The Source and Summit of Our Faith

06-02-2024Pastor's LetterVery Rev. Richard C. Wilson, VF, Pastor

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today, we solemnly celebrate the Eucharistic presence of Christ among us, the “gift par excellence”: “This is my body… This is my blood.” (Mark 14:22, 24) May we evoke in our souls the “Eucharistic Wonder” as encouraged by Pope Saint John Paul II.

In their Passover meal the Jewish people commemorated the history of salvation, the wonders God bestowed upon his people, especially the liberation from the slavery in Egypt. In this commemoration, each family ate the Paschal lamb. Jesus Christ becomes the new and definitive Paschal lamb sacrificed on the Cross and eaten in the Eucharistic Bread.

The Eucharist is sacrifice: it is the sacrifice of Christ's immolated body and his blood shed for all of us. This was anticipated at the Last Supper and continues to be renewed in each Eucharist. In the Eucharist we find our nourishment: it is the new food that gives life and strength to the Christian as he walks towards the Father and towards eternal life. The Eucharist means the presence of Christ among us. The risen and glorified Christ remains with us in a mysterious, yet real way in the Eucharist. This presence demands an attitude of adoration on our part and a personal communion with Him. The Eucharistic presence ensures that He remains with us and carries out the work of salvation.

The Eucharist is a mystery of faith. It is the center and the key to the life of the Church. It is the source and root of Christian existence. Without the Eucharist, the Christian faith would be reduced to a philosophy or a series of intellectual beliefs.

With the institution of the Eucharist Jesus gives us the commandment to love one another. This is not merely the last recommendation of a friend who is leaving or of a father who sees death approaching. It is the affirmation of the energy that He instills in us. Through Baptism, we begin a new life, which is nourished by the Eucharist. The enthusiasm of this life leads us to love our neighbors, growing until it becomes life-giving: by this they will know that we are Christians.

“I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:52)

May we worthily and respectfully receive the Holy Eucharist in joyful expectation of the eternal life that our Lord promises.

All the best…in Christ,

Father Wilson