It is very heard to understand how day after day for certuries now, Christians have met for the Eucharist in such small groups of people as we have today, here at Immaculate Conception. I presume that Christ had this in mind when he instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper. The Eucharist, as it takes place in the Catholic Liturgy is a Sacred Mystery and the Church views all of the actions of the Eucharistic Liturgy as being sacred actions also. For example, the introit, 'I confess to you Almighty God,' the Church dispenses her grace thru these actions, where the people of God confess their sins together with the Priest. [The Church also believes that onece a priest is ordained, whether he is faithful or not, the sacrament is always valid, regardless of the personal life of the Priest.] The Church dispenses grace because as the sacred institute of Christ, the Church is united to Christ as body to the head and thru the actions of the Body the head dispenses grace won by his Sacred Passion, Death and Resurrecion. My experience of the Liturgy goes back to the early 70's when I was able to join the sisters in prayer, and it was those days that put such a profound effect on my life. There is something so awe-inspiring about these actions that even, when I experience a totally silent participation of the Liturgy, there is something so supernatural taking place in the Church at these times. This experience has stayed with me not only here at Immaculate Conception, but also at every parish I have ever been part of. It also coincides with my growth in faith, hope, and charity. As this morning when I attended this Holy Litrugy I felt the pull of the flesh against the spirit and the division in the Mystical Body, for all who attend have some different degree of faith and participation in the Divine Presence of the Lord. Despite the fact that the Liturgy can overall be rather dry and a source of trial for one's faith, for it always calls forth a greater degree of self-gift ot the Incarnate Word who is present in the Church and in the Priest, still there is something that is absolutely uplifting for body, mond, and spirit. Now, none of this will ever make sense unless a person has faith, and when I say faith, I mean just that, the infused gift of faith in Divine Revelation; otherwise, none of this will ever make sense. This faith that we profess, is to some people just a word, like when someone tells me something, I belive it on the word of another. But we have to get beyond the mere human understanding of this word to its divine origins-it is absolutely a gift of God and no one can minic it. It is like trying to minic that you are a rocket scientist, but you only have a first grade education or that you have a law degree from Harvard but have never set foot within a Court Room or never opened a law book. First of all, faith has to come from within in the deepest part of your Spirit. When you practice your faith, you are absolutely vulnerable to God and every other on teh face of the earth; you are at the heart of all creation, you pplace your entire destiny in the hands of God, there is no going bacak, there is only one way forward. Everyone can do whatever they want to you, but it just doesn't matter, since you are there to serve Jesus Christ. The moment that you realize that you are bread for the world and lunch for the worldly, then you start to open the door of faith to the reality that it is-a Mystery of God's Love for Mankind, a Way in which God reveals himself moment by moment to all of us. But more than this way of thinking about Faith, it is YOUR salvation in Christ and it is a key that you have to start to practice moment by moment to make it real. This seems to be sufficient for today!

IP CRL