The Real Presence of Christ

Dear Friends in Christ,

May is a very busy month at our parish. Here are some of the events that have already taken place. On May 3-4 we celebrated the First Communion of our 2nd Grade students. People at all of our Masses saw the little children receive Jesus for the first time. On the afternoon of May 4 we honored Our Lady in her month of May with our annual procession and crowning. We offered prayers and songs in four languages, showing the cultural diversity of our parish. On May 8 we had the joy of seeing our young people sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation and on May 10-11 twenty-two adults were also confirmed.

Next weekend there are two important events that are closely related. On Saturday May 24 a large group of Spanish speaking children will receive their First Communion. Then on Sunday May 25 we will hold our annual Corpus Christi Mass and Procession. This celebration is close to the hearts of our Norbertine community because St. Norbert was known as the Apostle of the Eucharist. In his time he vigorously defended the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament against heretics. He also traveled with a Mass kit so that he could say Mass at the different towns where he preached his missions.

I hope as many of you as possible will join us for our 2PM multi-lingual Mass and procession next Sunday. As Catholics we believe Jesus Christ is truly present in the Holy Eucharist, and on this feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ our participation in the Mass and procession is a profession of faith in this great truth.

Next Sunday we will also honor those who have committed to spend an hour before the Blessed Sacrament in our chapel. We will pray especially for them at our Masses next weekend. I want to personally invite you to join this army of prayer warriors who faithfully come to answer the call of Jesus to “watch one hour with Me”. Perpetual Eucharistic adoration was recently promoted by the Vatican as a fruitful way to increase vocations to the priesthood and religious life. The blessings received by our adorers are too many to describe.

Are you looking for a job? Are you feeling alone? Is there something you need? Come to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament; He will hear your prayers. To sign up for an hour, just take a form from the purple box at the rear of the church, fill it out and leave it at the rectory office. If you sign up for a late night hour you will receive an entry code to unlock the chapel door, which is locked after 9PM.

O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, All praise and all thanksgiving Be every moment Thine.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand