If you dare to “knock” the door will open

Today is Holy Thursday…The day Jesus established the priesthood two thousand years ago and gave the world the Eucharist - His very Body and Blood to consume….Interestingly enough, the disciples did not “get it” as Jesus was doing this in real time - So don’t be so hard on yourself - God is patient…..That was not all…During this very important night, Jesus shows his friends by his example something very important…..He demonstrates to the apostles the importance of service - And Jesus does this by washing their feet……..”So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist”……….Words are easy to say…I tell this to my children all the time - But actions speak loudly!….This is how we as Catholics must communicate our faith to the world - Through our actions!…..But how do we live in this manner?….This is the key question…..In order to be a person for others, we must “see” God in others…Without this kind of “sight”, frankly we will never give of ourself in the manner we were all called to by our Baptism……We cannot read our way to this mindset…Our advanced University degrees will not open our hands and hearts to others - Only Divine Grace can make that happen…But how do we get this grace?…..Once again - Jesus tells us…..“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”……….On Holy Thursday Jesus give us the “key” to living as God called us too…For one, Jesus gave us the Eucharist and when we live Sacramentally, receiving the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday in the state of grace - Our eyes will open - And so will our hearts!…Secondly on this very important night - Jesus shows us how we can validate our faith to the world - Not by words - But by actions….Our life’s witness tells the world everything it needs to know…..That does not mean we will be perfect - No one is perfect - But it does mean that the way we live our life - What we do with our time - What we do with our talents and treasure will tell people everything thing need to know about us….Catholic tradition tells us that the Blessed Sacrament is “food for the journey”…This is why Jesus established the priesthood, for only though the hands of a priest can we receive this life giving “food”, which is necessary to propel us forward to eternal life……”Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever”……The Bread of Life is not an “option” - Without it - “You do not have life within you” - These are not my words - So “don’t shoot the messenger”

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes”

How important is the Blessed Sacrament to you?…As a Catholic, we believe in the True Presence meaning, Jesus is fully present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Host when consecrated by a priest…..Many Catholics understand this intellectually - But do they really understand it? - Because if you did understand this - Your life would change - Mass would never be “boring” - And going to Mass would be something you would want to do daily if you could……It be Catholic means to live Sacramentally - Is this what we are doing?….And in order to live Sacramentally, we must not only receive the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday but we must confess our sins to a priest at the minimum once a year (this is a Church teaching - not my opinion)…If we are not doing this - In the words of Jesus…“You do not have life within you”…..In my view, the Church needs to make this reality abundantly clear to its people and the world at large…..We are not being “pastoral” to our people when we do not speak to them clearly…That does not mean “beating them over the head” - But it does mean, people “only know what they know” and if we as Catholics do not teach the Truth in its entirety and teach it clearly, how will our people know it, never mind live it?…I was born in 1970 and have been Catholic my entire life…I state this because during this “chapter” of Church history, it appears to me that the Church at times tries too hard to “be like everyone else”….Our job as Catholics is to “stand out” - Not to “go along to get along”….And to live in this manner means we have to speak the Truth clearly…Is this what is happening? - Do we teach and preach the Truth clearly? - In season and out of season?…Because if we do not - How will our people know what to believe?…….”Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you”…This my friends is the Truth!- Its a matter of life and death too…..So if we say we love others - Doesn’t that imply we tell them the Truth?

“I give you a new commandment, says the Lord: love one another as I have loved you”

Today is a very special day in the Universal Church, its the day Jesus established the priesthood, because if we did not have priests, we would not have the Blessed Sacrament - Holy Thursday begins what we as Catholics know to be the Holy Triduum…..Holy Thursday, Good Friday & Easter Sunday Vigil Mass……Do you believe in the True Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament? - If you do not - Here is a great prayer to say….Take five minutes and stand in front of the Blessed Sacrament in a Catholic Church when no one is there…And say these words…”God - I do not believe you are in the Blessed Sacrament - But I want too - Please help me”…..Just say those words and stand in silence for five minutes…If you do that periodically - My bet is - God will “open” your eyes to a reality that you never thought existed or was ever possible…..How do I know this to be true?…..”For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him”…..If you dare to “knock” the door will open……JMJ