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

The Blessed Trinity

When the Holy Ghost dwells within us, the Word who gives us the Holy Ghost dwells within us as well. Furthermore, the Father is also present in the Word. This is why Saint Paul says: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all!" Grace and the gift of the Trinity are given by the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit.

Saint Paul came to know Christ better than anybody else. Saint Paul became the very image of Christ and so he was able to say: "It is no longer I who live, it is Christ who lives in me." This is what we strive for as Christians. It is a lofty goal, but one that Christ Himself wishes us to attain!

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Risen Christ

Our risen Lord before His resurrection established His Church. He set it up in a hierarchical fashion in order to govern all the faithful in His name until the end of time. Christ taught His disciples His divine word. He instructed them in the eternal truths which in turn have been revealed to mankind. The word of God is equivalent to revelation. Revelation and grace are among our most precious gifts.

God has revealed His word to man since the beginning of the world. He spoke to us through the prophets. In the fullness of time God sent to us His Only Begotten Son. There will be no further revelation. God has led us into the fullness of the truth found in His holy Catholic Church. We must embrace this truth with our whole hearts and thus strive to please our God.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Pray for Priests

We live in a world where God’s Church and its Commandments are despised. The preaching of His Word and the observance of His precepts are hindered. Religion is driven from the school, justice from the workplace, morality from the home and from society. The banishment of religion means the banishment of both peace and prosperity. In the wake of this disaster come only revolution and war. We must pray that God's Church be restored to its proper place. Pray that your priests will be faithful to the Holy Father and all that the Holy Catholic Church teaches. Pray that they will lead the effort in restoring peace and prosperity to our nation and world.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching