From the Pastor’s Desk

Dear Parishioners,

“Anyone who eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has Eternal Life.” (John 6:54)

Last week, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. This Feast is not meant to simply be explained, but rather encountered as mystery. A mystery that is meant to be pondered so as to draw us into the mystery of God. Today, we celebrate another Solemnity that is meant more to be pondered than explained. This Solemnity of Corpus Christi, or the Body and Blood of Christ, doesn’t need theological explanations; they will never be enough. What we need is faith and trust. Trust that the Word of Jesus is true. As we hear in the Gospel today, Jesus tells His listeners, “Unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you will not have eternal life.”

Many Christians believe that Jesus was speaking metaphorically and not literally about His Body and Blood; that He meant that they should feed on the “Word” that Jesus came to preach. While the Word is certainly important and that understanding would be easier to accept, it is certainly NOT what Jesus was saying. If it were, He would have clarified His teaching when many who could not accept it turned away. What Jesus says is to reiterate more strongly His words and this teaching. After many leave Him, He turns to the Apostles and says, “Will you leave me, too?” This would have been the opportune time to explain a different teaching to His Disciples so they would understand more clearly. Yet, there is nothing. So we conclude from this teaching and others in the Scriptures that Jesus wants to give us His very Self as food for our journey.

This teaching has been believed from the earliest times in the life of the Church. We share this continual belief in the Real and True presence of Jesus in the Eucharist with our Orthodox sisters and brothers. As the Churches founded by Jesus, we have kept faithful to this beautiful, yet difficult teaching.

Like the Trinity, we again encounter mystery. Theologians have attempted to help us grasp this mystery through the teaching of Transubstantiation. This states that the accidents (external presence) remain the same, but their substance changes into the Body and Blood of Jesus. So bread still looks and tastes like bread, but is, in reality, the Body of Christ. The same would be true for the accidents of the wine and its change into the Blood of our Lord. Again, this is helpful, but falls short of the beauty of what Jesus intends. What we need is faith to see past the accidents and to believe what Jesus intends. Faith acknowledges this great and wondrous Sacrament so that He may become part of us, as food for our journey and that hopefully, we become what we eat and drink...namely more like Jesus Himself.

So what do we believe? After the priest calls down the Holy Spirit on the gifts of bread and wine, they truly BECOME the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Himself. Not a symbol, not a mirror of something else, BUT Jesus Himself. Have you ever pondered while walking up to communion that you will cradle in your hands or on your tongue the true Body and Blood of our Savior? This awesome and humbling gift is Jesus’ abiding presence to us. We come to Mass to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. We continue to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and to remind ourselves that we gather to worship this wondrous presence among us.

The power of the Holy Eucharist is never just a private act between the Lord and a believer. It is a mindset of living. Jesus continually reminds us to care for the least of our brothers and sisters. The reception of Most Holy Communion calls us to act as Jesus Himself did. This is lived out through our care of all our brothers and sisters. When Jesus comes at the end of time to judge the “sheep from the goats,” what are the criteria He will use? It will be how well we cared for the hungry, naked, lonely, oppressed, and voiceless.

Eucharist is worship of the True God, personal prayer, and a fire for action for those in our society who need not only our help, but also maybe, more importantly, our voice. May we stand in awe at this mystery, and may it cause us to seek Jesus and become more like Him whom we consume.

In Jesus, our Eucharistic Lord, Fr. Bob

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ | June 11, 2023

J Stewards of God’s Gifts

In today’s Gospel, we hear a part of the Bread of Life discourse. Jesus is telling us, NOT metaphorically, that He IS the Bread of Life and we are to eat of His body.

Living Stewardship ~ Pillar of Formation: 70% of Catholics do not believe that the bread and wine used for communion actually transform into the Body and Blood of Christ. Pray for those who do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist (Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity) and teach those about the beauty and miracle of the Eucharist.

The collection for Sunday, June 4, 2023 amounted to $24,564.00. The collection for Sunday, June 5, 2022 amounted to $23,877.00.

Have you enrolled yet? Visit www.faithdirect.net. Our parish code is NY281.

We Care for Our Parish Community

Baptism

We celebrate Baptism at 1:30 PM on the second Sunday of the month and at 12:30 PM on the fourth Saturday of the month as scheduled. Please call the Parish Office at least one month in advance to see if a date is available and to arrange to fill out pre-baptismal paperwork. New parents are required to attend a Baptism preparation session held once every month. Those chosen as sponsors for Baptism should lead lives in harmony with the Catholic faith and the role of Godparent.”

Marriage

At least six months before you plan to be married and before you make arrangements for the reception, please make an appointment with one of the priests to begin the necessary preparations.

Children’s Education

Saint Mary’s Elementary School offers excellent education in the spirit of the Gospel from grades N, Pre-K to Eighth grade. For information call 627-0184.

Empowering Character, Innovation and Leadership in our students, Saint Mary’s High School is a dynamic, contemporary, Catholic value-centered school, combining a commitment to academic excellence and educational innovation, with a passion for learning, and an emphasis on moral character development through the pursuit of truth and discovered in faith and reason. For information call 627-2711.

The Religious Education Program provides excellent formation in the Catholic Faith for children in public or private schools. Preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation requires two years. Classes are held at St. Mary’s for Grades 1 through 5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays

4:30-5:30 PM. Classes also meet on Sundays from 9:3010:20 AM for Grades 1 through 8 and on Mondays from 7:00-8:00 PM for Grades 6, 7 and 8. We also offer the option of an online home program for Grades 1 through 7. For information about Grades 1-8 call 627-4028 or email Mrs. Marie Granieri at releddirector@stmary.ws.

Parish Social Ministry

We care for our sisters and brothers through our Parish Social Ministry and Food Pantry. For information call 365-2705.

Youth Ministry

We reach out to our teens though our Youth Ministry Program. For information email youth@stmary.ws or visit stmarysyouth.weebly.com.

New Parishioners

We welcome new members to the Catholic Church and to Saint Mary’s Parish. If you are new in the area or interested in learning more about the Catholic faith, please call the Parish Office.

Opportunities For Prayer

The Church is open Monday to Friday until 8:45 PM, on Saturday until the end of the 5:00 PM Mass, and on Sunday until 6:00 PM so that we may have the opportunity for quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. The Miraculous Medal Novena is said each Monday following the 9:00 AM Mass. Monday to Saturday the Rosary is said following the 9:00 AM Mass. Eucharistic Adoration is held every Monday from 3:00 to 5:00 PM in the Chapel. On First Saturdays, the Scriptural Rosary is recited following the 9:00 AM Mass.