The Blessed Virgin Mary

The words of the dogmatic constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council (lumen gentium, nn. 61-62) remind us that:

This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace—from the consent which she gave in faith at the incarnation, and which she continued to give unhesitatingly at the foot of the cross—lasts without interruption until all the elect enter into eternal fulfillment. When she was taken up into heaven, she did not lay aside this saving role but she continues by her intercession for all to gain for us the gifts of eternal salvation. In her maternal love she cares for the brothers of her Son as they journey on earth in the midst of dangers and hardships, until they are brought safely home to the happiness of heaven. The Blessed Virgin is thus invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix and Mediatrix. These titles must not, however, be understood as in any way detracting from, or adding to, the dignity and effectiveness of Christ, the one Mediator.

No creature can ever be classed as an equal with the incarnate Word, the Redeemer. But just as the priesthood of Christ is shared in various ways by His ministers and His faithful people, and as the goodness of God, one though it is, is in different ways, really shared with creatures, so also the unique mediation of Christ does not exclude but brings about a variety of shared cooperation, deriving from the one unique source.

The Church does not hesitate to acknowledge this kind of subordinate role in the person of Mary. The Church has continuous experience of its effects, and commends it to the hearts of the faithful, so that as they lean on her motherly protection they may be brought into closer union with the Mediator, our Savior.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Word Made Flesh

Christ began to be flesh in the Virgin Mary's womb, but we know that He did not begin to exist at that moment. Saint John says: "What existed from the beginning." Remember the words of Saint John's Gospel that we proclaim at the end of every Mass: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God."

This "Word" that Saint John refers to is Christ's physical body. At a predetermined point in time, God chose to reveal this Word that existed from the beginning. Saint John therefore writes: "...life itself was revealed." Life itself (Christ) was revealed in the flesh. The Word was made flesh so that mankind could see and touch it.

Saint John goes on to say: "And we are witnesses and we proclaim to you that eternal life which was with the Father and has been revealed among us...We proclaim to you what we have heard and seen." The disciples had the privilege of seeing the Lord face to face and hearing the words He spoke. We have also heard, although we have not seen. However, we are no less privileged than the disciples because we share the exact same faith!

"And our fellowship is with God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son. And we write this to you to make your joy complete."

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Jesus is Light

Saint John describes two basic truths about the Word of God in his prologue—that He is Life and that He is Light. Jesus Christ is the Divine Life, the primary source of all life, natural and supernatural. Jesus says: “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12; cf. 12:46).

Saint John also says that the darkness has not overcome this light. There is a struggle between the two. There is an evil power at work in the world (satan) which envelops man’s mind and thus prevents him from knowing God. However, Saint Augustine writes:

But it may be, the dull hearts of some cannot yet receive this light. Their sins weigh them down, and they cannot discern it. Let them not think, however, that, because they cannot discern it, therefore it is not present with them. For they themselves, because of their sins, are darkness. Just as if you place a blind person in the sunshine, although the sun is present to him, yet he is absent from the sun; in the same way, every foolish man, every unrighteous man, every ungodly man, is blind in heart. What course then ought such a one to take? Let him cleanse the eyes of his heart, that he may be able to see God. He will see Wisdom, for God is Wisdom itself, and it is written: “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.” There is no doubt that sin obscures man’s spiritual vision, rendering him unable to see and enjoy the things of God.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Glory in Heaven

Jesus promises, “Blest are the single-hearted, for they shall see God” (Mt 5.8); and Paul, in enumerating the gifts that God bestows upon His beloved, speaks of the immediate vision of God as His ultimate gift: “Now we see indistinctly, as in a (dark) mirror; then we shall see face to face. My knowledge is imperfect now; then I shall know even as I am known” (1 Cor 13.12).

Saint John tells us that we cannot imagine what God has in store for us who are His children, but this we know, that we shall see Him as He is: “Dearly beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall later be has not yet come to light. We know that when it comes to light we shall be like Him, for we shall see him as He is” (1Jn 3.2). Notice that John says, “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he is.” It is because we are made like God, sharing in His divine nature that we shall be able to see God as He sees Himself.

All knowledge that we have, not only of external reality but also of ourselves, is mediated to us by the operation of external and senses reacting to light and sound waves and other sensations, and by internal senses and intellectual faculties which give us some image or idea of the reality experienced. God cannot be adequately known this way, since no finite medium can adequately represent His infinite being. Unlike all other forms of knowledge, in the beatific vision God is not known through any mediated image or concept, but immediately in Himself. Through the light of glory (lumen gloriae) that He will give us we shall see Him immediately as He is in Himself, without any intervening medium of any kind.

We will never exhaust the mystery of God, but shall behold Him precisely as infinite mystery. We shall never tire of this vision, because we shall see God as always new, always greater that we can comprehend.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Glorified Body

The gospel descriptions of the resurrected Lord depict His humanity possessing marvelous powers: Christ appears and disappears as He wills (Lk 24.31); He passes through closed doors (Lk 24.36; Jn 20.19). Even before His resurrection, Jesus walks upon the waters (Jn 6.19), and appears to Peter, James and John as one transfigured in glory (Mt 17. 1-8).

Christ’s risen body is the model of what ours is to be, as Saint Paul attests: “If we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection” (Rom 6.5). “He will give a new form to this lowly body of ours and remake it according to the pattern of His glorified body, by His power to subject everything to Himself” (Phil 3.21).

Impassibility

The glorified body will be impassible, that is, it will not be subject to any bodily harm, suffering, fatigue, or death.

1Cor 15.42: “The body, in death, is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible…The dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Rev 21.4: “God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, crying or pain, for the former world has passed away.”

Subtility

The glorified body will not be impeded by matter, but will be able to pass through it, as we see the risen Lord could do when He emerged from the tomb, though it was still covered with a huge stone (Mt 28.2), and when He made Himself present in the upper room, even though the doors remained locked and barred (Jn 20.19, 26).

Agility

Because the glorified body will be totally subject to the spirit, it will be able to transport itself with the ease of thought to wherever it wishes to be, as we see the risen Lord could do when He suddenly appeared and disappeared as He willed.

Clarity

The glorified body will be radiant with beauty and glory. “What is sown is ignoble, what rises is glorious” (1Cor 15.43). This quality is represented in scripture as dazzling light. Jesus tells us that, “The just will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom” (Mt 13.43).

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Our Glorified Humanity

The degrees of happiness and glory that we shall enjoy in heaven will be in proportion to the measure of love and grace that we have when we enter eternal life. These, in turn, depend on the gift of God’s grace and our cooperation with it throughout our lives on earth. As we cooperate with God’s grace through deeds of love, we grow in divine life and the capacity to live that divine life in eternity.

In eternal life our body and soul will be brought to full perfection and, while remaining essentially the same body and soul we now possess, will be glorified in a way that we cannot fully grasp in this life. All vulnerability and imperfection will be removed, and each will have its own unique beauty and glory.

In his epistle to the Corinthians, Saint Paul describes the qualities of the body that will rise from the grave when Christ comes again:

What is sown in the earth is subject to decay, what rises is incorruptible. What is sown is ignoble, what rises is glorious. Weakness is sown, strength rises up. A natural body is put down and a spiritual body comes up. If there is a natural body, be sure there is also a spiritual body…The dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. This corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, this mortal body with immortality. When the corruptible frame takes on incorruptibility and the mortal immortality, then will the saying of Scripture be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory."

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

John 20. 21-23

According to the Gospel of John, the Lord, on the very evening of His resurrection, appeared in the midst of His disciples and gave them, as the first fruit of His death and resurrection, the power to forgive sins:

On the evening of that first day of the week...Jesus came and stood in the midst of them and said to them, "Peace be with you"...Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when He had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (Jn 20. 21-23)

The Council of Trent teaches that these words of Christ refer to the forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament of Penance. Notice the universal character of this grant: whatever sins the Church forgives, God forgives, whatever sins the Church retains, God retains!

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

John the Baptist

John was in prison when he heard the works of Christ. He sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He is the one to come. Jesus said to them: “Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel preached to them…” Jesus goes on to say: “What went you out into the desert to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold they that are clothed in soft garments are in the houses of kings. But what went you out to see? A Prophet? Yea I tell you and more than a Prophet…”

In the synoptic gospels, the account of Jesus’ public ministry begins with a description of John the Baptist calling the people to repent in preparation for the coming of God’s Kingdom. The austerity of John’s life bore striking witness to his message. Saint Matthew tells us: “In those days John the Baptizer appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, Repent! For the kingdom of God is at hand. It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said a voice of one crying out in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him. They were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins” (Mt 3. 1-12).

