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Daily Scripture

+ 5th Week in Ordinary Time

It still has meaning.

1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13 Psalm 132:6-7, 8-10 Mark 6:53-56

The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary, the holy of holies of the temple. There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets which Moses had put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel. [1 Kings 8:6, 8]
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In recent years there has been much discussion in liturgical circles about the proper location of the tabernacle in the worship space. The directives implementing the Constitution on the Liturgy by the Second Vatican Council prescribed that the tabernacle be located in prominent location in the church or chapel, preferably in a chapel dedicated to the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament and appropriate for veneration. In any case, it was not to be located on the altar table used for the celebration of the Eucharist. As a result in many churches renovations, the tabernacle was moved to the ‘side altar’ previously used for the veneration of the Blessed Virgin or St. Joseph and in some churches, it was placed on the old altar previously used for Mass. In situations the old altar was replaced with a permanent pedestal on which the tabernacle was placed.

In liturgical matters, nothing is simple. Those of a more conservative disposition insisted that the location of the Tabernacle on the side altar reduced the status of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist thereby diminishing its meaning in the devotional life of the faithful. Others of a more liberal persuasion opined that in fact, the location in a separate chapel within the church assigned to the sacrament greater prominence thereby increasing the devotional aspect. Moreover, in as much as an emphasis of the ‘action’ of the Mass as the repetition of the “Lord’s Supper” was promoted by the Council, it seemed to liturgists that the location of the tabernacle in the main sanctuary behind the free standing Eucharist table would compete with the ‘action’ of the Mass as a sacred meal.

The most recent prescriptions in the United States provide that the tabernacle be located in the main sanctuary on suitably ornate pedestal. It is ironic that in the major basilicas including the basilica of St. Peter in Rome, the tabernacle is located on a side altar that is not very prominent.

Whatever the location, it should not be a bone of contention worthy of a liturgical battle. The public and private devotion to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is rooted in the long tradition of the Church and should not be disparaged. In the same way in which the tablets of stone on which the Ten Commandments was symbolic of God’s presence in the temple, so too, the reservation of the Eucharist Bread has been one of the longest-standing practices of the devotional life of Catholics. It is intended to extend the meaning and the effects of the Eucharistic celebration into the life of the faithful who continue to spend time in prayerful meditation on the mysteries of the life of Jesus not the least of which is his faithfulness unto death on the cross for the salvation of the world. The two aspects of Eucharist need not be in competition. The ‘Mass’ continues to be considered a “sacrificial” meal. But we need to be clear that its connection with the passion and death of Christ even as the lamb of God is not to suggest that his death was mandated to satisfy and angry God. That in my opinion is not an appropriate application of Old Testament sacrifices. No, Jesus sacrificial death was the completion of his entire sacrificial life of unqualified and indiscriminate love in the same way as the sacrificial love of partners in marriage offer their sacrificial love to one another or in the manner that Mother Teresa offered her live in sacrificial service to victims of poverty in the streets of Calctta. It is in this sense that devotion to the Eucharist in the tabernacle takes its extended meaning.

During the celebration of the Eucharist, we become what we eat. Through our devotion to the Eucharist reserved in the tabernacle, we are reminded that the Eucharistic presence in our mind, heart and soul extends into all the good works of our lives with the hope that we too will always think and act with the same sacrificial love as did Jesus in his earthly life.

Seventh Sunday of Easter 'C'

Sunday May 16, 2010

“Seven days to prepare”.

“Parting is such sweet sorrow.” But not always. It’s one thing when the kids go off to college. There’s is a sense of relief mixed with anxiety. There is the hope that they will not abandon the lessons they learned at home and that in four short years they will return with more than their dirty laundry as they progress toward their life goals.

But the departures that are occasioned by war are quite a different matter. I remember the farewells that I witnessed at the Morristown Railroad yards during World War II and then the departures of young men to Korea, Vietnam, Iran and Afghanistan. Emotions run high as we cling to photos and memorabilia that assure us that no matter how far they are geographically, our loved ones are never far from us in mind and heart.

But nothing can prepare us for the final departure of a loved one – a spouse of fifty years, a mother or father, a friend and mentor with whom we have shared the most intimate moments of life. We want them to remain with us forever. On such occasions, I always invite family and friends of the deceased to incorporate a quality of his or her life into their own and if someone asks why they say or do something in a particular way, just say that it is a gift of my mom or dad or friend.

John the Evangelist presents us with a portion of the parting address of Jesus, incorporating his prayer for unity among his followers. We have been traveling with Jesus, many of us since our baptism. Year after year, we have attempted to grasp the significance of his words and deeds in the hope that we too might walk in his steps and complete the mission for which he was sent.

Although it’s still twelve days away, we need time to reflect on the mystery of the gift of the living presence of Jesus among us — in each one of us and in all of us together. This is what Jesus promised: the gift of the Spirit.

The readings during this post Easter season provide ample exposure to both the pre-Pentecostal and post-Pentecostal Church in order to fan the Spirit of God that was given to us at baptism and intensified at Confirmation. The preacher may rightly ask the questions: Where is the spirit speaking in your life and mine? How does the world at large know that Jesus is alive? What are the signs of his presence in the world and what are the signs of his presence in the Church? What are the signs of his presence in you and in me?

The church described in the Acts of the Apostles was an evangelical community, that is, a church reaching beyond itself in order to bring God’s saving love to those who had not experienced it or who had not experienced in the same way as did the apostles. They preached the good news but they did not proselytize. Their mission was not to make converts for the Church but to make known to everyone the power of God’s love manifested so strongly in the life of Jesus. They bore witness to Jesus by their good deeds and allowed the Spirit of God to work through them. They spoke the universal language of divine love in human form, transcending barriers of lineage and nationality. They held fast to the essential—Jesus Christ is Lord— but compromised on non-essentials. They accepted the initiative that God took prior to their own and recognized the movement of the Spirit in other people they had never met. They made love practical and stretched beyond their cultural biases and prejudices. In so doing, they found the peace that Jesus had promised before he died. Stephen so identified with Jesus that he accepted death in the same manner as his master.

And so we look for signs that the Spirit is still moving in this ancient and still aging church we call “catholic” with a small “c” as well as with a capital “C” not so much in its structural elements and institutional dimension as in its charismatic life.

But the greatest signs of the Spirit alive in our Church and in our world are not found primarily among the powerful officeholders in the Church but in the powerless people, as it were; people who live in the daily awareness of their particular charisms and in the consciousness of their baptismal call to minister to others in the name of Jesus. Some of these folks are not Catholic with a capital ‘C’ but catholic with a small ‘c’. These are the people who do good not to be noticed but because they believe with all their heart and soul in the equality of all people before God. Their charter is the “Magnificat” of Mary: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit finds joy in God my savior; For he has looked upon the lowliness of his servant… for the Lord who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.…”

The feast of Pentecost is only seven days away. We still have time to think about our own particular charisms and how we might put our gifts in the service of humanity—people close to us and people across the globe. It is time to think about how we in our own individual and unique ways can break down barriers of cultural bias and racial prejudice, recognizing in other people, their inherent right to be called children of God.

The gift of Pentecost is the gift of the Spirit that has been given to all humanity. It is the gift of a new Jerusalem without walls and temples; without tiaras or mitres; with only the flame of God’s love in the hearts of all.

There is still time to get ready for the feast; still time to incorporate into our lives, the qualities of Jesus or rather to allow the Spirit to re-energize the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us at Confirmation. Our gifts may differ but we are one in the power of God’s love that unites us.

Seven days remain to prepare.