‘Only at Catholic Mass can I receive Jesus in the
Eucharist’
By Father Stephen Thorne
Special to the CS&T
Greeting
people after celebrating Mass recently, I commented to a parishioner that
I was glad she came to Church in spite of the snow and ice.
She told me that she came to Mass on a cold, wintry day because of her
love for the Eucharist. She said, “Father, I could go to any church
to worship, but only at Catholic Mass can I receive Jesus in the Eucharist.”
Her comment caused me to reflect on the great gift we have, as Catholics,
in the Eucharist. It also caused me to remember, with great thanksgiving,
that my parents loved me so much they had me baptized a Catholic. They
also made sure that I went to Mass every Sunday.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states this regarding the Eucharist:
“At the Last Supper, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice
of His body and blood. This He did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice
of the cross throughout the ages until He should come again, and so to
entrust to this beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of His death and
resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bound of charity”
(CCC 1323).
So often, we find ourselves very busy with our commitments to family and
friends, work and school. However, we must never be too busy to worship
God at Sunday Mass. For at the celebration of the Eucharist, we are invited
to a “most sacred banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind
is filed with grace and a pledge of future glory is given to us.”
In the African American community, we often say — “God is
good all the time!” Yes, that is so true, so let us celebrate His
goodness every Sunday, in all kinds of weather.
Father Thorne serves as the Archdiocesan Director of the Office for
Black Catholics and is Pastor of Saint Therese Parish in Mount Airy.
Some
good news in the Black Catholic community
• On March 29, a delegation from the Diocese of Brooklyn led by
Auxiliary Bishop Guy Sansaricq, visited the Saint Peter Claver Center
for Evangelization, as part of Brooklyn’s exploration of the possibility
of establishing a similar center.
• The boys basketball team from Saint Benedict Catholic School in
East Germantown won the archdiocesan championship.
• Saint Athanasius Parish welcomed 35 new members at the Easter
Vigil.
• Saint Ignatius Parish welcomed 29 new members at the Easter Vigil.
• Saint Francis de Sales Parish welcomed 21 new members at the Easter
Vigil.
• Three lay leaders will receive their MAAC certificates at the
Religious Studies graduation May 24 at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary.
The MAAC program is focused on leadership in the African American Catholic
community.
• Dozens of laity and clergy from the African American Catholic
community of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are preparing to participate
in the Tenth National Black Catholic Congress, scheduled July 21 through
July 15 in Buffalo, N.Y.