People flocked to John the Baptist because they sensed he was a true man of God. He wasn’t concerned with people’s opinions, but only with fulfilling his God-given mission to prepare the way for Christ. Jesus Christ invites us to do the same.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Institution of Holy Orders

New Testament authors tell us that Jesus commanded (and therefore empowered) the Twelve to celebrate the Eucharist (Lk 22.19; 1 Cor 11.24f), to forgive sins (Jn 20.23), and to baptize (Mt 18.19), but they do not say that these tasks were entrusted exclusively to the apostles, or that Christ instituted a special rite by which certain individuals are to be consecrated and empowered to carry out these tasks. For these reasons, it is impossible to prove from the New Testament alone, without the Tradition of the Church, that Christ instituted the sacrament of Holy Orders.

We can say that since apostolic times, the Church, enlightened by the Holy Ghost and following the pattern received from the beginning, has set aside chosen members of the community to exercise roles of leadership and pastoral ministry in the community, by imposing hands on them and praying that they be assisted by the grace of the Holy Ghost. The Church of the patristic period firmly believed that through this gesture and prayer those ordained to the episcopacy, presbyterate, and diaconate, received gifts of the Holy Ghost to carry on their ministry, as Saint Paul's words imply. Since only Christ can make an infallible connection between sacred rite and conferral of grace, medieval theologians understood that this rite must have been instituted by Christ.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Jesus' Ministry of Healing the Sick

Healing the sick was an important part of Jesus' public ministry. It has been observed that wherever one turns in the Gospel accounts of Jesus' public ministry, one finds that Jesus is either healing, or has just healed, or is about to heal the sick. The healings and exorcisms effected by Jesus are signs that the Kingdom of God is at hand, and are an anticipated enjoyment of its blessings (Lk 11.20; Mt 12.28).

The beginning of Mark's Gospel describes what must have been a typical day in the ministry of Jesus. Notice what a prominent part was devoted to healing the sick. In the morning, Jesus attends a synagogue service during which He cures a man possessed by an unclean spirit (Mk 1.23-28). Immediately afterwards, He goes to Simon Peter's house and raises up Simon's mother-in-law who was stricken with fever (1.29-31). After sunset, He cures a large number of sick and possessed who were brought to Him from every side (1.32-34). The chapter closes with the cure of a leper (1.40-45) and with the remark that it was no longer possible for Jesus to enter a town openly because of the crowds. The next chapter begins with Jesus' curing a paralytic who had been let down through the roof (Mk 2.1-12). But first He pronounces the man forgiven of his sins, thus implying that there was a close connection between the man's bodily illness and sin (Mk 2.1-12).

In fact, Jesus makes it clear that it is more important to be cleansed from any spiritual ailment than to be healed physically in any way. What sins do we cling to? How are we in need of healing?

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Pray Without Ceasing

If you want your prayer to be answered without fail you must pray without ceasing. Those who get tired after praying for a time are lacking in either humility or confidence, and so they do not deserve to be heard. Their attitude is that God “owes” them and that their prayer should be obeyed instantly as if they were giving out orders to God! God resists the proud but bestows His favors upon the humble. We show very little trust in God’s goodness when we give up our prayers so quickly and take delay for an absolute refusal!

If we begin to really understand how far God’s goodness extends we will never believe that we have been refused or that He wishes to take away our hope. Rather, the more He makes us keep on asking for something we want, the more confident we should feel that we shall eventually obtain it. In fact, the only time we should begin to doubt that our prayers have been heard is when we notice that we have given up and stopped praying!

For example, if after a year we discover that we are praying just as hard as when we first started, then we shouldn’t doubt the success of our efforts. Instead of losing courage after such a long delay, we should rejoice because we can be certain that our desires will be all the more fully satisfied for the length of time we prayed. Remember how it took Saint Monica sixteen years to obtain the conversion of Saint Augustine, but the conversion was over and above what she had prayed for. She prayed that her son’s incontinence would be checked by marriage, and instead she had the joy of seeing him embrace a life of chastity! She only prayed that he be baptized and become a Christian, but she lived to see him become a bishop! She prayed that God turn him away from heresy, and God made him a pillar of the Church and its champion against heretics.

What do you suppose would have happened if Saint Monica would have given up after a couple of years, or after ten or twelve years? Her prayers seemingly were getting no results and her son grew worse instead of better for so many years. She would have done her son an injustice by ceasing to pray for him! She would have thrown away her own happiness, and deprived the world of one of the greatest Christian thinkers!

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Is the Mass a Real Sacrifice or Merely the Sign and Memorial of One?

Some critics deny that the Mass is a real sacrifice, but they are willing to admit that it is a sign and a memorial of the sacrifice which Christ offered on Calvary. They deny that it is a real sacrifice because they believe that would require a real immolation, a real slaying. But there is no real immolation in the Mass, only a symbolic representation of Christ's once-for-all real death on Calvary. Therefore they say that the Mass is not a real sacrifice but merely the sign and memorial of one.

This objection only proves the Mass in not an absolute sacrifice, distinct and separate from the sacrifice of Calvary. True, the Mass is not an absolute sacrifice. It is, in fact, a relative sacrifice, entirely related to Christ's sacrifice on Calvary. But it is a real sacrifice; as real as the sacrifice that it signifies; as real as Christ who is truly present; as real as the dispositions with which Christ offered Himself on Calvary and with which He continues to offer Himself to the Father.

The objection presumes that the slaying of the victim constitutes the essential act of sacrifice. This is not true. In the Old Covenant, the victim was sometimes slain by attendants who were not priests. The essential act of sacrifice was then performed by the priest when he laid the body of the victim on the altar, poured the blood of the victim around the altar, and offered it to God.

In the Mass, the priest offers in the person of Christ, thus it is really Christ who offers through him. Mankind is saved by the once-for-all sacrifice which Christ offered of His life on Calvary. In the Mass, we do not renew Christ's death. He does not need to die again. To enable us to enter into His sacrifice and unite ourselves to it, it is sufficient that Christ be really present under the signs of the liturgy, offering Himself now with the same dispositions with which He offered Himself on Calvary.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

We Must Reform our Lives

In the New Testament, Jesus makes it clear that human afflictions and death are not necessarily a punishment for personal sin. When He came upon a man who was blind from birth, His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, was it this man’s sin or that of his parents that caused him to be born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither. It was no sin, either of this man or of his parents. Rather, it was to let God’s works show forth in him.” At another time, when He was told about Galileans who had been slaughtered by Pilate as they were offering sacrifice, Jesus denied that there is any exact equivalence between sin and misfortune in this life, but He did say that sin will ultimately bring its just retribution:

“Do you think that these Galileans were the greatest sinners in Galilee just because they suffered this? By no means! But I tell you, you will all come to the same end unless you reform. Or take those eighteen who were killed by a falling tower in Siloam. Do you think they were guiltier than anyone else who lived in Jerusalem? Certainly not. But I tell you, you will come to the same end unless you reform.”

But Jesus’ denial of an exact correspondence between sin and suffering did not prevent Him from predicting that great misfortunes were to come upon the people of Jerusalem because they would not heed His call to faith and repentance. We must therefore beg God to help us amend our lives.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

God's Kingdom

From a notebook On prayer by Origin, Priest:

...The kingdom of God cannot exist alongside the reign of sin. Therefore, if we wish God to reign in us, in no way should sin reign in our mortal body; rather we should mortify our members which are upon the earth and bear fruit in the Spirit. There should be in us a kind of spiritual paradise where God may walk and be our sole ruler with His Christ. In us the Lord will sit at the right hand of that spiritual power which we wish to receive. And He will sit there until all His enemies who are within us become His footstool...

Saint Leo the great writes the following:

...For the man who loves God it is sufficient to please the one he loves; and there is no greater recompense to be sought than the loving itself; for love is from God by the very fact that God Himself is love. The good and chaste soul is so happy to be filled with Him that it desires to take delight in nothing else. For what the Lord says is very true: Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be...every man's treasure is that which he desires.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Thy Kingdom Come

From a notebook on Prayer by Origen, priest:

The kingdom of God, in the words of our Lord and Savior, does not come for all to see; nor shall they say: Behold, here it is, or behold, there it is; but the kingdom of God is within us, for the word of God is very near, in our mouth and in our heart. Thus it is clear that he who prays for the coming of God's kingdom prays rightly to have it within himself, that there it may grow and bear fruit and become perfect. For God reigns in each of His holy ones. Anyone who is holy obeys the spiritual laws of God, who dwells in him as in a well-ordered city. The Father is present in the perfect soul, and with him Christ reigns, according to the words: We shall come to him and make our home with him...

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Praying

How have you prayed today? Is your day sincerely centered around your relationship with Jesus Christ? If not, it absolutely should be. We have been created for God and God alone. Since Christ took on our human nature He knows all too well the need we have of other human beings. However, those needs can never be truly fulfilled or genuinely met until we are first and foremost centered in Jesus Christ!

In fact, no human being can every completely fulfill our deepest needs and longings. Only Christ can fully satisfy us, yet we foolishly create countless obstacles in the path of our journey toward Him.

