A note about the Eucharistic fast. The Code of Canon law, specifically canon number 919, states, “One who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain from any food or drink, with the exception of water and medicine, for the period of at least one hour before Holy Communion.” In 1957, the Eucharistic fast was relaxed by Pope Pius XII from a complete fast after midnight to three hours before reception of Holy Communion. (One of the reasons Mass was offered so early in the morning was due to the fast. People were hungry!) It was further relaxed by Pope Paul VI in 1964 to the current rule. The changes were meant to encourage the faithful to receive Holy Communion more frequently. So what’s the deal? Why are we supposed to fast for one hour prior to the reception of Holy Communion? The Eucharistic fast is in place to help us more fully appreciate what it is, rather who it is, we are receiving in Holy Communion. Christian anthropology understands the body and the soul to be united, not separate. We are embodied souls. God himself took on flesh thereby sanctifying the body. In the person of Christ, divinity and humanity meet. By making the choice to fast and by activating the will to make that choice, we make a conscious effort to prepare ourselves more readily to receive Jesus Christ - Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. We dispose ourselves to hunger for the True food that has come down from heaven. Some have asked me if it is a sin not to fast before receiving Holy Communion. First, to be clear, the sick and elderly are exempt from the fast. Some people absolutely need food. The essence of sin is not the mere breaking of the law but the attitude in which the law is broken. So, someone who is required to fast but does not do so has not done something that is intrinsically wrong. Such a person has violated a legal requirement as set forth by the Church and their culpability (guilt) would be based on the reasons for not fasting. Was a person caught up in circumstances that contributed to their miscalculating the timing of reception of Holy Communion? If so, there is probably not a lot of culpability. Things happen. The Church knows that. Was a person forgetful about the timing of Holy Communion due to a lax attitude towards receiving Holy Communion and the laws of the Church? If so, there is probably some culpability. Was a person flippant and disdainful about receiving Holy Communion and the sacramental laws of the Church? If so, then there is most certainly moral culpability. Did the person know that it was a requirement to fast before receiving Holy Communion? If not, there would be no culpability. (But, now you know.) Receiving Holy Communion is an immense grace. It is the source and summit of the Christian life. May our hearts, minds, and bodies be properly disposed to receive this great gift!
May Crowning
One of the many memories I have from my childhood when I was in grade school at St. Paul School in Owosso, MI, is Wendy’s Frosties. Every year in May, St. Paul held May Crowning on a Monday evening, and all the kids who made their first Holy Communion that year would dress up in their first communion outfits. They would line up down the aisle of the church as sort of an “honor guard” while the rest of the kids would process into church carrying flowers in front of the servers and ministers. As the kids approached the altar, they would place the flowers into various vases at the foot of a statue of our Blessed Mother before making their way to their seats. During the service, as is customary, a couple of kids would then crown our Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven. What I remember so distinctly is, after May Crowning, we would all gather in the parish hall, and there would be utter chaos because we knew what was coming. Wendy’s was next door to the parish, so Fr. Kolenski and his staff coordinated with the restaurant to bring racks of trays of Frosties for the kids. This was the mid 1980s when there were still 250-300 kids at St. Paul School. That’s a lot of Frosties! By the time we got our Frosty, they were a little melted, but we didn’t care. This year, we are going to try something new! During the month of May, we have first communion, the Feast of Ascension, and the Feast of Pentecost which makes having May Crowning on a Sunday a little prohibitive. So, I would like to invite everyone to May Crowning on Monday, May 13 (Our Lady of Fatima) at 6:00 pm here in the church. We will have the liturgy of the Crowning of Mary and then we will gather near the firepit for Melting Moments ice cream sandwiches and s’mores. We are trying something new, and I hope that you will come help us honor our Blessed Mother.
Congratulations!
Congratulations to those confirmed last Wednesday! We had a beautiful celebration with Bishop Boyea and St. Mary’s Williamston. Please pray for the newly confirmed, that they continue to grow and mature in their faith and for a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
In-Pew Survey
This weekend during Masses, we will be conducting an in-pew survey to help guide our decision making regarding the potential combined capital campaign to support the parish’s initiatives and goals. Thank you all for your patience and for your participation. We want to hear from as many as possible, and this will help us toward that end.
Gospel Reflection
If you read John’s Gospel, you will notice three words that continually come up - believe, follow, and remain. In the eight verses we hear this weekend, the word remain is written eight times. To remain in the Lord means to be grafted to Him, to be yoked to Him, to become one with Him. As St. Paul writes, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live but Christ lives in me.” Remaining in the Lord is fundamental to the life of a Christian and for salvation. He is the true vine, and we are the branches sent on mission to bear fruit for the Kingdom. Apart from the Lord, we can do absolutely nothing. It is so difficult to remain in the Lord. The culture, our egos, our desires pull us in so many different directions. Much of the time we allow ourselves to be pulled away from the Lord. It is important that we have people in our lives to encourage us in our discipleship and that we be encouragers ourselves. Today, we pray together in the responsorial Psalm, “I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.” Two of the best pieces of advice that I have ever received came from one of the formators at Sacred Heart Major Seminary - Fr. Daniel Jones (may he rest in peace). He said two things: ·“There are no lone rangers in the spiritual life,” and ·“There is nothing in my life that at least one other person doesn’t know.” In the first reading from Acts of the Apostles,
St. Barnabas, not one of the original Twelve but rather an honorary Apostle, “...took charge of Paul and brought him to the apostles.” The name Barnabas means Son of Encouragement. Brothers and sisters, we cannot live the Christian life in isolation. We need encouragement to take up our crosses daily and follow after the Lord - to remain in Him. We also have to be encouragers for others. We are all in this together! May we pray for the encouragement we need and to be encouraging for our brother and sister Christians. Know of my prayers for each of you! Fr. Ryan