RBWords

r.b.words – volume 31 – number 6 – June 2019

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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT –

     Once in awhile the liturgical calendar seems to gang up and present big feast days one right after another.  The Sundays of Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity, Corpus Christi all came one after another followed by the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, Sacred Heart of Jesus and Sts. Peter and Paul.  The latter three days are classified as “solemnities,” which means three scripture readings plus a Gloria and the Creed!  That all adds up to a lot of celebration as well as a lot theology to ponder, especially for a preacher like me.  For so many, the liturgical calendar is not a particular matter of concern, even for daily Mass attendants.  What might be of greater importance is whether or not the preacher says something that touches their lives and gives them “something to think about.”  But the feast gives a context about important truths of our Catholic tradition, which do need to have some expression in the preaching on the scriptures of the day.

     The completion of Jesus’ earthly mission, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the very nature of God and the Eucharist are all pretty profound realities in our faith.  They are all related.  The completion of Jesus’ mission (Ascension) meant that he would send the Holy Spirit (Pentecost), but he had already given us a means of his own physical presence in the Eucharist (Corpus Christi) – a presence not just of him, but of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Trinity).  All of this trots across the liturgical stage in short order, leaving everyone (especially preachers) perhaps praying for the return of “ordinary time!”  But our Catholic faith is a rich tapestry of truth about God’s love and care for us.  We need to be aware of the smorgasbord even if we can’t eat it all at once!  IT’S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.