Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
On this feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God and gives us the divine bread in the Eucharist. Last Sunday, I taught you about the connection between the mutual love between the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and Holy Matrimony. The feast of the Body and Blood of Christ continues this lesson about the transmission of divine life in the sacraments. The Eucharist is the true body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ under the appearances of bread and wine. Before Jesus left his Apostles, he said: “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” He gave us his very Body and Blood in the last supper and continues to give us his divinity in each Mass.
I have a profound desire to offer the Holy Trinity to all, especially those most in need of healing and divine life. In obedience to Church teaching and our Archbishop, I invite all to the waters of Baptism, the eternal covenant of Holy Matrimony, and Holy Communion. Jesus manifests total mercy in his incarnation. It is not correct to say: “Father Paul refuses to baptize the babies of those who are not married in the Church.” The truth is that I love with compassion those who are unable to receive the Eucharist because of lack of marriage in the Church or because of previous marriage. The Church invites us to struggle to be holy, because it is possible and is a promise of Christ through the Holy Spirit. The Church offers the example of the Saints to proclaim in the words of Vatican II: “a universal call to holiness”. She understands that we are not perfect and her priests accept each sinner as they are today. Love for you demands that I encourage a life of Holiness, so that you can be assured of receiving eternal life.
Holiness is possible for ordinary people, not just extraordinary saints, priests, and nuns. Ordinary couples and common workers become holy by loving each other, educating the children in the faith and working with dignity because of love for God. It is a lie of Satan that it is impossible to be chaste and obey the law of God. Chastity does not mean to live without sex, but to live with respect for the dignity of God and of your partner. The virtues are objectives that the Church proposes for us to achieve little by little. When we fail, and all fail to love in some part of our life, Jesus invites us to receive the grace of mercy in Confession.
Jesus offers couples Holy Matrimony not as a restriction on freedom, but as a source of grace and joy according to the will of God for the family. When I tell you about your obligation to be married in the Church, I am inviting you to receive the best blessings that God wants for you and for your children. I proclaim the good of Holy Matrimony, because I want everyone to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. I invite you to receive all the graces of God, so that you can live in the peace that Christ promises to those who obey him. Do not accept false testimony, I want to bless you and help you to reach eternal life in heaven.
Your servant in Christ, Father Paul