From Father Steven - June 12, 2022

​Car Show, Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
 
I hope that this title has confused your minds! How is it possible that we can put all these three things together? Very simply, those are our hidden treasures that we celebrate once a year. 
 
Every year, I have always walked down the street to the corner of Prospect and Main St. to take a peek at the cars. This year however; after all the masses, I adventured to look at all the cars. It is amazing how cool and awesome it was to see the beautiful design of the cars. But it is also “sad” that we don’t get to see them that often riding on the streets. Some of the cars are true hidden gems that are probably guarded very safely somewhere away from the curious eyes. The same can be said about our Trinity and the Body and Blood of Christ. Those are true gems that often are not seen and rarely spoken about. 
 
Although the Holy Trinity is a mystery and there is very little that we can comprehend, we believe that there is only one God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Not three different gods, but Three distinct persons in one God. If we look at a clover leaf or shamrock, as St. Patrick did in his days, we can understand a little how three leaves make one leaf. In such a similar way it is with God. Although, there is much more to the Holy Trinity than the shamrock. We are called to explore the mystery more deeply. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), which we should all own and read, dedicates 16 pages to the Holy Trinity. It speaks of the Holy Trinity in a succinct and precise way. The CCC continues for another 100 pages speaking on each person of the Holy Trinity. On Pentecost the Holy Trinity is finally revealed to us when we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, the work of the Creation of the Father, the Redemption of the Son, and the Sanctification of the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, it is only suitable that the Sunday after Pentecost be dedicated to the Holy Trinity.  Once again, unless we take this gem out of the garage of our knowledge or from our books, they remain hidden and no one can see them. 
 
The following week, we will be celebrating the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi. In the old days we celebrated it on Thursday after Trinity Sunday, but here in the United States of America, it has moved to Sunday. For almost 1000 years, the Church has always celebrated this day with a procession with the Blessed Sacrament through the streets around the churches. Even before the Reformation, the Church has always believed and affirmed that “By the consecration, the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is brought about. Under the consecrated species of bread and wine Christ himself, living and glorious, is present in a true, real, and substantial manner: His Body and His Blood, with His soul and His divinity” (CCC 1413 quoting the Council of Trent).  Unfortunately, many people nowadays do not believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. In spite of the many miracles around the world and even recently, where the consecrated host became the tissue of a human heart, and the consecrated wine became real human blood, people refuse to believe in it or ignore the miraculous. Recent studies have shown that even a major number of Catholics including practicing Catholics do not believe that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist, but that it is only a mere representation of him.  St. Alphonsus Liguori writes in a great reflection book titled Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, “Loving souls can find no greater delight than to be in the company of those whom they love. If we, then, love Jesus Christ much, behold we are now in his presence…let us console ourselves in his company; let us rejoice in his glory and in the love in which so many enamored souls bear him in the Most Blessed Sacrament.”  We are called first of all to be close to Jesus under the sacramental species, not only when he is present inside the tabernacle, but above all when he is exposed. We will have the special grace to do a 24 hour Adoration in the upper Church starting Wednesday, June 15th from 6:00pm through Thursday, June 16th 6:00pm in preparation for this special feast.  On Saturday, June 18th, the Archdiocese will be having a great Eucharistic Congress with Bishop Baron and other great speakers - you can buy the tickets at the door. For those not attending, parishioners will be working all day in creating a sawdust carpet with holy images on Prospect St., which will be closed for the weekend. Then on Sunday, at 2:30pm we will gather at Meehan Hall for a short period of adoration praying for peace in the world and for the renewal of our faith, and at 3:00pm all three communities will gather for a procession through downtown Marlboro. It will be our time to take our greatest gem out “from hiding” and show it to everyone!!!! Last year we had a great attendance, and I invite you to reach out to family and friends and invite them to celebrate this awesome event with us!
 
God Bless,
Fr. Steven