THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
The celebration of the mystery of the Eucharist: simple bread and wine is transformed into the body and blood of Christ. The gift of his Body and Blood, which Christ offered on the cross for our redemption, was anticipated at the last supper. The feast calls us to cebrate! We give thanks for Christ having chosen the Eucharist as a unique means for Him to be in our midst in a special way, as the channel through which his love and mercy flow to us most abundantly, and as the way of communicating his life to us more intensely.
Eucharistic celebration is the source and summit of our Christian life. It is the source of God's life and strength, to nourish us with faith and hope, to live our daily life in a challenging world. It is our summit, since ultimately we will sit at the table of the Lord sharing his life for eternity, in his kingdom. Therefore, our participation in the Holy Mass is the pivotal and necessary to share the life of God and draw his strength and nourishment to our body and soul.
At the Eucharistic table, we share the one bread, the wine from the cup, and we become one body of Christ. Consequently, we should leave behind our jealousies, animosity, and differences, realizing that we are all in Christ. This awareness lead us to comprehend the mystical body of Christ, of which, we all are members. Therefore, coming together as the Body of Christ, to share in the mystery of the Eucharist is essential, as well as to feed the living members of this body with our love, faith and hope. We must come together as a community, for our absence from the church is detrimental to the growth and wellbeing of the body of Christ.
This Eucharist is broken for all for the remittance of our sins. It is also broken to teach us how we must break ourselves for one another. Jesus multiplied the bread for five thousand people, when He saw their hunger. If we cannot share our bread, our life and love with those in need- the homeless, desperate and abundant, then we are far from the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
.... Fr. Peter Fernandes, sfx
Sunday, June 22, 2008
SIN ENTERED THE WORLD THROUGH ONE MAN!
Sin is defined in the Old Testament, as missing the mark. Adam was created in the image and likeness of God, until he missed the mark and committed the sin against his Creator. This rupture of relationship between God and men shaped a sinful structure. Every person that comes into the world is born in this sinful configuration. Once you are in the sinful structure, you cannot avoid sin.
What is the remedy? Humanly speaking, there is no salvation from this chain reaction of sinful design created by our first parents. The doom was inevitable and unavoidable. "Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the human race because everyone has sinned." Nevertheless, God had a different design for his children and would surpass human knowledge and understanding. Although men wanted to keep the Creator at a distance, He came to dwell among his children. Such is the love and mercy of our God.
God and God alone could break the sinful structure, and restore His Image and Likeness to his children. He takes an unimaginable step to dwell among men: "And the Word became Flesh." "If it is certain that through one man's fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift."
Through the sacrament of Baptism, we have been lifted up from the sinful structure, to recreate us in grace, as children of God. It is a free gift of God to the whole of humanity, at the price of His Son, Jesus Christ, offered His own body and blood willingly for our redemption. This gift of God's life, which was lost in sin, is restored through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, once and for all.
As we continue to live on earth, we cannot help but live in the political structures men have made to sustain our human life. It is pivotal to discern and examine the structures we dwell in, before it is too late. If the political structure takes us away from God; pounding on our divine life of grace with false teaching and values, then we should be vigilant and oppose such a structure without any fear. Let us not miss the mark, but always be thankful to God for giving us the divine life of grace and salvation.
......Fr. Peter Fernandes, sfx
Sin is defined in the Old Testament, as missing the mark. Adam was created in the image and likeness of God, until he missed the mark and committed the sin against his Creator. This rupture of relationship between God and men shaped a sinful structure. Every person that comes into the world is born in this sinful configuration. Once you are in the sinful structure, you cannot avoid sin.
What is the remedy? Humanly speaking, there is no salvation from this chain reaction of sinful design created by our first parents. The doom was inevitable and unavoidable. "Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the human race because everyone has sinned." Nevertheless, God had a different design for his children and would surpass human knowledge and understanding. Although men wanted to keep the Creator at a distance, He came to dwell among his children. Such is the love and mercy of our God.
God and God alone could break the sinful structure, and restore His Image and Likeness to his children. He takes an unimaginable step to dwell among men: "And the Word became Flesh." "If it is certain that through one man's fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift."
Through the sacrament of Baptism, we have been lifted up from the sinful structure, to recreate us in grace, as children of God. It is a free gift of God to the whole of humanity, at the price of His Son, Jesus Christ, offered His own body and blood willingly for our redemption. This gift of God's life, which was lost in sin, is restored through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, once and for all.
As we continue to live on earth, we cannot help but live in the political structures men have made to sustain our human life. It is pivotal to discern and examine the structures we dwell in, before it is too late. If the political structure takes us away from God; pounding on our divine life of grace with false teaching and values, then we should be vigilant and oppose such a structure without any fear. Let us not miss the mark, but always be thankful to God for giving us the divine life of grace and salvation.
......Fr. Peter Fernandes, sfx
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