Today let us resolve to reform our lives and habits. Let us truly put Christ first in our thoughts, words and actions. When we abandon ourselves completely to Christ and the Divine Will, we experience a peace and joy unlike any other!

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Names of the Sacrament of the Eucharist

The very first expression used to designate the Eucharist seems to have been "the breaking of the bread." Saint Luke uses the following words to describe the life of the first Christians immediately after Pentecost: "They devoted themsleves to the apostle's instruction and communal life, to the breaking of bread and prayers...They went to the temple area together every day, while in their homes they broke bread" (Acts 2.42,46). "On the first day of the week when we gathered for the breaking of bread, Paul preached to them" (Acts 20.7). There is probably a eucharistic allusion in Luke's report of the supper at Emmaus, "...He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread" (Lk. 24.35).

Saint Paul also uses a form of this expression to designate the Eucharist: "Is not the bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ?" (1 Cor 10.16).

In Jewish writings of the first century, the expression "to break bread" was used with reference to the introductory rite of a meal, not to the entire meal. It was this initial act of breaking and sharing bread that Jesus made an effective sign of communion with Him and with one another.

Saint Paul refers to the Eucharist as "the Lord's Supper" (1 Cor 11.20) and "the Table of the Lord" (1 Cor 10.21), but there is no evidence to suggest that these were commonly used names for the Eucharist in the early Church.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

God's Thoughts of us are Thoughts of Peace

From the Revelations by Saint Gertrude, virgin:

...To atone for all my neglect I offer, most loving Father, all that your only-begotten Son did during His life, whether in thought, word or deed. That sacred life was, I know, utterly perfect in all respects, from the moment He descended from your heavenly throne and came into this world, until finally He presented the glory of His victorious human nature to you His Father.

An now, as an act of thanksgiving, I praise and worship you, Father, in deepest humility for your most loving kindness and mercy. Though I was hurrying to my eternal loss, your thoughts of me were thoughts of peace and not affliction, and you lifted me up with so many great favors. To these you added the inestimable gift of your intimate friendship, and in various ways allowed me to possess your Son's own heart, that most noble ark of God united with the Godhead. You refused me no delight that could be mine...

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Integrity of our Lives

From a homily written in the second century:

Let us be sure that when the day of judgment comes, our place will be among those who give thanks to God and have served Him, and not with the ungodly who face condemnation. As for myslef, I am only a sinner, not yet beyond the reach of temptation; but even amidst all the devil's machinations, I still strive to make progress and hope to attain at least some virtue, for I fear the judgment that awaits me.

...The reward I ask is that you repent with your whole heart, to save yourselves and find life. If we do this, we shall set an example for all young people, for whom the glory and goodness of God is a challenge to be generous in His service.

Let me say also that when we are given a warning and corrected for doing something wrong, we should not be so foolish as to take offense and be angry. There are times when we are unconscious of the sins we commit because our hearts are fickle, lacking faith. Futile desires cloud our minds. We need to pull ourselves up, therefore, because our very salvation is at stake.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Sincere Repentance

From a homily written in the second century:

We should repent of our sins while we are still on earth...we must wholeheartedly repent of sins committed in the body and make it possible for the Lord to save us while there is time. When we have left this world, we shall no longer be able to repent and confess our sins. We must do the will of the Father, keep our bodies pure, and observe the commandments of the Lord, for this is the way to obtain eternal life...In other words, in order to obtain eternal life, we must remain pure and keep the seal of our baptism undefiled.

...Our bodies are the temple of God, and as such we must guard them, for even as we were called in the body, so shall we also be judged in the body...
Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Charity and Forgiveness

Today is the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost. The gospel parable of the wicked servant reminds us of our responsibility to practice charity towards our brethren, particularly when it comes to forgiving. If we forgive others their failings, our heavenly Father will forgive ours; but if we do not forgive others, our Father will not forgive our failings either.

Saint Paul's epistle tells us that our fight is not against flesh and blood, but rather against principalities and powers. Satan wants to cause division by sowing discord amongst us. He does this when we succomb to fostering bitterness, hatred and an unwillingness to forgive one another from the heart. When one chooses not to forgive his brother, one gives that person power over oneself that is unhealthy.

Today let us make it our aim to love one another as Christ has loved us.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching.

Praying From the Heart

Saint Paul says we must be strengthened in the Lord, and in the might of His power! We must put on the armor of God. This is the only we can successfully stand against the snares of the devil. Satan goes about the world constantly seeking the ruin of souls. Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. We must girt our loins with truth, who is Jesus Christ, and embrace justice, peace and faith as our weapons against satan and his minions.

We must constantly have recourse to prayer and meditation in order to remain vigilant against the onslaught of satan. Prayer from the heart is the prayer most pleasing to God. Although Christ has already won the victory over satan, we nevertheless must still contend with evil attacks. We must renounce our own will, practice mortification and purity of heart. This purity is an absolute necessity for contemplating God and knowing Him by the light of faith.

When Saint Paul says girt one's loins with truth, we must learn to cast of the spirit of the world which is contrary to that of Jesus Christ. The spirit of the world consists in the denial of the supreme dominion of God; a denial which is manifested in practice by sin and disobedience.

Satan attacks through concupiscence of the flesh and of the eyes. He tempts us with pride and by disobedience to God's laws. Satan wants to bring error and darkness to the mind and corrupt our will. He makes sin appealing to us in persons, places and things. However, we must have recourse to prayer and realize we have won the victory in Christ.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

All Souls' Day

Today we recommend to God the souls in purgatory in order that we may help alleviate their terrible suffering. We pray that God in His mercy may quickly bring them to His glory. When the poor souls finally do enter into heaven, they will certainly pray for those who have prayed for them.

Let us today recommend to Jesus Christ and to the Blessed Virgin Mary all the souls in purgatory, but especially the souls of our relatives, benefactors and friends. We must also remember to pray for our enemies.

Jn. 6: 51-55

At that time Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews: I am the living bread, which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give, is My Flesh for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this Man give us His Flesh to eat? Then Jesus said to them: Amen, Amen, I say unto you, except you eat the Flesh of the Son of man, and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, hath everlasting life; and I will raise him up in the last day.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Final Words on Penance

The proclamation of God’s mercy and forgiveness also formed a prominent part of Saint Paul’s teaching:

God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Cor 18-20)

The image of binding and loosing in Jewish tradition seems to have been originally used to describe the power of a judge in dealing with an accused person. If the judge found the person guilty, he would order the person to be bound and led off to prison; if he found the person innocent, he would order the person to be loosed from his bonds and released.

In Saint Matthew’s gospel, Jesus uses the same image to describe how the Church is to deal with wayward members. If your brother has offended you, He says, try to work out the problem with him privately. If that does not succeed, bring two or three witnesses.

If he refuses to listen to them, bring the matter to the Church. If the offender will not listen even to the Church, ban him from the community! Jesus assures His disciples that whatever the community binds or looses will be bound or loosed in heaven.

If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Mt. 18.18 cf. Mt. 16.19)

In other words, Jesus says to the Church: “When you ban the sinner, God bans him as well. When you reconcile the sinner, God reconciles him. When you keep the sinner bound by his sin, God keeps him bound. When you loose him from his sin, God looses him as well.”

Notice the universal scope of power: “Whatever you bind…Whatever you loose…” God sets no limits on the Church’s power of binding and loosing, forgiving or retaining sins—presupposing, of course, that the person is truly repentant.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Repentance in the Bible

The second parable is that of a woman who had lost a silver coin. Searching high and low, she finally found it. Then she called in her neighbors and said to them: “Rejoice with me! I have found the silver coin that I lost.” Note how this parable also concludes with a word about the great joy in heaven over the conversion of a single sinner: “I tell you, there will be the same kind of joy before the angels of God over one repentant sinner.”

Finally Jesus told the story of the Merciful Father. When the youngest son, after squandering his inheritance in loose living, finally came back home, disgraced and destitute, the Father ran out to meet him, embraced him, and kissed him, and without uttering a word of reproach to his son, instructed the servants: “Quick, bring out the finest robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Take the fatted calf and kill it. Let us eat and make merry because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life. He was lost and now is found!” Again, notice the great joy over the repentance of a single sinner.

In John’s Gospel there is the woman caught in adultery. Jesus forgave with a simple word to go and sin no more. Jesus even forgave on the Cross. As He was dying on the cross he prayed for His enemies. In fact, He prayed for all sinners! He even made excuses for them! “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.” The good thief begged Jesus to “remember me when you enter upon your reign.” Jesus replied: “I assure you, this day you will be with me in paradise.” With that word a lifetime of crime was forgiven!

