Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • June 23, 2023 13 At the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, when the gifts are being brought to the Altar, we are each called to prayerfully and intentionally present ourselves as part of those gifts. When we surrender on the Altar our families, our ministries, our work, our prayers, our worries, our joys, our suffering, our bless- ings, our very selves, we encounter Jesus in a more intimate way. We give Him the opportunity to trans- form our gift of our sinful and broken selves, our sur- render, and He is able to unite our gifts to Himself. When we approach the Altar to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord, we receive Him in a more profound and deeply personal way when we have first offered ourselves along with our tithes and the gifts of bread and wine. When the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is offered to us and we reply, “Amen!” (Yes! Let it be so!), we are united to Jesus with our “Amen!” And through our “Amen,” we are inviting Him into our lives, not just for that moment, but we are to visibly live out our “Amen” throughout the rest of the day and in the week ahead until we receive Him again in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, to once again surren- der ourselves and our, “Amen!” This is what makes us Catholic! Every time we cel- ebrate the Eucharist there is an explosion of grace that goes out to all who are present. Our faith is supernatural and transcends the boundaries of visible and invisible. During the Liturgy of the Eucharist and particularly during the Eucharistic Prayer, time and space collapses and we are linked to the Last Supper and Heaven reaches down to touch us and we reach up to touch Heaven! When Heaven touches the Altar, I know we are not alone. I experience the Communion of Saints in a real way during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Both of my parents, since their passing, have stood on each side of me during the celebration of the Mass and it literally brings me to tears of great joy. But it doesn’t stop with my parents, they bring my relatives. I also meet saints that I am devoted to their example of Christian life. They join in the celebration around the Altar, and not last or least, Jesus is present in a tangible way. I can feel the intersection of Heaven and Earth and all I can say is, WOW! So, if you see me come to tears or you see a smile come upon my face when I am praying the Mass, you will know the Saints have joined us for Mass. I was celebrating Mass when I had been a priest for about 25 years and I had an experience with the Eucharist during the prayer of Consecration. I visioned each person at Mass being physically hit by the grace of God. It appeared as lightning bolts going out from the Host and through everyone present. It is a powerful moment of grace that happens each time we are at Mass. I have witnessed an explosion of grace after the elevation of the Body of Christ and the Chalice of His Blood. For me, it is a balm for the wounds, division, and chaos of this world. It is an answer to the lack of hope in our world. It is the Sacrament of Hope, through the Death, Resurrection, and the Ascension of Jesus! It is as simple as Jesus’ presence with us at Mass, Jesus in His love for us, Jesus forsaken, and Jesus as Savior. When each of us are truly present to our full capac- ity in every part of the Mass, the Mass is reinvigorated through us. When we offer ourselves to our Lord during Mass, we allow ourselves to be changed by His love and we are recreated -- and we have this opportunity each time we fully participate at Mass! SEE BISHOP’S COLUMN IN SPANISH, PAGE 6 Bishop’s Column From page 3 Bishop Steven R. Biegler of Cheyenne, Wyoming, said he appreciated the document’s beautiful descrip- tion of the Christian relationship to God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. “What I find lacking is that communal relationship to the Body of Christ ... that puts us in solidarity with one another as brother and sister,” he said. However, other bishops pushed back against delay- ing the document, noting the hard work that went into developing it, and that the document was meant to be a guide adapted to the realities of local churches. Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt, ordained as a priest for the Servants of the Eucharist and Mary, who is an auxiliary for the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut, said the term “spiritual fatherhood” is “actually a term that is more familiar and clear for those who are young- er in the priesthood.” Ultimately, the bishops approved the formation document with 144 voting in favor, 24 against, and eight abstentions. The discussion and vote on priorities for the 2025- 28 USCCB strategic plan were put on hold so that the bishops could reflect upon and, presumably, include some of the discussion from the synod conversations. In a voice vote, the bishops approved beginning the process of consultation and revision of ethical direc- tives for Catholic health care facilities to guide them in caring for people suffering from gender dysphoria and who identify as transgender. Bishop Flores said potential changes would be “lim- ited and very focused” in nature, and involve extensive consultation. He praised the calls from bishops on the floor for a “pastorally sensitive” approach to the com- plex topic. The U.S. bishops also voiced approval for the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth to move ahead on drafting a new pastoral statement for persons with disabilities. “We do believe a new statement is needed to address disability concerns in the 21st century,” Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, the committee’s chair, told the bishops June 16. The intend- ed statement aims to emphasize the giftedness of per- sons with disabilities, eliminate outdated forms of referring to persons with disabilities, and would be inclusive of persons who have mental illnesses. During the discussion, Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley of Boston joined Bishop John T. Folda of Fargo, North Dakota, in noting the importance of Catholics being allied with the disability community against assisted suicide, and the cardinal asked for more attention to support parents of children with autism. The bishops also heard an update on the upcoming World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, and were encour- aged to have their own stateside events for youth and young adults “to form them as missionary disciples.” Finally, just before the bishops concluded their assembly, Bishop Earl A. Boyea of Lansing, Michigan, chair of the bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, discussed The Catholic Project’s 2022 study of 10,000 Catholic religious and diocesan priests that found most priests distrust their bishops with only 24% saying they had confidence in bishops in general. Bishop Boyea encouraged the bishops to help priests “feel kinship and fraternity with us” through better personal communication, such as recognizing important moments in their lives, and better lines of communicating information to them. “This is not the completion, but a beginning, to heal our relationship,” he said of the report. At the conclusion of their assembly, recognizing it was the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the bishops prayed together the Litany of the Sacred Heart, invoking Jesus’ heart repeatedly to “have mercy on us.” Peter Jesserer Smith is the national news and fea- tures editor for OSV News. Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Contributing to this report were Jean Gonzalez, proj- ects editor for The Florida Catholic Media in Orlando; Tony Gutiérrez, writing for OSV News from Arizona; and Maria-Pia Negro Chin, Spanish editor for OSV News. Orlando23 Wrap From page 1