November 26, 2004

It’s very exciting for me to be passing through this 34th week in ordinary time, the last week of the Church’s liturgical year during the Year of the Eucharist. Pope John Paul II is moving and challenging and blessing me in so many ways, thanks be to God! The readings at Mass are charged with eschatological tension – charged with revelations and feelings about the last things. Jesus said, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky (Luke 21:11).” Lord have mercy! With Jesus we have nothing to fear but rather we have lots to look forward to and be responsible for.

As we hear the Word of God, especially in the context of the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we have the opportunity to share in the Sacred Mysteries in a special way, every day, and especially during this Year of the Eucharist. We will soon pray with the Church in the first week of Advent that by our sharing in these Sacred Mysteries the Lord will “wisely teach us to judge the things of earth and to love the things of heaven.”

This communion with earth and heaven is a basic teaching of the Gospel. Jesus taught us to pray for the Father’s Will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” You would think by now, after praying this prayer every day for many years we would be a little further along. That’s okay; we have this awesome year of the Eucharist to help us along. Listen to what Pope John Paul II said in his encyclical on the Eucharist, “The eschatological tension kindled by the Eucharist expresses and reinforces our communion with the Church in heaven (#19).” Alleluia! Peace and Blessings forever in Jesus and Mary…

Fr. Stan Fortuna, CFR
resides at Our Lady of the Angels Friary in the South Bronx - involved in full-time preaching apostolate, especially to the young (www.francescoproductions.com)
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