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Penance Continued

Lk. 7. 36-48; The Repentant Woman:

On one occasion when Jesus was reclining at table in the home of Simon the Pharisee, He again revealed His compassion for sinners and His authority to forgive sin. A sinful woman entered and, kneeling at His feet, bathed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair, kissing them and anointing them with fragrant oil. Seeing that Simon was scandalized that He should let a woman like this touch Him, Jesus defended her and said to Simon, “Her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love.” He then said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” At that the fellow guests began to ask among themselves, “Who is this that He even forgives sins?”

Lk. 15. 1-35; Three Parables of Mercy:

Luke 15, which shows Jesus dining with sinners and pronouncing three parables of mercy, is the richest instruction on mercy in the entire bible. The fact the Jesus, in the context of proclaiming the good news of God’s Kingdom, dined with sinners was itself an act of great significance, especially given the cultural background of contemporary Judaism. It showed that God does not reject the sinner who will accept His offer of renewed hope and friendship. The Scribes and Pharisees criticized Jesus for sitting at table with these violators of the law. In response to their charge, Jesus tells three parables of mercy. Notice the strong theme running through each of them, of great joy in heaven over the conversion of a single sinner.

The first parable is that of a shepherd who had a hundred sheep and lost one of them. He left the ninety-nine to go in search of the one that was lost. When he had found it, he called in his neighbors and said to them: “Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.” Jesus concluded the parable with these significant words: “I tell you, there will likewise be more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.”

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Penance IV

Jesus describes His own mission as being directed to sinners. When He had called the publican Levi to be one of His disciples and accepted an invitation to dine with Levi and his disreputable friends, the Pharisees were scandalized that Jesus should eat at the same table with notorious sinners and violators of the law. “Why does He eat with such as these?” Overhearing their remark Jesus said to them, “Healthy people do not need a doctor, sick people do. I have come to call sinners, not the self-righteous.” (Mk. 2.17)

A prominent part of Jesus’ teaching was devoted to revealing God’s mercy toward repentant sinners. For example, instead of curing the paralytic Jesus says to the sick man “My son, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus thereby implies that sin is a greater affliction than sickness and that forgiveness of sin is more important than bodily healing. The scribes accused Jesus of blasphemy. Jesus says:

Why do you harbor these thoughts? Which is easier; to say to the paralytic, your sins are forgiven, or to say, Stand up, pick up your mat and walk again? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins I command you Stand! Pick up your mat and go home!

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Penance III

In the synoptic gospels, the account of Jesus’ public ministry begins with a description of John the Baptist calling the people to repent in preparation for the coming of God’s Kingdom. The austerity of John’s life bore witness to his message. Saint Matthew tells us:

In those days John the Baptizer appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent! For the kingdom of God is at hand!” It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said, “A voice of one crying out in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.” John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him. They were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. (Mt. 3.1-12)

The Synoptics describe Jesus’ basic message in very much the same terms, but with the important addition that one must also believe in “the gospel,” the good news. The good news is precisely God’s mercy and love shown in the words and deeds of Jesus.

After John’s arrest, Jesus appeared in Galilee proclaiming the good news of God. “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand! Repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mk. 1.15)

The Greek word translated here by “repent” is “metanoiete.” Its root meaning is to “change one’s mind,” in the sense of changing one’s basic attitude, and thus one’s life. It can also be translated “reform one’s life.”

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

More on the Real Presence

Jesus’ words are to be understood in the same way that Saint Paul understood them, and as early Fathers of the Church explained them, and as orthodox Christians, East and West, accepted them down to the Reformation, and as they have continued to be understood in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches to our own day, namely, as literally affirming the real presence of Christ’s body and blood under the appearances of bread and wine. The truth of this belief is assured by the promise Jesus gave to His disciples at the Last Supper, that He would send them the Holy Spirit to instruct them in everything (Jn 14.26) and lead them into all truth (Jn 16.13).

Saint Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, says: “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily sins against the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself first: only then should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup. He who eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks a judgment on himself.

When Saint Paul speaks of “The Body and Blood of the Lord” against which one would sin he is speaking literally of the sacred humanity of Christ. He is not speaking of fellow members of the Church, nor of the poor in particular, or of any other group of Christ’s “mystical body.” None of these are ever referred to as His “blood.”

Saint Paul also admonishes the Corinthians to take care not to approach the Eucharist in a thoughtless manner but to recognize the body when he says: “He who eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks a judgment on himself.” What is this “body” that Christians must recognize when they eat and drink the Eucharist? Is it fellow Christians, especially the poor, who are the body of Christ? No. In the immediate context the only “body” of which Paul speaks is Christ’s Eucharistic body.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Jesus Christ's Words are to be Taken Literally

The Catholic response is that Jesus’ words are to be taken literally and not merely in a metaphorical sense. Why? Whenever Jesus speaks figuratively, the use of metaphor can be easily recognized from the content or context of the saying; but there is nothing in the content or context of the Eucharistic words to suggest that He was speaking metaphorically.

Jesus Himself gives us a key for interpreting His Eucharistic words in the Bread of Life discourse recorded by John (6.52-69), in which He clearly states that His “flesh is real food” and His “blood real drink”, given as nourishment for eternal life. When some of His disciples murmured at the unreasonableness of His words, Jesus did not retract or try to explain away His words, but allowed the unbelieving disciples to walk away from Him.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Institution Narrative

At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, pronounced a blessing, broke it, and gave it to His disciples saying, “This is my body.” He then took the cup, gave thanks, and passed it to them saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood” (I Cor 11.25), “This is my blood of the covenant” (Mk 14.24).

One of the very first Protestant reformers, Ulrich Zwingli, insisted that the Eucharistic words are to be understood in a metaphorical, not in a literal sense. He held that when Jesus gives us bread to eat, saying, “This is my body,” and when He gives us wine to drink, saying “This is my blood,” the bread and wine remain the same physical realities they were, but they now become signs or symbols of Christ’s body given up for us and of His blood shed for us on the cross. In this interpretation, we do not receive the body of Christ in any physical sense, but we do receive Him spiritually. Many Protestants accept this understanding.

Proponents of this view point out that Jesus often used metaphor to describe Himself and His disciples. For example, in speaking of Himself He said: “I am the Light of the World” (Jn 8.12); “I am the resurrection and the life” (Jn 11.25); “I am the vine, you are the branches” (Jn 15.15.5); “I am the bread of life” (Jn 6.48). Speaking of His disciples He said: “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world,” (Mt 5.13f); “You are Rock” (Mt 16.18). All of these employ metaphor, suggesting that the Eucharistic words should also be understood in a figurative sense.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Real Presence Continued

When some of those present heard these words they were shocked and murmured among themselves, “This kind of talk is hard to endure. How can anyone take it seriously? Eat this man’s body? Drink His blood? Does He think we are cannibals?” Seeing their reaction, Jesus cautioned them that His words are not to be taken in a crudely carnal sense. Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. In other words, when they see Him ascend into heaven, they will not find it so difficult to believe that He gives His Body and Blood in a spiritual way that they cannot now imagine.

Even with this explanation, many of Jesus’ disciples found His words too much to believe; they “broke away and would not remain in His company any longer” (6.66). But instead of retracting His words or explaining them away, Jesus let the unbelieving disciples depart. He is even prepared to let the Twelve leave Him if they will not believe: “Do you also want to leave me?” Speaking in the name of the others, Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Peter and the other disciples do not understand how Jesus will give His body as real food and His blood as real drink, but they believe in Him, and that is all that Jesus requires of them.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Christ's Real Presence in the Eucharist

Christ is Present in the Eucharistic Species. Christ is really present in the Eucharist, in the proper reality of His humanity and divinity, under the appearances of bread and wine.

The day before Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish to feed the multitudes, reminding them how God had fed the Israelites in the desert. When Jesus returned to Capernaum on the following day, the people asked Him what sign He would perform so that they might believe in Him. Would He give them bread from heaven as Moses had done? Jesus responded by saying that He Himself is the true bread come down from heaven; those who believe in Him shall have everlasting life.

Jesus says that the bread that He will give is His flesh for the life of the world. His flesh is real food and His blood real drink. Those who eat His flesh and drink His blood will have everlasting life! Let me solemnly assure you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood real drink. The one who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. (Jn 6.53-56)

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Christ's Presence in the Word

Christ is present whenever the Word of God is proclaimed and received in faith; this includes the reading of Holy Scripture and any form of preaching or teaching the Word of God. When we hear the Word with faith, the grace of Christ acts within us, enlightening our minds, touching our hearts, and moving our wills, to the extent that we are receptive.

During His public ministry, Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples to go through the towns of Galilee proclaiming the message of the Kingdom which they had received from Him. He assured them, “Whoever listens to you, listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me” (Lk 10.16). These words assure us that Christ accompanies those whom He sends, and, in some manner, is present in the words which they speak in His name. To hear their words is to hear Christ Himself.

