Fr. Matt’s Corner: . . . It was from Heaven that I received these. . . . Greetings to you, my dear friends in Christ. Let me give a hearty ‘Thank you!’ for all your prayers, cards, goodies, and friendship on my recent birthday. As we make our way now to the end of the Church year (only 2 weeks left in this Church Year!), we contemplate more and more the end of all things, and all our readings today point to the reality of the spiritual battlefield which is the world in which we live. Throughout this month of November, we recall the relationship of the Church Triumphant/Glorious (the saints in heaven), the Church Suffering (the souls in purgatory), and the Church Militant (those of us alive upon the earth). God wants His world back – the world which has been under the dominion of the evil one for far too long – and in Jesus Christ, He has come to lead His army to victory and freedom. We are not, in our time, tortured with whips and scourges by the king, to force them to eat pork in violation of God’s law. In fact, thanks to Jesus, we are now free to enjoy yummy bacon without violating God’s law! But, we can certainly join with those Maccabean brothers in saying defiantly to the ruler of this world: “What do you expect to achieve by questioning us? We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.” Death, destruction, outrage, offense, sickness, despair, anxiety, fear – all weapons wielded against us by the enemy. In the words of Theoden, King of Rohan, “So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?”
“Ride out with me. Ride out to meet them,” is Jesus’ (or was it Aragorn’s) response. We are about to begin a new Church year, and as we do so, the Church has given us a couple of things to focus on for the next few years. Our diocese’s #1 priority is to call forth more young men to become priests. Actually, it’s only God Who calls each one of us to our particular vocations. But, like the heroic family in our first reading this weekend, that call is generally received and nurtured in holy – and in times like these, heroic – families.
Our next priority – and this is for the Church throughout the US – is a rediscovery of and a deepening of our appreciation for Jesus’ Presence in the Eucharist. Not coincidentally, this (alongside the heroically-lived faith in our families) is what is most needed to successfully address priority #1. Let’s call upon the faith of our fathers from the heroic Maccabean Jews down to the present age so that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified as man more young men will rise up to become our priests of the future. For God is not God of the dead, but of the living.
Peace, thanksgiving, and courage to all of you, my friends, this Holy Day, and to all who love the Lord in simplicity of heart,
Fr. Matt