I have to tell you how wonderful it is to be here with you. I've been looking forward to praying with you, working with you, and getting to know you since I was informed I would be assigned to St. Michael the Archangel Parish. I don't want to bore you with too many details, but allow me to share just a little about who I am and where I come from. I was born and raised here in St. Louis, Hazelwood in fact. I am the oldest of 14 children, 10 girls and four boys. Most of my siblings still live here in the St. Louis and St. Charles area and I am blessed to have 15 nieces and nephews. I went to seminary at an early age and spent eight years right here in Shrewsbury at Kenrick-Glennon seminary. I was ordained a priest in 2008 by Cardinal Burke. My first two years of priesthood priesthood were at the Cathedral Basilica in the Central West End. The last four years have been spent at St. Joseph Parish in Cottleville. I have enjoyed each of these assignments and the people I have served and I love being a priest!
Some people have noticed that when I was assigned here, I was not named pastor but rather parochial administrator. Many people, either at Cottleville or here in Shrewsbury, have asked me what exactly is a parochial administrator? I thought this might be be a good moment to clarify without going into too many technical details. In recent years, it has been the policy of the Archbishop to name rookie pastors parochial administrators. As such, I have the same responsibilities as a pastor, I carry out the same functions as a pastor, but there are certain restrictions as well. Before making some decisions, I have to check with the Archbishop and if things are not going well, it is easier for an administrator to be moved than a pastor. Typically, we rookies remain administrators for about a year and then the Archbishop comes to the parish and formally installs us as pastors. Hopefully that provides some background on who I am and what I will be doing here.
Let us now reflect for a little while on today’s beautiful feast of Corpus Christi, which is Latin for the “Body of Christ”. The Church gives us this feast as an opportunity to remember what a gift we have in the Eucharist.
One of the benefits of growing up in a house full of children, is that you were taught how to hold a baby from a very early age. For example, you learn to hold your arms in such away that the baby’s head and neck are supported and the infant is held close to you so that there is no way it can wiggle out of your arms. You also make sure to be careful of any soft spots on their delicate head and you soon become comfortable with laying down or handing over this precious cargo. Getting to hold someone else's baby is an honor; it is something that should be done carefully and with attention to every detail. Imagine how horrifying it would be if someone handled a newborn baby roughly or carelessly. It would take your breath away, it would probably anger you, and I hope all of us would do something about it.
In the Eucharist, we are given a similar but even greater privilege. Every time we come to Mass and receive Holy Communion, God says to us: “here is my precious Child, my only begotten Son, I am going to let you hold him, touch him, receive him so that you can become my child too and have the strength to follow me and love your neighbor.” In the Eucharist, God becomes vulnerable for us. How do we respond? Do we have the same care and concern for the Body and Blood of Christ as we do for a newborn infant? Can people see in us that same tenderness, awe, and attention to detail?
Fortunately for us, the Catholic Church gives us many traditions and procedures to help us maintain our piety and love for Jesus in Eucharist. For example, that is why we are asked to fast from all food or drink, except water or medicine, one hour before we take holy Communion. Our respect for the Eucharist is why we genuflect towards the tabernacle when we come into church. The same is true when we come forward to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus; we should bow as the person before us is receiving: when it is our turn we raise our hands before us, one on top of the other as a throne for the King of Kings. We should also feel comfortable receiving the Eucharist on our tongue, as this is still the normative way to receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church. If we choose to receive the Precious Blood, the same reverence applies as we take a small sip of the Blood that was shed for us on Calvary. If we are aware of some serious sin that we have committed since our last confession, we should not receive the Eucharist until we have gone to confession. We should also pay attention to other details, like taking some time to prepare to receive the Lord, perhaps as we are driving or walking here to church, or even getting here a few minutes early so that we can set aside any distractions or worries that we brought with us. Finally, we should make sure that we never do things that appear disrespectful or careless when it comes to the Body and Blood of Jesus. We should never be chewing gum in church, playing on our phone, or taking Holy Communion without consuming it immediately.
In just a few minutes, you and I will be entrusted with God’s Son in the Eucharist. Let us be careful, let us be filled with awe, let our piety radiate as we receive this precious gift. May the Body and Blood of Jesus transform our lives and help us to grow even more in love with him!