The Prologue of John’s Gospel which we proclaim at the end of every Mass tells us that Christ is the Word of God who reveals the Father; He is the Light who enlightens those in darkness. When we say that Christ is present in His word, however, we do not mean that His sacred humanity is somehow sacramentally contained in the word as it is in the Eucharist, but that His divine person is really present to us and acts upon us through His grace in the ways we have mentioned.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Modes of Christ's Presence

Of the various modes of presence mentioned in these documents, there are four that are especially applicable to the Eucharistic liturgy; Christ’s presence in the assembly,in the minister, in the word, and in the Eucharistic species.

Each of these modes of presence is real in its own way, but only in the Eucharist is Christ’s humanity present in its physical reality, although not in the same way that other bodies are present in a given place. These modes may be briefly explained as follows.

Christ’s Presence in the assembly. Christ promised that He will be present wherever two or three are gathered in His name: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in their midst” (Mt 18.20). This does not mean that in such gatherings Christ’s bodily humanity is present as it is in the Eucharist, but He is present in His divine person, His attention and affection, and the gift of His grace.

Christ’s Presence in the Minister. Christ is present in the minister inasmuch as He acts through the minister to achieve the purpose of the sacrament. The celebrant of the Eucharist does not act in his own name and by his own power and authority, but in the person of Christ, and by Christ’s authority. He is the instrument or agent through whom Christ acts...

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Eucharistic Presence

One of the critical questions that have sharply divided Christians since the Reformation is how to understand the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, High Anglicans, and Lutherans believe that the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ are truly present in the Eucharist, in their proper reality, under the appearance of bread and wine.

The term “real presence” has been used to describe the special mode of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist since the middle ages. The Council of Trent entitled the first chapter of its Decree on the Most Holy Eucharist “The Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.” However, there are in fact other modes of Christ’s presence, each of them “real” in its own way. Several of these are mentioned in the Constitution on the Liturgy:

He is present in the Sacrifice of the Mass, not only in the person of His minister, “the same now offering, through the ministry of priest, who formerly offered Himself on the cross”, but especially in the Eucharistic species.

By His power He is present in the sacraments, so that when anybody baptizes it is really Christ Himself who baptizes.

He is present in His word, since it is He Himself who speaks when the holy scriptures are read in the Church.

Lastly, He is present when the Church prays and sings, for He has promised “where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.”

These are not the only ways in which Christ is present to His Church. Pope Paul VI, in his encyclical Mysterium Fidei mentions all of these and adds others: “Christ is present in the Church:

As it performs works of mercy…
As it struggles to reach the harbor of eternal life…
As it preaches…
As it shepherds and guides the people of God…

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Final Point on the Male Priesthood

Third, since only priests have access to positions of full authority in the Church, to deny women priestly ordination is to reduce women to a state of second-class membership in the Church. Unless the Church changes this policy and gives women equal status, large masses of women will turn away from the Church as surely as the working class in Europe did in the nineteenth century when the Church failed to defend the rights of workers against the moneyed bourgeoisie with whom the Church allied itself. It is pointless to say that women are treated as equals of men when obviously they are not.

Response: Women are equal to men in dignity, but do not have the same roles in the Church. Women do not need presbyteral or episcopal orders to exercise great influence in the Church. It must be admitted that priests and bishops exercise the greatest authority in the Church and that women are excluded from these ranks. Ministry, however, should not be sought for the sake of power, but for service. It is not the most powerful who will be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, but the most humble and the holiest.

Some argue that it is inappropriate for a man to put forth such an argument since men hold power in the Church. The answer is that this is by Christ’s arrangement, not man’s. The Bible points out the special relationship between God and Israel expressed under the imagery of marriage. In the Old Testament, the people of Israel are described as the daughter of Zion, the bride whom Yahweh takes to Himself by a sacred covenant. In the New Testament, Christ is presented as bridegroom and the Church as His bride. In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Christ the bridegroom unites Himself to His bride, the Church. To preserve the truth of the sacramental sign, the priest who acts in Christ’s person, must be male. The sacramental significance would be lost if a woman presided at the Eucharist. This problem is not a problem of an historical nature. It is not a matter of discussing a certain custom in the hope that it might change in the future. The very structure of Christian revelation and of the Church would be tampered with.

It is often said that if there were no women priests in the early centuries of Christianity, it was because of cultural factors. It depended on women’s subordinate role in the society of that time. But we should not forget that women had major roles in pagan religions, from Greece to Egypt and Mesopotamia. This was never the case with the Judeo-Christian people. And yet they were surrounded by peoples whose women were active participants in cult celebrations. All this surely prompts us to reflect that this choice had profound bonds with revelation itself. So it was not a factor determined by historical and cultural conditions. It was quite the opposite.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Priesthood Continued

Second, the Church’s tradition and practice of excluding women from priestly ordination are not based on any eternal and necessary principle but on considerations that are historically and culturally conditioned. The practice originated and developed in an environment in which women, for a variety of economical and social reasons, had a subordinate position to men. Circumstances have changed greatly in the Twentieth Century. The Church should change with the times and not allow herself to become an irrelevant anachronism, clinging to a mode of thought and behavior that is more and more out of touch with contemporary culture.

Response: If Jesus chose only men to be apostles, it was not because He lacked the wisdom of courage to break cultural patterns. He showed in many ways (by prohibiting divorce, conversing with a Samaritan woman, dining with publicans and sinners, giving a more human interpretation to Sabbath laws, etc.) that He could rise above the restrictions of the prevailing culture. If the early Church followed the pattern set by Jesus, it was not because it was unthinkable, according to the culture of the time, to appoint women to hold religious office. As a matter of fact, women served as priestesses in pagan religions of Jesus’ time.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

More of the Male Priesthood

The following are the principal arguments put forward by those who hold that women should not be excluded from ministerial priesthood because of their sex. First, women should have equal rights and dignity in the Church and should not suffer discrimination because of their sex. Vatican II recognized this principle, and so does Saint Paul: “All of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Him. There does not exist among you Jew or Greek, slave or freeman, male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3.27). Granted that no one has a right to ordination, nevertheless one does have a right not to be discriminated against simply because of one’s sex.

Response: To recognize the differences between men and women is not to show discrimination, but to invite reflection on the proper way to promote the dignity and role of each sex. If a priest is to be a visible symbol of Christ, who stands in relation to the Church as groom and bride, it is not discriminatory to choose those to be priests who can represent Christ in this way.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Male Priesthood

Finally, the Holy See and the vast majority of bishops throughout the world teach that a male priesthood is divinely willed for the Church and that the Church does not have the authority to change this. The faithful are to give obsequium religiosum (religious submission, allegiance) to the Roman Pontiff and to the college of bishops when they teach as successors of Peter and the apostles.

Response: Granted that one should show respect for the magisterium of the Church, critics feel compelled to stand up for what they regard as a matter of truth and justice.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

More on Women Priests

Third, it has been the constant and unwavering tradition of the Church, both East and West, from the very beginning down to our own day, to admit only men to ordination. Since the Holy Ghost guides the Church, this strong tradition must be recognized as reflecting God’s will for the Church.

Response: This tradition is the reflection of the male dominant culture which has prevailed in Christian environments from ancient times up to the present. But that culture is now in process of changing; so also should the attitude and practice of the Church with regard to women. The “Spirit” is free to breathe where it wills.

Fourth, the priest represents Christ in relation to the Church. He is a living sacrament of Christ and acts in the very person of Christ in celebrating the Eucharist. In the language of the East, he is an Icon of Christ. But Christ is related to the Church as groom to bride. Therefore the priest must be a man, for only a man can represent Christ in this way.

Response: Every Christian must put on Christ (Gal 3.27; Rom 3.14), live the life of Christ (Gal 2.20), and represent Christ to the faith assembly.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Women Priests...?

Second, the faith and practice of the early Church is normative for the Church of all ages. But the early Church, following the pattern set by Jesus, admitted only men to the offices of presbyter and bishop. Therefore the Church today must continue to do the same. If the early Church ordained only men to the presbyterate, it was not simply because the culture of the times excluded women from roles of religious leadership. Many pagan religions at that time employed priestesses.

Response: The fact that the early Church chose only men as bishops and presbyters is not based on any immutable law binding the Church in later times but reflects the influence of the male dominant cultures in which the Church had its origin and early development. In Israel, only men were allowed to serve as priests and elders of the people, just as only males were allowed to attend Jewish synagogue services. Despite the presence of priestesses in some pagan religions of that time, from which many early converts were drawn, all of the cultures which helped to shape the early Church were male dominant. Since we live in a different culture, we are not bound by these practices of a by-gone-day.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Women Priests? II

The following are the principal reasons that are usually offered for admitting only men to the priesthood. I will also give you critiques that are frequently given in response. First, Christ chose only men as apostles. This was not simply because Jewish culture at that time excluded women from positions of authority and leadership in religious society, for Jesus showed that He was able to rise above conventional norms, yet He did not do so in this case. His exclusive choice of men as apostles must have been a deliberate decision which remains binding on the later Church. Moreover, Jesus invited only the Twelve to attend the Last Supper at which He instituted the Eucharist, although it was customary for all members of a family, male and female, to take part in the Passover supper.

