_{Holy Spirit Catholic Church
Homilies}

 _{Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (c) 2010}

The Mass is the great, central act of our religion as Catholics.  Because the Mass is an action of Christ, the High Priest, and of his body, the Church, it is a sacred action surpassing all others.  Nothing can equal the power of the Mass or substitute for its importance.

The Mass is so rich that we do not seem to be able to settle on a single designation.  The Mass is the un-bloody sacrifice of the cross, it is the Lord's Supper, it is the living memorial of the Paschal Mystery, it is the sacrament of the death and resurrection of Christ, it is truly his body given up for us and truly his blood poured out for us, it is the sacred banquet in which Christ is consumed, and it is the pledge of resurrection to eternal life.  Amid all these splendid indications of the Mass, many priests and people since the Second Vatican Council have settled on one word, and that word is "Eucharist."

"Eucharist" is from a Greek verb used in the New Testament that can be translated as "to give thanks".  Our readings today, beginning with 2^nd Kings and concluding with Luke's Gospel, concern giving thanks.  It involves more than the gratitude which we owe at times to our fellow human beings since it concerns our relationship with God; for this reason when the priest says during the Preface before the Eucharistic Prayer, "Let us give thanks to the Lord our God," the response is "It is right to give him thanks and praise."  Adding the word "praise" alerts us to the truth that we are offering thanks to God.  We are recognizing our relationship to our Father in heaven who is also our Lord and God.

To remember to give thanks is beautiful; to forget to do so is sinful.  The CCC #2181 says, "The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice.  For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation (ALL SUNDAYS AND HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION), unless excused for a serious reason or dispensed by their own pastor.  Those who deliberately fail in their obligation commit a grave sin."  If it done will full intent it can be a Mortal Sin!

When only one of the ten lepers who had all been cured came back praising God in a loud voice, Jesus asked, "Where are the other nine?"  We can almost hear the note of disappointment in his voice.  But we need not disappoint Jesus and his Father.  Remember that the Mass is our Eucharist, our thanksgiving to God.  Never disappoint God by failing to come and give thanks and praise to him every Sunday! 

I sometimes wonder if we really, truly think about this.  Do we make every effort to attend Mass every Sunday unless we are truly sick?  Do we make every effort to arrive on time and not leave early?  The priest should be the last one into the church and the first to leave.  Do we reverence God during Mass?  Sitting in silence, not talking or texting.  Not disturbing those around you by going to the restroom during Mass, unless it is an emergency.  I highly recommend before and during Mass that you truly think about what you are doing here, who it is you have come to see, and what you are receiving!

We all have our own reasons to offer thanks to God in the Mass.  Today we may wish to thank God for the gift of life in a new baby, or the blessing of health restored to a relative or friend.  We may want to thank God for employment after a job layoff, for the resolution of an old family argument, or for the kindness of a true friend.  Not one of us will ever run out of reasons.  Every Sunday we need to reflect on our personal motives for thanksgiving, but then we should remember that it is right always and everywhere to give thanks to God simply because God is God.  Thanksgiving expresses our relationship with God Thanksgiving is what Naaman the Syrian wanted to offer to God.  He was cleansed of leprosy by bathing seven times in the waters of the Jordan River.  His experience is a symbol of our baptism.  We have been washed clean in the waters of baptism and been given a share in the priesthood of Christ.  Baptism calls us to be a people who worship God, who offer him thanks and praise.

Wherever Mass is celebrated, there is the greatest offering of thanks and praise to God!  For us it is right always and everywhere to give thanks to God, and we have the means to do so in the celebration of the Eucharist.  May we, as faithful Catholics, always fulfill our Sunday obligation, not with a sense of indifference or fear, but with a sense of love and thanksgiving for the countless blessings God has bestowed on us!