Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On this Feast of the Ascension we contemplate the revelation that Christ is our High Priest before the throne of God. We also honor and celebrate Mother’s Day, as we give thanks to all our mothers who gave birth to us, taught us our prayers, and nurtured us as we grew from babies to adults. In most of my Parishes, we celebrate First Holy Communion, the sacrament of Jesus’ true presence that helps us and makes us holy. Who would not want to have Jesus in their soul and to be strengthened by his presence every Sunday? So many today do not take the Holy Eucharist to be a totally holy reception of Jesus Christ, so I would like to share the experience of two Carmelite nuns in receiving First Holy Communion. Let your hearts be stirred by love.

St. Thérèse’s First Communion: “At last the most wonderful day of my life arrived, and I can remember every tiny detail of those heavenly hours…How lovely it was, that first kiss of Jesus in my heart…I knew that I was loved and said, ‘I love You, and I give myself to You forever.’” On that day it was a complete fusion: “We were no longer two, for I had disappeared like a drop of water lost in the mighty ocean. Jesus alone remained…It was joy alone, deep ineffable joy that filled my heart.”

At the age of ten St. Teresa of Los Andes, before her First Communion, became a new person by understanding that God was going to dwell within her. She set about acquiring the virtues that would make her less unworthy. In her First Communion she received the mystical grace of hearing Jesus speaking to her. God transformed her natural inclinations to be proud, self-centered, and stubborn. She carried out continual warfare on every impulse that did not arise from love. Four years later Jesus told her that she would be a Carmelite and that holiness must be her goal. With abundant grace and the generosity of a girl in love, she gave herself to prayer, to acquiring virtue. She reached a high degree of union with God. A bride’s love pervaded her with a desire to unite herself to him. At fifteen she made a vow of virginity for 9 days and continually renewed it from then on.

Both of these Carmelite saints were taught to love God and the Blessed Virgin Mary by their mothers. We also thank our mothers for their prayers and for teaching us the faith and our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Of course, we are not all called to be cloistered saints, but we are called to become saints through the sacraments of the Church, especially Communion. I pray that the Holy Spirit will open all hearts to understand the true presence of Christ in Holy Communion. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. The sacraments make us the Church in Baptism, and Holy Communion increases in us the grace of Baptism.

I appeal to all who have broken hearts over not being able to receive Holy Communion to speak with a priest. We long to love and support you as beloved children of God. We want to help you to take part in the life of the Parish, as much as possible, in relation to your status regarding Holy Matrimony.

May the peace of Christ set your hearts on fire,

Father Paul