Response: Jesus chose twelve men as His inner circle of disciples in order to symbolize the renewal of Israel descended from the twelve patriarchs. This has nothing to do with deciding whether women can be ordained presbyters. Presbyters are not the same as Apostles.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Women Priests?

It has been a constant tradition of the Roman Catholic Church that only males may be admitted to priestly ordination. In recent years, the question has been asked whether the time has not come for the Church to change the practice of restricting priestly ordination to persons of the male gender. However, there has never been any doubt about this matter in the official teaching of the Catholic Church. To give a definitive response to those who in recent years have been strongly advocating the ordination of women, Blessed Pope John Paul II issued the Apostolic Letter: Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, May 22, 1994, in which he declared that male priesthood was established by Christ Himself and that the Church has no authority to change this discipline. He explained that the male priest represents the very person of Christ in His spousal relationship to the Church. The Pontiff concluded with a firm statement that is intended to put an end to any doubt or debate over this question in the Church:

“In order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church’s divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (Lk 22.32), I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful.”

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Who Receives the Fruits of the Mass?

There are three ways in which the fruits of the Mass are distributed: to the celebrant in a very special way (specialissime), to the whole Church in a general way (generalissime), and to those for whom the Mass was offered in a particular way (specialiter).

Those who offer the Mass receive the greatest fruit from the Mass. The fruit received is in proportion to the fervor and purity of dispositions with which they offer it. The priest enjoys certain special advantages in that it is easier for him to be fully attentive, since he performs the sacred rite, and he receives grace of state to celebrate the Mass worthily (he may fail to cooperate with that grace, of course, but it is given.

There are two kinds of intentions for which the Mass is offered, general and particular. "Every Mass is offered not for the benefit of only a few, but for the salvation of the whole world." Those for whom the Mass is offered in a particular way would benefit more than those for whom it is offered only in general. The fruits that anyone actually receives from the Mass depend upon the will of God for that individual, and the suitability of that person's dispositions for receiving grace.

For Baptists and Disciples of Christ, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is exclusively a memorial meal. In no sense is it a sacrifice. Presbyterians and Methodists accept the Eucharist as a sacrifice of praise. Some also see it as a sacrament (understood as a sacred sign) through which we offer ourselves to the Father in union with the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary, which is commemorated, but not renewed, in the Eucharist. Lutherans continue to reject what the Council of Trent says about the Mass as a propitiatory sacrifice "offered for the living and the dead," since this implies a doctrine of Purgatory which they do not accept.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Christ’s Redemptive Sacrifice Shown Forth in the Two-fold Consecration

The two-fold consecration show forth the body and blood of Christ under the separate signs of bread and wine, and thus can be seen as visible signs pointing to the separation of His body and blood in death.

Pius XII developed this idea in his encyclical Mediator Dei:

“According to the plan of divine wisdom, the sacrifice of Our Redeemer is shown forth in an admirable manner by external signs which are symbols of His death…The Eucharistic species under which He is present symbolize the violent separation of His body and blood and so a commemorative showing forth of His death which took place in reality on Calvary is repeated in each sacrifice of the altar, because by distinct representations Christ Jesus is signified and shown forth in the state of victim.”

The Eucharistic Liturgy makes Christ’s Sacrifice present in its essential reality. The Liturgy of the Eucharist makes really present the same priest and the same victim, offering Himself to the Father for us with the same dispositions with which He once offered Himself on the Cross. We thus share at the same time in Christ’s unique sacrifice on Calvary and in His eternal offering of that sacrifice in the heavenly sanctuary.

The faithful can thereby join in offering Christ and themselves in union with Him to the Father. The very reason for renewing the sacrifice of Christ under sacred signs is so that we the faithful may join with Christ in offering His sacrifice and ourselves in union with Him to the Father.

Some people object that the sacrifice described here is not real because the immolation is not real but is only shown forth in sign. However, this objection loses sight of the fact that all sacrifice is in the order of sign. This objection obscures the fact that the essential element of sacrifice is not, per se, the slaying of the victim but the ritual act of offering that signifies the human person’s worship of God as Creator and Lord.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Eucharistic Liturgy

The Eucharistic Liturgy shows forth Christ's redemptive sacrifice in the words spoken and under the sign of the two-fold consecration. The words of consecration spoken over both the bread and the wine denote sacrifice. They speak of Christ's body given for us; His blood poured out for us; His blood as blood of the covenant; His blood shed for the remission of sins. All of these expressions denote sacrifice.

"This is my body given for you..." (Luke 22.19; 1 Cor 11.25)

"This cup is the new covenant in my blood..." (1 Cor 11.25; Luke 22.19)

"Which will be shed for you." (Luke 22.19f)

"And for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Mt 26.28)


Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

More on Christ's Sacrifice

Remember that a sacrament is an outward sign of invisible grace, which not only signifies (i.e., points to) grace, but also makes really present the reality of grace that it signifies. This notion can be applied to show how the Eucharist makes present the sacrifice on Calvary. To do this, we must see that the Mass shows forth Christ's sacrifice through visible signs of bread and wine declared to be Christ's body and blood, and that, under these signs the essential reality of Christ's sacrifice on Calvary is made really present in an unbloody manner, so that the faithful can join in offering Christ and themselves in union with Him to the Father.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Mass as Sacramental Renewal of Christ's Redemptive Sacrifice

The Mass is best understood as the sacramental offering of Christ's once-for-all redemptive sacrifice. Vatican II's Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests affirms that "Through the hands of priests and in the name of the whole Church the Lord's sacrifice is offered in the Eucharist in an unbloody and sacramental manner." The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states "The Sacrifice of the cross and its sacramental renewal in the Mass are one and the same, differing only in the manner of offering.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

We Offer Christ, Ourselves and all Creation

We offer Christ as He offered Himself for us on Calvary. He signified His self-oblation for us at the Last Supper when He gave us His body to eat and His blood to drink. The Council of Trent, Doctrine on the Sacrifice of the Mass: “Because His priesthood was not to end with His death, at the Last Supper…He offered His body and blood under the species of bread and wine to God the Father…and ordered the disciples and their successors to offer, saying Do this as a memorial of Me.”

On Calvary, Christ offered not only Himself, but also all mankind in union with Him, especially the members of His mystical body, the Church. He renews that offering in every Mass, and we do the same. We offer ourselves to God: our adoration, praise, thanksgiving, and petitions; our prayers, works, sufferings, all the activities of our daily life, our entire selves. In union with Christ, the faithful offer themselves and every aspect of their lives that they may be given over completely to God, and thus be made sacred to Him (sacrum-facere).

We offer all creation to God, thereby consecrating the world itself to Him. But what does it mean to offer creation to God, seeing that it already belongs to Him? It means we acknowledge God as creator and Lord of all things, and commit ourselves to direct our use of creatures and the activities of our human world to Him, their final end. We thank God for the gift of creation and praise Him for His glory revealed in creatures. We offer God our labors directed to the transformation of the world to His glory, and implore His assistance that we may cooperate in causing His goodness, beauty, and wisdom to shine forth in creation, and His justice, peace and love to reign in our world.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Christ Offers

It is the clear teaching of the magisterium that Christ is the principal offerer in every Mass; otherwise the Mass would not be the same sacrifice as that of Calvary. Christ offers through the ministry of the priest acting in His person.

Council of Trent, Doctrine of the Holy Sacrifice: “In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered Himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner…The same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered Himself on the cross…”

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The People Offer

The people offer in their own names, “not only through the hands of the priest but also together with him. But because only the priest acts in the very person of Christ in confecting the sacrament and in offering the sacred Gift to the Father, the offering of the people depends upon that of the priest or, rather, on that of Christ acting through the priest.

Pius XII, in his encyclical: Mediator Dei writes: “It is important for all the faithful to understand that it is their duty and highest privilege to take part in the Eucharistic sacrifice…in the closest union with the High Priest…and to offer it together with Him, and with Him to surrender themselves. But the fact that the faithful take part in the Eucharistic sacrifice does not mean that they also possess the power of the ministerial priesthood…The people…because they in no way represent the person of the divine Redeemer and are not mediator between themselves and God, can in no way possess the ministerial priestly right. All this is certain with the certainty of faith…The oblation is shared by the faithful in their own way, on a twofold ground: for they do not only offer the sacrifice through the hands of the priest, but also, in a certain sense, together with him…This does not mean that all the members, like the priest himself, perform the visible liturgical rite; this is done only by the minister divinely appointed for that purpose. Rather they are said to offer with him inasmuch as they unite their offerings of praise, entreaty, expiation, and thanksgiving with the offering or mental intentions of the priest, indeed with those of the High Priest Himself.”

