June 13-14, 2026
Dear parishioners,
Within the last week, we celebrated the liturgical solemnities of Corpus Christi (Sunday) and the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Friday). Although closely connected, the Church gives us these beautiful feasts on separate days in order to help us reflect on two aspects of the same reality. The solemnity of Corpus Christi helps us to remember that the Eucharist is the most important gift that Jesus has given us- his own body and blood as food. St. Thomas Aquinas expressed this perfectly:
O precious and wonderful banquet, that brings us salvation and contains all sweetness! Could anything be of more intrinsic value? Under the old law it was the flesh of calves and goats that was offered, but here Christ himself, the true God, is set before us as our food. What could be more wonderful than this? No other sacrament has greater healing power; through it sins are purged away, virtues are increased, and the soul is enriched with an abundance of every spiritual gift. It is offered in the Church for the living and the dead, so that what was instituted for the salvation of all may be for the benefit of all. Yet, in the end, no one can fully express the sweetness of this sacrament, in which spiritual delight is tasted at its very source, and in which we renew the memory of that surpassing love for us which Christ revealed in his passion.
Scripture tells us that reverence is what characterizes our thanks and praise for Jesus’ unfailing desire for our salvation: “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all who dwell in the world show him reverence. For he spoke, and it came to be, commanded, and it stood in place. The Lord foils the plan of nations, frustrates the designs of peoples. But the plan of the Lord stands forever, the designs of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people chosen as his inheritance.” (Ps. 33: 8-12) Verse 11 of this psalm (“the designs of his heart…”) are used as the entrance antiphon for the Mass of the solemnity of the Sacred Heart, perfectly bringing together the Church’s devotion to the Sacred Heart in general, and our specific encounter with the Sacred Heart in the Eucharist.
As a way to bring these themes together, I would like to make some practical suggestions to help us, as the psalm instructs us, to “show him reverence” for who he is, and for the unconditional love he is always offering to us:
1) Attire for Mass. While I think our parish does a pretty good job maintaining appropriate attire for Mass, I offer this simply as a reminder that the general rule of thumb is that we should, when possible, wear something a little nicer than our casual day-to-day clothes. This actually helps us to focus better on who it is we are coming to receive in Communion.
2) Removing gum before entering the church building. I understand that sometimes people forget, and many might not know, but as a general rule, we should not be chewing gum in church, and certainly not as we receive Communion.
3) Being mindful of how we speak about the Eucharist. Whenever we speak about the consecrated elements on the altar, we should no longer speak of them as bread and wine. This includes refraining from making jokes or playful comments about drinking wine during Mass. Again, I understand that most people have no intention of being disrespectful when saying these things, but I just want to offer encouragement for all of us to simply be mindful of our language when referring to Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist.
4) Moving conversations outside after Mass. The Church has always asked us to make an act of thanksgiving after Mass, for the gift of the Eucharist and all the graces granted therein. Some have shared with me that this is very difficult when conversation erupts immediately after the final hymn concludes. While I agree that the social piece of the parish community is important, and that Sunday after Mass is a great opportunity to foster this, I think this is best done outside of the main body of the church. Kindly consider, for the sake of those praying and making their act of thanksgiving after Mass, simply moving conversations outside the main body of the church. Once again, I recognize that no one is trying to be disrespectful in this regard. It just requires a shift of habits for us!
Blessings,
Fr. Ammanniti
