The Body and Blood of Christ - June 14

The greatest gift that God has given to the world is His Son, Jesus Christ. As God and man, Jesus gave totally of himself, both in life and in death. Totally surrender for the sake of humanity is the basis and example of the unconditional love of the God who made us and continues to care for us until we are once again one with Him in the glory in heaven. Before Jesus left the earth to rejoin his Heavenly Father. On this Sunday, the Church celebrates the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ, as made real and present on the altar at every Mass. This doctrine of ours has been often attacked by so many who lack the faith to understand how, under the guise of bread and wine, Jesus becomes the Divine Food which nurishes us for the work of the Kingdom. We are quite aware that in our natural bodies, if we do not feed it, water it, and give it rest, we can be soon worn out. It is the same with our spiritual life. It too needs the nurishment to be in touch with the One who sustains us, and give us the strength to build up the Kingdom of God. This weekend ought to be an opportunity for us to again appreciate the gift of the Eucharist, and not to deny ourselves this precious gift.

I am grateful to Father Camille Pratt, S.J. who is helping us at Our Lady of the Sierra this and last weekend with Masses. Last week I celebrated a Basque Mass in the Bay Area on Sunday, June 7th for the San Francisco Basque Cultural Center, This past Tuesday I left for my annual vacation in Boston from June 9th to June 16th. I go every year to be with some priest friends in Cape Cod. I also visit relatives I have in Vermont.

Next weekend we have our annual Fresno Diocese Priest Retirement Fund Second Collection, taken up every year on Father's Day. We once again that you help us to be able to care for and pay a fair retirement pay. We have over twenty priests up for retirement in the next three years. The retirement fund is not under the Bishop, but is handled by an independent board made up of priests in our diocese. I have served on that board and know the hard work of making it happen. Again, we have two retired priests who have served in our parish, Monsignor Herman and Father Jerry.