lips but is written on our faces. Jesus says precisely this, “For every tree is known by its own fruit.” What does the fruit of our lives say about us?

From the Gospel of Luke 6:27-38. Sometimes, Jesus’ teachings don’t seem to make practical sense. When we hear things like love your enemies and do good to them, turn the other cheek when struck, give to anyone who asks, do to others as you would have them do to you, be merciful, stop judging, forgive, and give to others, we get a bit unsettled. After all, it’s okay for God to do all of these things, but does He really want us to do them, too? Many good-hearted Christians really draw the line with some of these ideals and say, “No way!” They even remark that if someone did something hurtful to someone they loved, they would have no reservations seeking severe retribution. There is still this persistent thinking, even among those who consider themselves Christian, that a violent action deserves a violent response. Somehow, we continue to justify this.

From the Gospel of Luke 6: 17, 20-26. What has been the most difficult challenge you faced in your life? Many difficult human experiences can “turn up the heat” in our lives, causing us to question the why of things or even fall into despair. Some people just somewhat passively accept what life brings, even death, and chalk difficult experiences up to happening “because they do.” They seemingly endure and move on. Taking life at face value, there really is no ultimate meaning to things. It’s easier to ignore that inner prompting calling us to understand why. It’s there whether we admit it or not. To question or not to question — that is the question! People sometimes give up the God search because it causes too many questions. Once we open the door to the possibility of God’s existence, then all of the awkward, challenging, and tragic pieces of life have to find their place.

From the Gospel of Luke 5:1-11. “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man,” these words, uttered by Simon Peter, can be found on any one of our lips. What real significance do I have in the big picture of God’s Divine plan? Even though we try our best to hide it, we all suffer from a lack of faith. We get tired, confused, and often lack any sincere desire to put anything into our relationship with God. It’s easier to simply reap whatever benefits the world has to offer and call it a day. Floating along on the superficial currents of life doesn’t require much effort and seems to get us through the day. Confronting our own infidelity, apathy, weakness of spirit, and doubt in God’s providence, how can we even remotely be considered a worthy vessel of God’s presence or credible voice for His message?

From the Gospel of Luke 4:21-30. St. Oscar Romero (1917-1980) was a “Salvadoran Roman Catholic archbishop who was a vocal critic of the violent activities of government armed forces, right-wing groups, and leftist guerrillas involved in El Salvador’s civil conflict (Encyclopedia Britannica).” As a voice of the voiceless, he was an outspoken champion of the poor who were the ones most affected by the civil unrest and violence. His advocacy provoked several attempts on his life. Nonetheless, St. Oscar Romero was convinced that before all else his faith in the resurrected Christ and the values of the Gospel trumped any earthly concern or worry. He walked with complete confidence and trust. On March 24, 1980, St. Oscar Romero was assassinated while celebrating Mass. Such is often the fate of those who challenge the socio-political agendas of the day.