Some argue that since the Eucharist is so important to the Church, if no ordained priest will be available, the laity can select one of their members to preside at the Eucharist. Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict gives the best theological response. He points out that the church is not a mere sociological community whose members may choose a functionary to do whatever they will. It is rather a sacramental, hierarchical community whose pastoral leaders have been chosen and empowered by Christ to shepherd His flock and dispense the heavenly gifts He has entrusted to His Church. Only those called by Christ and rightly ordained by the Church can validly celebrate the Eucharist and other sacraments.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Eucharistic Sacrifice

Who offers the Eucharistic sacrifice? Christ or the Church, the priest or the people? If all of these how do their roles differ and how are they related?

The Church Offers:

The whole family of God, the Church, offers the Eucharistic sacrifice, especially the faithful who are present. This is clearly indicated in the very words of the liturgy. Christ instituted the Eucharist precisely in order that the Church, His beloved spouse, might have a visible sacrifice to offer to God, as the nature of the human creature requires.

But who in the Church offers? Obviously the priest does. But in what capacity? Simply as leader of the congregation? Or does the priest have a special role as representative of Christ or as representative of the Church? If both, how are these roles related? How about the people? How is their offering related to that of the priest? Is their mode of offering the same or different from that of the priest?

The Priest Offers:

The priest offers in the person of Christ, in the name of the Church, and in his own name. The Protestants see the presiding minister of the Lord’s Supper acting simply as the leader of the congregation, certainly with a special responsibility and authority, but without any unique sacramental empowerment through the sacrament of Holy Orders.

But according to Catholic teaching, the priest, through the sacrament of Holy Orders, is so configured to Christ the High Priest that in the celebration of the Eucharist he acts in the very person of Christ. Only the priest, in virtue of the special character of priestly ordination, can speak the words of consecration in the very person of Christ. In doing so, he acts not merely as Christ’s representative, but in His person, as His sacramental representation. It is for this reason that the priest alone is able to confect the Eucharist. If there is no priest, there can be no Mass.

Pius XII, in his encyclical: Mystici Corporis writes: “The sacred ministers represent not only our Savior, but also the whole mystical Body and each one of its members. In that sacrifice the faithful are associated in the common prayer and supplication and, through the hands of the priest, whose voice alone renders the Immaculate Lamb present on the altar, they themselves offer to the eternal Father this most pleasing victim of praise and propitiation for the needs of the whole Church.”

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass IV

Any attempt to explain the Mass must make it clear that it is not a new or different sacrifice from that of Calvary, but is the same sacrifice. The Council of Trent, in its Decree on the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, explains that the sacrifice of the Mass is essentially the same as that of Calvary because it contains the same priest and the same victim. The mode of offering alone is different:

“In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered Himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner…For the victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests who then offered Himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different.”

The sacrifice of the cross and its sacramental renewal in the Mass are one and the same, differing only in the manner of offering. The reason why the sacrifice of the Cross is renewed in the Mass is so that Christ’s faithful may be able to unite themselves to it. We join with Christ in offering Him and ourselves together with Him to the Father. In this way we personally and communally say yes to what Christ has done for us. We express our complete dependence on Christ’s offering and offer ourselves to God in union with Him. When we do this, we receive a participation in the graces which Christ won for us through His once-for-all perfect sacrifice.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Regulation of the Liturgy

In a well-known text of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (no. 10), Vatican II explains the special place of the Eucharist in the life of the Church:

The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the fount from which all her power flows. For the goal of apostolic endeavor is that all who are made sons of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of His Church, to take part in the Sacrifice and to eat the Lord’s Supper.

…The renewal in the Eucharist of the covenant between the Lord and mankind draws the faithful into the compelling love of Christ and sets them afire. From the liturgy, therefore, and especially from the Eucharist, as from a fountain, grace is channeled to us; and the sanctification of man in Jesus Christ and the glorification of God, to which all other activities of the Church are directed as toward their goal, are most powerfully achieved.

Some strongly object to the conciliar text just cited. Some see it as evidence of a major problem facing the Church today, namely the tendency to place higher priority on church ceremony than of the urgent task of creating a better world, as Gaudium et Spes says we must do. The text, some say, encourages the erroneous idea that one can be a good Christian by seeking refuge in the peaceful celebration of the liturgy, while evading one’s responsibilities toward solving the problems of modern society. Some argue that it is not the liturgy that is the summit toward which all activity of the Church should be directed, but the transformation of the world according to the values of God’s Kingdom. Apostolic works should have as their goal, not the better performance of liturgy, but the building up of God’s kingdom in the world. What is your opinion?

I will say this; our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Ratzinger, wrote the following in his memoires: “I am convinced that the crisis in the Church that we are experiencing today is to a large extent due to the disintegration of the liturgy.” Sancrosanctum Concilium states:

“Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the Apostolic See, and, as laws may determine, on the bishop. Therefore no other person, not even a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.”22

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Eucharist in Relation to the World

The Eucharist in relation to the world: Just as Christ offered Himself for the whole world, so we in the Eucharist join in His sacrifice and offer ourselves in union with Him for all mankind. In our petitions we pray for every human need, for every class of person, and for the extension of God’s reign over every individual, over every family and community, and over every area of human existence. The Eucharistic celebration expresses in symbol and by the power of grace what mankind is called to do with its history, namely, sanctify all things—the basic meaning of sacrifice, sacrum-facere, and bring all things into union with God. We are meant to glorify God and find our unity and perfection in Him alone.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Eucharist in Relation to the Individual

The Eucharist in relation to the individual: The Eucharist takes us out of our narrow individualism and enlarges our existence by uniting us intimately with God our Father and with Jesus Christ our Lord, and by making us one with the other members of God’s holy people. By nourishing us with Christ’s Body and Blood, the Eucharist increases the life of grace within us, which is already the beginning of eternal life and the pledge of future glory.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Eucharist in Relation to the Church

What about the Eucharist in relation to the Church? When Catholics assemble to offer sacrifice together, they show forth by sacred signs that they are a community of brothers, the family of God; not only a community but also a living body which draws its life and is made one by its union with the same Christ. By celebrating and receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ together, they increase their sense of being one body with one another, of belonging to one another and of caring for one another.

Through the liturgy we are united with all members of the Church, wherever they may be; that is, with the Church Militant on earth, with the Church Suffering in Purgatory, and with the Church Triumphant in heaven. We unite our prayer with them and pray for all in need.

When we offer sacrifice in an authentic manner, we pledge ourselves to live the truth of what we celebrate by committing ourselves to love one another and spend ourselves for one another as Christ has loved us and spent Himself for us. We are called upon to imitate what we receive, and to model our lives on Him whom we receive by being ready to lay down our lives for one another as He has laid down His life for us.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Eucharist in Relation to Jesus Christ

Let us look at the Eucharist in relation to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is both God and man; begotten of the Father from all eternity in His divine nature, born in time of the Virgin in our human nature. He has saved us from sin and its consequences by the sacrifice that He offered for us on the Cross. That same sacrifice is made present for us in the Eucharistic liturgy, making it possible for us to unite ourselves to it and offer ourselves to the Father in union with Christ. In the Eucharist, we eat the body of Christ and drink His blood that we may become more perfectly one with Him and live with His life.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Church in Relation to God

“Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the Apostolic See, and, as laws may determine, on the bishop. Therefore no other person, not even a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.”22 My prayer is that the current effort by the Bishop in this diocese to better regulate the liturgy will truly bear fruit.

As Catholics, in order to have a basic understanding of the meaning of the Eucharist, we must see the Eucharist in relation to God, Jesus Christ, the Church, the individual, and the world. First, let us look at the Eucharist in relation to God. The purpose for which the world exists is to give glory to God by manifesting the perfection of God in the created order. The liturgy helps us to fulfill this purpose by uniting us to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and filling us with divine love and holiness. Impelled by this love we are prompted to draw all creatures to God and make them share more fully in the goodness that God wishes to communicate to them.

As creatures, we are required to offer God adoration, thanksgiving, reparation, and petition. This we do in an eminent way in the liturgy by uniting ourselves to the perfect worship of the Son and by approaching the throne of mercy through Him. God has graciously willed to establish a covenant of friendship between Himself and His people. The liturgy is the means by which we renew this covenant and receive from God the graces to live it faithfully.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Christ will forgive no sin without the Church

From a sermon by blessed Isaac of Stella, abbot:

"...The Church is incapable of forgiving any sin without Christ, and Christ is unwilling to forgive any sin without the Church. The Church cannot forgive the sin of one who has not repented, who has not been touched by Christ; Christ will not forgive the sin of one who despises the Church. What God has joined together, man must not separate. This is a great mystery, but I understand it as referring to Christ and the Church.

Do not destroy the whole Christ by separating head from body, for Christ is not complete without the Church, nor is the Church complete without Christ. The whole and complete Christ is head and body. This is why He said: No one has ever ascended into heaven except the Son of Man whose home is in heaven. He is the only man who can forgive sin."

