Baptism into the Kingdom - Solemnity of Jesus Christ the King - Homily, November 20th, 201611/20/2016
What brings us into God's Kingdom? Jesus Christ opens the way through the Cross and Baptism, and offers his mercy to keep us close to Him.
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We can't abandon our faith as we head to the voting booth, rather Jesus Christ and His Church are what we need to take to the voting booth.
How do we vote as Catholics? We must vote as Catholics, with a Catholic Conscience, and seeking to build a just society that advances the Kingdom of God.
The world is in dire need of families and marriages that are truly sacrificial. This is the antidote to the world, which desires to use and abuse with selfish abandon.
Why are we pro-life? Because we are pro-human and pro-love. When we allow abortion and other attacks on the dignity of life from conception to natural death, we turn others into objects to be used, not loved. There are so many that have been hurt by abortion, and there is hope for them to find healing and peace. To find post-abortion healing and peace, contact Rachael's Vineyard at www.rachelsvineyard.org.
When the priest, and also the people, come to Mass their purpose is to offer a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord. The sacrifice of a humble and contrite heart, which is the most pleasing offering to God, as we see in Psalm 51 (v. 17). We do this by joining our lives to the offering of Jesus Christ to the Father which the priest offers on the altar, acknowledging our weakness and need for God to be the strength in our lives.
The priest washes his hands as an outward expression of the cleansing of his heart and mind which he asks of God so that he may worthily offer his service in the place of Christ, the one High Priest. Having asked for cleansing, the priest has a renewed strength to go to the altar of God and celebrate the sacred mysteries. Often there is a special sink in the sacristy for the washing of the priest’s hands with the prayer posted nearby. The picture included here is a picture of this special sink in the sacristy of the English Seminary in Rome. In the next few articles we will look at each vestment, it’s meaning, and the prayer that is said as it is put on. Check back over the next few weeks for subsequent articles on the liturgical vestments. If you’ve never been in the sacristy while the priest is preparing for mass, you may be asking yourself what it would look like. While there are many things to prepare, like the chalice, paten, hosts, water and wine, and other items, the priest usually dons his vestments as the last thing to do before mass begins.
While he is vesting, there are prayers that he says which accompany each vestment, calling to mind the character of the vestment and the symbolic meaning that shows the identity of Christ which he has been given at his ordination. These prayers help him to remember the sacred duty he is about to undertake, and aid him in being recollected to not just ‘do mass’ or another liturgical event, but to pour out his heart and commit his mind to the sacred offering he is about to make to the Father in the place of Jesus Christ, whose identity he has by ordination. In the next few articles we will look at each vestment, it’s meaning, and the prayer that is said as it is put on. Check back over the next few weeks for subsequent articles on the liturgical vestments.  Vestments come in different colors to mark the distinctive character of the liturgical day we are celebrating. The liturgical calendar is the appointment of specific days of the year to remember the great example of the saints. We can think of these like birthdays or anniversaries – they happen on the same date of each year. Throughout the year there are also seasons to the liturgical calendar. The liturgical year starts with season of Advent followed by the season of Christmas. Ordinary time follows for a few weeks, before we begin Lent for a period of 6 weeks. Then the three-day season of the Triduum (latin for “three days”) includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Easter begins with the Vigil of the Resurrection on the evening of Holy Saturday. Easter then goes for 7 weeks until Pentecost. Then we resume Ordinary time were we left off before Lent. The vestment colors match the character of the liturgical days and seasons. Below is a list of the colors and the seasons or saints’ feast days for which they are used.
Red – Used in celebrating Good Friday, when Jesus shed His blood in atonement for our sins, and on Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles as tongues of flame. Red is also worn when we celebrate the martyrs, who shed their blood in witness to the Faith.
Green – Worn during Ordinary time. Ordinary time celebrates the working of the Holy Spirit; green reminds us of the growth (like the plants and trees in the springtime) that the Holy Spirit wants to bring in our relationship with God. During Ordinary time we hear about Jesus’ miracles, teachings, and example which helps us to grow closer to the Lord. Violet – Used in the seasons of penance, Advent and Lent. These season are marked by purification and preparation so that we are ready for the coming feasts. Rose – Used on two Sundays, both of them halfway through the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent. They symbolize the lightening of the heart because the time of penance is closer to an end and rejoicing will soon begin with the coming of Christmas or Easter, respectively. Black – Not commonly seen, but this color can be used on All Souls day and at funerals. These days are marked by mourning for those we loved who have died. The priest wears black because the Church here on earth is in mourning, however the vestments are trimmed in silver or gold – a sign that we have a reason to hope in the Resurrection of the dead into Eternal Life. Check back over the next few weeks for subsequent articles on the liturgical vestments.
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Fr. Chris Gernetzke
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Isn't it strange how many Christians, who take their time and have leisure enough in their social life (they are in no hurry), in following the sleepy rhythm of their professional affairs, in eating and recreation (no hurry here either), find themselves rushed and want to rush the Priest, in their anxiety to shorten the time devoted to the most holy Sacrifice of the Altar?
- St. Josemaría Escrivá |