The Sacraments - Confession The Eucahrist

     I know that many people call it reconciliation these days, and I like that.  It is fitting, if we understand the meaning of the sacrament.  When we are baptized, all sin is removed including original sin. But after having been baptized we are capable of committing sin again.  Once we do this, if the sin is grave, we place ourselves out side of the kingdom of God/Heaven.  Therefore, we need absolution or cleansing.
The genesis of this sacrament as all the sacraments was written by the first Catholics in the Gospel.  We documented Jesus establishing the sacrament along with that of Holy Orders in two places.  First when Jesus gives to St. Peter the keys to the kingdom of God/Heaven on earth, thus establising the papcy the epsicopate and the preisthood at once.   He also gives St Peter the power to forgive sins, with the words whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.

     Later on after his death and ressurection, he ordianed the remaining 10.  With the words, whose sins you forgive are forgiven, whose sins you retain are retained.  Thus the Lord instituted the papcy, the episcopate and the preisthood.  And of course, even though we did not write this down, the Gospels being a sort of outline for the training of bishops.  Jesus told his first bishops, as he always said when instituting a sacrament, continue to do likewise.

    And so we carried on the traidion with St. John ordaining St. Polycarp, and Polycarp in turn ordainingSt. Ireanus.  And that is the line of St. John -- the disciple that Jesus loved.  St Polycarp and St. Ireanus as a boy actually observed St. John writing his personal account of his relationship with Jesus -- the Gospel according to St. John.  This is Catholic history of tradition.  We have direct lineage to Our Lord and eye witnesses to the writing of the Gospel according to St. John.

    This morning I met with Father Oliver. He celbrated the 6:30 am spanish speaking mass at my home parish St. Andrew in Pasadena, Ca.  It is interesting that the bell tower of St. Andrew still works and it dominates the landscape of what is known as old Pasadena. It can be seen from the Rose parade route. The parade starts just west of Old Pasadena.

    Father Oliver is a very special friend to me, much like Father Paul whom he replaced at St. Andrew, and yet the two priests are very different.  Father Paul having come to the priesthood later in life, while Father Oliver, I think was a  preist all his life.   Or certainly he entered the seminary at age 13 in the Philippines.  Both men are very special to me.

   I first met Father Oliver before he came to St. Andrew.  I used to work in El Segundo.  Father Oliver also worked in El Segundo at St. Anthony's parish.  We met for the first time when during the Christmas Season of  2007, he heard my confession, and I went to mass.  St. Anthony's was in walking distance from my job.  I knew that Fr. Oliver had been given special charisms as Father Paul, but I won't tell you how I know these things.  Strange how God works though.  The one priest other than father Paul that I had developed a relationship with was Father Oliver.  Father Oliver was Father Paul's replacement in my home parish.  We are all in the same archdiocese of Los Angeles, which is the largest in the country.  If you know anything about L.A.'s geoography you know that El Segundo is pretty far from Pasadena. Father Paul's replacement by Father Oliver was no mere coincidence.

   So I cornered Father Oliver after the 6:30am Mass this morning, and asked if he would hear my confession.  Sometimes, as we all do, I struggle with a particular sin.  I do not like to walk around with sin on my soul even though given my situation as a trauma survivor this particular sin is mitigated, I'd rather be safe than sorry, and I most often opt to confess it.

     I like to go to confession once a week whether or not I have commited a mortal or grave sin.  I think this is a good practice for all.  A grave sin or mortal sin is the deliberate breaking of a commandment.  Whereas a venal sin or minor sin, which is not minor when one contemplates what purgatory is like, is one that is accedntal, one where we perhaps have a good motive but a bad end.  How many of us tell white lies to spare the feelings of another.  We should always tell the truth, but in a kind way.  Sins such as these would be venal.  I like to keep my soul clean and there is grace that I get from weekly confession.  There is grace from every sacrament.  God pours it out which is good, because, if you are anything like me you waste the graces given to you.   They slip through my hands like water.

     I go back every week, and I look forward to communion -- the Holy Eucharist the body and blood of Our Lord.  This nourishes my soul as does every sacrament.  We must always remember this.
  
     When we go to confession there are not two people present, myself and the priest but three.  Me,  the priest, and Jesus.  Three souls are present the body brings the soul to the grace that is present in the sacrament.

     And then their is the ultimate of the sacraments -- the Eucharist.  To be cleansed by confession each week and to take the Eucharist is my fruit.   Anyone who does not go to confession regularly and communion as well is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and Jesus warned us not to follow such as these.  You shall know them by their fruit.  Jesus was not talking here about the fruit of the Holy Spirit, but the fruit of their actions.  do they go to confession regularly, and do eat my flesh and drink my blood regularly.  There is great joy that comes from these graces.  It is difficult to explain to a protestant, who has never experienced these graces, and thus does not know what grace is.   to them grace is some sort of feeling.  you can hear them praise the Lord, yet it rings hollow.  Because there is not the depth.  The soul receiving the graces directly having been nourished by Our Lord's body and blood.  How do you explain to someone who has only feasted on old tuna sandwiches, what it is like to enjoy a full 7 course banquet prepared uniquely for them.  You can't they have no reference point.  This is a sad but true reality of grace in relation to protestantism.

      When we go to take the Eucharist it is the body bringing the soul to be fed.  It cannot be said that we understand these sacraments completely.  We do get the grace, but the sacraments themselves are mysteries.  Glorious mysteries.  We go to confession and we eat His flesh and we drink His blood because that is what He told us to do.  We go to confession again out of obedience to Jesus.  We take the Eucharist again because Jesus said whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, whoever does not eat my flesh and drink my blood has no life in him.  Many shook their heads saying this is a hard teaching who can accept it and followed him no more.  These were the first protestants.  Then and there they began the tradition of disobedience and settling for a stale old tuna sandwich.

copyright 2010 Fred Celio

The Bread of Life

The Gospel according to St. John Chapter 6, well I'm not a priest or any other theologian, and I only went through 7th grade in Catholic school. But it seems to me that this is the chapter that separates the men from the boys. The ones who accept Christ and follow His commands the ones who truly believe, even i what we do not understand from the ones who are willing to follow Jesus, whether or not we are able to fully comprehend what He says. And who can understand or would presume to understand fully the mind of God -- the logos the Word of God the word of God made flesh.

Jesus said that whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood there is no life in you. Ans so it is easy to understand why so many who called themselves followers of Jesus shook their heads and turned away or followed hm no more. As many who call themselves Christians still do to this day.

It is difficult to understand, how the body walks up to the priest or Eucharistic minister and eats bread and drinks wine; and at the same time the soul being carried to this point by a body whose mind does not but takes on faith and believes in the Word of God. The soul eats and takes nourishment from the body of Christ and from His blood. And so, as with the other sacraments, the body and mind shows faith by carrying the soul to it's nourishment. The result is grace, flowing directly from God into the soul, so that it can radiate, so that the soul can radiate it back to the world. For we are in the world but not of it. Our connection is Holy Mother Church through the Scriptures, the sacraments and doctrine. None of which we can fully understand, but how could the creature hope to understand the Creator. God himself is mystery,the reality of Jesus -- God incarnate -- is mystery. Blessed Mother, to whom we are closest, is a mystery or things about her are. Her immaculate conception, her grace, her humility, her remaining sinless, the grace she received by carrying and giving birth to God, her human and motherly love for the human Jesus as well as her worship and obedience to God. These are all mysteries, that we followers of Christ -- Universal Christians take on faith. Taking and eating the bread of life is an act of faith based on our belief. Our belief in the Word of God -- Jesus Christ. And so we shared this truth with the world when one of our first bishops St. John first recited his experience with Jesus at our first masses, and than preserved for as he wrote his Gospel, as witnessed by Sts. Polycarp and Ireanus.

And we have been doing this, expressing our faith, since Jesus first uttered these words.

I went to the 1230 mass today at my parish. I was a bit upset as my earthly love. my fiance, was cross and fearful last night. But I remembered that it was God who brought us together and we remain connected in love for God and each other. These things themselves are mysteries.

It's a challenging time for us, as I accept and impending layoff, which many are facing. And I did not share these news with her until recently, even though I had known for awhile. I did not wan her to worry so I lied by omission, and thus had the opposite affect -- actually increasing her insecurity and her willingness to help. Robbing her of an opportunity share in charitable love.

I think we men are susceptible to thee and have to work harder at sharing our days, events feelings revelations. My way is to work harder myself, even though God has a calling for me.

So, the rest of this day was filled with work, to leave a proper turnover.

I did see the movie "The Rookie" again, starring Dennis Quaid. A great film even if one does not like baseball. It is interesting the prominent role St. Rita plays in the film. So, many of us are critical of "Hollywood", but they do many things right as well.

I love living in Pasadena, although I would like to move to Santa Monica soon. Walking in Pasadena is like walking in a picture postcard. It is truly a blessing to be here.

No political commentary today, except praise for President Clinton for freeing he Journalists from North Korea.

Peace be with you all.

copyright 2009 Fred Celio