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Contemplation

From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot:

"The first stage of contemplation, my dear brothers, is constantly to consider what God wants, what is pleasing to Him, and what is acceptable in His eyes. We all offend in many things; our strength cannot match the rectitude of God's will, being neither one with it nor wholly in accord with it; let us then humble ourselves under the powerful hand of the Most High God and be concerned to show ourselves unworthy before His merciful gaze, saying: Heal me, Lord and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved. And again, Lord, have mercy on me; heal my soul because I have sinned against you.

Once the eye of the soul has been purified by such considerations, we no longer abide within our own spirit in a sense of sorrow, but abide rather in the Spirit of God with great delight. No longer do we consider what is the will of God for us, but rather what it is in itself. For our life is in His will. Thus we are convinced that what is according to His will is in every was more advantageous and fitting for us. And so, concerned as we are to preserve the life of our soul, we should be equally concerned, insofar as we can, not to deviate from His will."

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass III

The Mass is above all and beyond all else a sacrifice, a renewal of the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the High Priest, on Calvary. It is therefore a very serious matter. In the words of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict: “The Eucharist is far more than just a meal; it has cost a death to provide it, and the majesty of death is present in it. Whenever we hold it, we should be filled with reverence and awe in the face of this mystery, with awe in the face of this mysterious death that becomes a present reality in our midst…” (Ratzinger, God is Near Us, p. 44).

The celebration of the Holy Mass was so utterly serious to the early Church martyrs that many risked their lives in order to celebrate it. For example, in the third century, Pope Sixtus II and companions were captured and subsequently martyred while celebrating Mass in the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus.

A Mass server should view his task as one of the most important duties he will ever perform in his life. All clergy, above all the Diocesan Bishop, must consider the celebration of the liturgy as their principal dhuty. The non-ordained faithful do not have a right to service at the altar for Mass or any other Liturgical function; rather they are capable of being admitted to such service by the Sacred Pastors.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Holy Eucharist II

“My God,” cried Moses, “show me, if it pleases Thee, Thy countenance, then I shall possess all things that I want.” How happy we Christians should be in the enjoyment of so many privileges which many others do not have! In the very presence of God is endless happiness for the good Christian—it is truly heaven upon earth!

When we contemplate all the things that God has made, heaven and earth and the wonderful order of creation, everything proclaims to us an almighty power which had created all things, a wonderful wisdom which rules over everything, a perfection in the highest degree which cares for everything with the same ease as if it had only one creature to occupy itself with.

But when we speak of the Most Holy Eucharist we can truly say that there is to be found no greater miracle of divine love for us. Here His majesty, His grace, and His goodness shine forth in a most extraordinary manner. This is the true bread which came down from heaven, the Bread of Angels that is given for the nourishment of our souls. Jesus Christ says: “Whosoever receives Me, will possess everlasting life, and he who does not receive Me, will die.”

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Priest in Relation to the Holy Ghost

By a special anointing of the Holy Ghost, the priest receives power to consecrate the Eucharist, forgive sins, and administer the other sacraments. Consecrated by the anointing of the Holy Ghost and sent by Christ, priests mortify the works of the flesh in themselves and dedicate themselves completely to the service of the people…

All of us have the responsibility to encourage vocations to the priesthood. Studies reveal that the most common and most influential reason why young men aspire to become priests is personal acquaintance with a priest. We must pray the Lord of the harvest that He may send laborers into His harvest. We must love Christ and the priesthood. We must be optimistic. We cannot always complain about what is wrong with the Church or the priests. Rather we must be people of great hope and confidence. Christ has already gained the victory for us! “If God is for us, who can be against us?” “We are more than conquerors because of Him who loved us.” Who wants to be a loser? If you are a winner, others will want to join your team.

In an eloquent sermon delivered at the first Mass of a newly ordained priest, a famous nineteenth century Dominican preacher spoke the following words:

“To live in the midst of the world without wishing its pleasures; to be a member of each family, yet belong to none; to share the sufferings of all; to be aware of people’s deepest secrets; to heal the wounds of all; to go from people to God and offer Him their prayers; to return from God to people to bring pardon and hope; to have a heart on fire with charity and a heart of bronze for chastity; to teach and to pardon, console and bless always. My God what a life! And it is yours, O priest of Jesus Christ!

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Priest as Victim

Christ came into the world to be the Victim for humanity, to take upon Himself our sins and to bear the chastisement due to them, to procure for humanity eternal life by His Passion and Sacrifice. We, as priests, have voluntarily agreed to continue here below Christ’s life as a Victim, to save mankind. Christ has made Himself the food for souls. Priests should likewise allow the faithful to consume as food their time, their strength, and their talents. The faithful must be allowed to try and to take advantage of a priest’s patience, to tax his health, and to use his goods, without expecting anything in return here below.

The grape is destined for the wine-press. Unless it is pressed, it will not give up its precious juice. The priest, following the example of Christ, is destined to be wasted for souls, giving up for them his time, his convenience, his life itself. Christ had no place to lay His head. He was born and brought up in poverty. He died abandoned on the Cross and had as a sepulcher a borrowed tomb.

How then can a priest allow himself to become engrossed in this world’s goods? Our kingdom is not of this world. We have here no fixed abode. Why should he attach himself to things that pass away? Priests, above all, must seek first to extend Christ’s kingdom on earth. If a priest is a priest with Christ, all other things will be given him in due time by God the Father in heaven.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

God's Truth Endures Forever

From the Imitation of Christ:

You thunder judgments upon me, O Lord: you shake all my bones with fear and dread, and my soul becomes severely frightened. I am bewildered when I realize that even the heavens are not pure in your sight.

If you discovered iniquity in the angels and did not spare them, what will become of me? The stars fell from heaven, and I, mere dust, what should I expect? Those whose works seemed praiseworthy fell to the depths, and I have seen those who once were fed with the bread of angels delighting in the husks of swine.

There is no holiness where you have withdrawn your hand, O Lord; no profitable wisdom if you cease to rule over it; no helpful strength if you cease to preserve it. For if you forsake us, we sink and perish; but if you visit us, we rise up and live again. We are unstable, but you make us firm; we grow cool, but you inflame us.

All superficial glory has been swallowed up in the depths of your judgment upon me. What is all flesh in your sight? Can the clay be glorified in opposition to its Maker? How can anyone be aroused by empty talk if his heart is subject in the truth to God?

The whole world cannot swell with pride the man who is subject to truth; nor will he be swayed by the flattery of all his admirers, if he has established all his trust in God. For those who do all the talking amount to nothing; they fail with their din of words, but the truth of the Lord endures forever.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Definition of the Priest

A priest is a man called by God and empowered by the Holy Ghost to act in the person of Christ as co-worker of the Episcopal order in serving the needs of God’s people through the ministry of word, sacrament and pastoral leadership. In carrying out this task the priest is to be a living sacrament of Christ the Shepherd, to whom he is configured through the sacrament of Holy Orders.

Priests, as co-workers with their bishops, have as their primary duty the proclamation of the gospel to all. In this way they carry out the Lord’s command, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature”…Priests owe it to everybody to share with them the truth of the Gospel. Therefore whether they proclaim the mystery of Christ to unbelievers, or teach the Christian faith, or explain the Church’s teaching, or treat contemporary problems in light of Christ’s teaching—in every case their role is to teach not their own wisdom, but the Word of God, and to summon all people urgently to conversion and to holiness.

Priests partake in the function of Christ the sole Mediator and thus announce the divine word to all. They exercise this sacred function most of all at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass where they act in the person of Christ and proclaim His mystery. Priests join the offering of the faithful to the sacrifice of the Head and in a movement of ascending mediation they lead the people in prayer to God. The priest does not exercise a role of mediation different from that of Christ, who is mankind’s one and all sufficient mediator. Rather, he is the instrument through whom Christ continues to exercise His mediation in the world.

Because it is joined with the Episcopal order, the office of priests shares in the authority by which Christ Himself builds up and sanctifies and rules His Body. To the degree of their authority and in the name of their bishop, priests exercise the office of Christ the Head and the Shepherd. Thus they gather God’s family together as a brotherhood of living unity, and lead it through Christ and in the Holy Ghost to God the Father. For the exercise of this ministry, as for other priestly duties, spiritual power is conferred upon them for the up building of the Church.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Daily Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Holy Mary, my Queen and sovereign Lady, I give you myself, trusting in your fidelity and your protection. I surrender myself entirely to your motherly tenderness, my body, my soul, all that I am, all that I possess, for the whole of this day, for every moment of my life, and especially at the hour of my death. I entrust to you once more all my hopes, all my consolations, all my anxieties, all my troubles, my life, my dying breath, so that by your prayers and merits, I may have, in all I do, one only goal, your good pleasure and the holy will of your Son.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching