17th Sunday of Ordinary Time

July 24/25, 2004

I will offer some words in my homily in Spanish and then in English, asking Father Wilson and all the parishioners here of Our Lady of Gaudalupe Parish at St. James Church to center their lives on the Eucharist, the raisson d’etre of any parish.

Les confío a ustedes, los feligreses de esta nueva parroquia de “Our Lady of Guadalupe en la iglesia de St. James,” al cuidado pastoral del padre Richard Wilson. Mientras hago esto, les pido que dejen ser absorbidos en el misterio del amor de Dios, que debe estar en el centro de cada parroquia y demostrado en palabra y en acción por todos los feligreses.

El padre Wilson recibió la ordenación hace siete años aquí en New Bedford. Él ha desempeñado bien su servicio a la iglesia en los lugares donde ha servido. Ruego que ustedes le den la bienvenida, que le apoyen en su liderazgo en todos los aspectos de la vida de la parroquia – culto divino, educación, gerencia de los recursos de la parroquia - de modo que esta nueva parroquia  sea un lugar de fe solida y de la vida cristiana ejemplar. Espero que su presencia sacerdotal entre ustedes sea un recuerdo constante de que Dios de modo maravilloso va más allá de todo lo que puedemos esperar de El, mientras que oímos el Evangelio proclamado y que recibimos su Gracia dada en los Sacramentos de la iglesia. Sé que el padre Wilson se esforzará a servirles fielmente y con generosididad. Les ruego que le den la bienvenida y que estén conscientes de las responsabilidades que él ahora tiene, y que le mantengan en sus oraciones.

Puesto que la instalación de un pastor ocurrirá en esta celebración de la eucaristia, quisiera hacer algunas observaciones sobre este sacramento, que forma el mero centro de nuestra fe católica y debe ser el mero centro de la parroquia de “Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James.” Otra palabra para la Misa es la "eucaristia", que se deriva del significado griego de la palabra "para dar gracias." Cuando consideramos porqué estamos aquí y qué está sucediendo aquí, cuando consideramos porqué esta parroquia fue fundada y qué transpira aquí cada semana, nosotros recibimos muchas razones de dar gracias a Dios.

Los documentos del consejo de Vatican II describen de modo sucinto el papel de la Misa o la Eucaristia en la vida de la parroquia. Un documento dice, "la celebración de la eucaristia es el centro verdadero de la entera vida cristiana para la iglesia universal y para la parroquia local de esa iglesia. Porque en la eucaristia se contiene todo el bien espiritual del conjunto de la iglesia, a saber, Cristo mismo. Por esa razón se invita a toda la gente que se ofrezca a si mismos, y sus trabajos, y toda la creación con Cristo." Lo hacemos aquí hoy el mismo es el centro de la vida cristiana entera, porque en y a través de Cristo ofrecemos su sacrificio al Padre, juntandonos a El, con nuestras alegrías, nuestros dolores, todo lo que somos y todo lo que hacemos, a su sacrificio eterno.

The Eucharist is called the Sacrament of Unity and the Sacrament of Charity. It is the Sacrament of Unity because is the means of uniting us, one to another. We have here at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James Church people from different backgrounds, of all ages, of varying interests. Your coming together from four parishes into this one Parish is testimony to your faith in the Eucharist, in the fact that through Christ we are made one. St. Paul teaches that we though many share one bread (1 Cor 10:16-17).  Bread is made up of many grains of wheat but in the bread the difference between them is not apparent; likewise we are joined to one another and united in Christ through the Eucharist. May this Parish always be a sign of unity to all who might observe the life of the parish. In accord with the teaching of St. Paul, although we are many, we are one in Christ and one, most especially, when we receive the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Unity.

Last year, on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord, Pope John Paul II issued a letter on the Mystery of the Eucharist. In that letter the Holy Father touched on many points with reference to the profound mystery of the Eucharist. One of those points concerned the intimate connection between the Eucharist and priesthood.  When we gather for Mass the whole congregation joins in offering the Eucharist by virtue of the fact that we share in the mission of Christ. It is, however, the ordained priest acting in the person of Christ who brings about the Eucharist. 

The Eucharist is the principal reason for the sacrament of the priesthood, which came into being at the moment of the institution of the Eucharist.  While priests are engaged in many activities in the course of a day, the Eucharist is the very center of their lives and ministry. The Eucharist also must be the very center of the life of the Christian community. Therefore, no Christian or parish community can be built up unless it has its foundation and center in the celebration of the most Holy Eucharist. It follows that this wonderful community of Guadalupe at St. James can be built up only if the celebration of the Eucharist forms its very basis and center.

 This year, in a letter addressed to all priests in the world, the Holy Father wrote again of the intimate connection between the Eucharist and the priesthood. He said, “Priests are born from the Eucharist. If we can truly say that the whole Church lives from the Eucharist, we can say the same thing about the priesthood: the priesthood is born, lives, works and bears fruit “from the Eucharist.” “There can be no Eucharist without the priesthood, just as there can be no priesthood without the Eucharist.”

Today Father Wilson will be installed as your pastor. As Pastor, he accepts the responsibility of providing the Eucharist for this faith-filled parish community. Just as every Catholic stands in awe of the great mystery of the Eucharist in which Christ Himself is present, so each priest stands in awe of his calling, by which Christ calls him to make present in the midst of the worshipping community the sacrifice by which the world is redeemed and saved. As Pope John Paul stated, “There can be no Eucharist without the priesthood, just as there can be no priesthood without the Eucharist.”

Since Father Wilson has accepted the responsibility to pray for the people entrusted to his care and to serve them, I ask you to pray for him that the Lord may guide him and strengthen him in all that he does as your pastor.

Likewise, since there can be no Eucharist with the priesthood and there can be no priesthood without the Eucharist, may I ask you to pray for vocations to the priesthood. As you know, I have entrusted to the former pastor of St. James, Father Correia, the care of our seminarians as Director of Vocations. Please pray for him in this ministry and see what can be done to provide more seminarians to work with him. It is from the loving families of this parish and from parishes like this one that there will come young men called by the Lord to serve the Church as priests. Through their love and generosity, the Lord will continue to make present for the community of faith the sacrifice by which He shows His abiding love for His people and enables them to come to Him.

May the Lord Jesus, the center of family life and the center of parish life, be with you, the devoted people of this new parish, and with you, Father Wilson, their pastor. May the Lord strengthen and guide you in the years to come.