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The Eucharist – the beginning of the ChurchNOVEMBER 6, 2009 | A year has passed since we began our celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Diocese of Palm Beach. Today we celebrate its conclusion on the actual 25th anniversary of the beginning of our wonderful diocese on Oct. 24, 1984, as decreed by the great Pope John Paul II. • • • The sacrament of the Church’s unityOCTOBER 23, 2009 | In a newly published work of reflections by priests on the Eucharist and priestly spirituality, “Born of the Eucharist,” edited by S. Rossetti, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York recounts a moving experience of the unifying power of the Eucharist in his own life. • • • Behold the Lamb of GodOCTOBER 9, 2009 | One of the most moving and theologically accurate depictions of the Eucharist is the 15th-century Ghent Altarpiece or “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.” It is a very large and complex early Netherlandish panel painting, which is considered to be one of Belgium’s masterpieces as well as one of the world’s treasured art pieces. • • • Deacons: servants of the body of christSEPTEMBER 25, 2009 | Today we will ordain our brothers David, Mark, Peter and James to the diaconate for the service of the Diocese of Palm Beach. They will receive the sacrament of holy orders and join an especially fine college of deacons in our diocese in becoming servants of the people of God. They have prayed and studied for several years to prepare for this day and we are all delighted that it has arrived. • • • Eucharistic miraclesSEPTEMBER 11, 2009 | A miracle is a direct intervention by God in the natural order which causes something extraordinary to occur. The best examples of miracles are those which Jesus himself performed. The Gospels contain many examples of these, such as Jesus curing and healing infirm people, calming storms, multiplying loaves and fishes to feed the multitude and turning water into wine. The lives of the saints sometimes exhibit miraculous occurrences, such as the stigmata borne by St. Padre Pio. • • • The Eucharist: the heart of the priesthoodAUGUST 28, 2009 | Part of our diocesan jubilee year, centered on the Eucharist, coincides with the current Year for Priests invoked by Pope Benedict XVI. The Year for Priests, which began on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart, is a special year of grace for the entire Church. It affords all of us the opportunity to reflect on the sublime gift of the ordained priesthood and on the ministry which our dedicated priests carry out for us in the Diocese of Palm Beach. • • • The Eucharist: a family eventAUGUST 14, 2009 | By its very nature, the celebration of the Eucharist is a family event. Indeed, Jesus instituted the Eucharist in a familylike setting at the Last Supper. Just as we gather around our tables at home to share a meal, so we gather around the altar of Christ to celebrate his sacrifice and to share his body and blood. • • • Holding God in our handsJULY 17, 2009 | In the ‘60s, when I was in high school, I was very moved by an incident which a priest recounted in a homily regarding the nature of the Eucharist. He said that a man approached him for prayers and specifically asked the priest “to remember me when you hold God in your hands.” At first, the priest thought the man’s words were very poetic, but then immediately realized the man was referring to the priest’s holding of the host at Mass once it had become the body of Christ. • • • You have set us freeJULY 3, 2009 | At this time of the year, we celebrate the birth of our great nation and the freedom that we enjoy as its citizens. The Declaration of Independence, the foundational document of our country, is more than a declaration of America as an independent nation. • • • St. Paul and the EucharistJUNE 19, 2009 | June 29, the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, will bring to a conclusion the “Year of St. Paul.” This special year invoked by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, began on the same solemnity last year to mark the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of St. Paul. • • • The Pentecost of the EucharistJUNE 5, 2009 | Pentecost truly takes place during the celebration of the Eucharist. In fact, the Pentecost of the Eucharist accomplishes in the fullest manner what occurred when the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles and the Church was born. • • • Immersed in ChristMAY 22, 2009 | During his chrism Mass homily this year at St. Peter’s Basilica, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, shared some very personal words about the eve of his ordination to the priesthood. He reflected, “On the eve of my priestly ordination 58 years ago, I opened the sacred Scripture because I wanted to receive once more a word from the Lord for that day and for my future journey as a priest. My gaze fell upon this passage: ‘Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.’ Then I realized: The Lord is speaking to me. This very same thing will be accomplished tomorrow in me. When all is said and done, we are not consecrated by rites, even though they are necessary. The bath in which the Lord immerses us is himself – the truth in person. Priestly ordination means being immersed in him, immersed in the truth. I belong in a new way to him and to others, ‘that his kingdom may come.’” • • • Give us this day our daily breadMAY 08, 2009 | Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer we ask our Father to “give us this day our daily bread.” It is a fundamental request for food and daily sustenance. Food is a necessity of life which nourishes us and keeps us alive. Food is also something which we enjoy and draws us into communion with others. We generally take our meals with our families and friends, and a great deal of preparation goes into making the meal enjoyable. • • • They knew him in the breaking of the breadAPRIL 24, 2009 | In most of the encounters between Jesus and his disciples after his resurrection, there is an uncertainty on the part of the disciples as to the recognition of the Risen Lord. The classic example of this is the encounter of Christ with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. • • • Chrism Mass homily: “A Tale of Two Cities”APRIL 10, 2009 | “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” So begins Charles Dickens’ famous novel “A Tale of Two Cities,” a story set in France and England, both of which were to face political revolutions. This work involves an intricate plot that centers on resurrection. At the conclusion of the novel, its protagonist, Sydney Carton, goes to the guillotine in the place of another. He figuratively re-enacts the expiatory death of Christ on the cross. In a particular way, Carton represents the sacrificial nature of priesthood. • • • St. Joseph: provider for the Bread of LifeMARCH 27, 2009 | St. Joseph holds a very prominent role in the life of Christ and the life of the Church. He is the husband of Mary, the mother of Christ; the patron of the universal Church; and a saint with whom all people can easily identify. He was not a prominent historical figure and very little is known about him from the sacred Scriptures. In fact, he does not speak one word in the Scriptures. From what we know, it is obvious that he was a very humble, kind and devoted father and husband who gave his total life to his family. It is also obvious that he was a hard-working man, a carpenter, who labored diligently to provide for his family. This is also why he is the patron of workers. • • • The seal of God’s covenant: the EucharistMARCH 13, 2009 | Popular opinion is that many are leaving the Church, no longer wish to support it and do not desire to become part of it. My own experience is that such is far from the reality. In fact, my experience is that most Catholics are more than supportive of their Church in so many ways. They realize that the Church is Christ’s. He has promised to remain with it as his presence in this world through the sacraments and especially in the Eucharist. • • • The Eucharist – The Cornerstone of LentFEBRUARY 27, 2009 | The season of Lent is already upon us. We have before us the grace of a 40-day period to prepare for the celebration of the paschal mystery. We do so by examining our lives more closely to see how we can grow in a deeper relationship with the Lord and to understand better the purpose of our lives. Prayer, penance, fasting and positive works of charity are all means to help us during this sacred time. Perhaps one of the most popular and efficacious practices during the Lenten season is that of a more frequent celebration of the Eucharist. This more intense celebration of Mass certainly leads us to the center of the paschal mystery. Indeed, every other practice of Lent should bring us to a more profound respect for the primary place of the Eucharist in our lives and that of the Church. • • • Forty Hours devotionFEBRUARY 13, 2009 | One of the eucharistic devotions that the parishes of our diocese are participating in during our 25th anniversary is that of Forty Hours devotion. Since we are celebrating that we are “25 Years – A Eucharistic People,” this particular devotion gives us a unique and uniform manner to gather in our individual parishes to adore the real presence of Jesus Christ among us in the Eucharist. The purpose of this devotion is to lead us to the full celebration of the Eucharist and, as such, is a wonderful opportunity of grace and growth. Forty Hours devotion is one of those recommended by Pope Benedict XVI in his apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist, “Sacramentum Caritatis” (“Sacrament of Charity”). • • • Mary, ‘Woman of the Eucharist’JANUARY 30, 2009 | Mary holds a special place in the life of our diocese. She is our patroness under her title as “Queen of the Apostles.” We are privileged to have Mary as our patroness as she holds a preeminent place in the church as its mother and as the perfect disciple of Christ. As we continue to celebrate our 25th anniversary as a diocesan family centered on the Eucharist, it is so fitting for us to look to our patroness in relationship to the Eucharist. • • • The new year and the gift of lifeJANUARY 16, 2009 | Of all the symbols for the new year, the newborn baby speaks the most. The child represents life and all the hopes and aspirations that are part of it. A new year is a gift, but not as great a gift as that of life itself. • • • 70 years of good news in southern FloridaJANUARY 2, 2009 | This issue of the Florida Catholic is a significant one. It marks not only the first for a new year, but also the beginning of the celebration of the Florida Catholic’s 70-year history. This is significant for us in the Diocese of Palm Beach as we continue to celebrate our 25th year. The Florida Catholic has covered news in the Catholic Church in Florida for 70 years and we are part of that coverage since our inception 25 years ago. A Catholic newspaper is an important part of a diocese’s life and proclamation of the Gospel.
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