The Third Sunday of Easter

April 6, 2008

Homily for the Anglican Usage Mass

of the

St. Thomas More Society

celebrated at

St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church , 1013 Wood Street

Scranton, PA

Luke 24:13-35

            In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.

            Since the day Jesus founded the Church, a differentiation has been made between those who held to the true Faith and those who are heretics--that is, those who doubt or deny  a defined doctrine of the Catholic Church.  One way the earliest Christians understood the distinction was a person’s faith in the Eucharist.  Those who held the Eucharistic species to be the Body and Blood of Christ were Catholic.  Those who did not maintain this faith were heretics.  In fact, St. Ignatius of Antioch, who was martyred in Rome and was a bishop and student of St. John the Apostle, wrote that heretics are those who “abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ ”(Smyrnaeans 7).  Since this faith in the Eucharist was so strong and widespread, it is then no surprise that the first miracle Jesus performed after the Resurrection was a Eucharistic miracle.

            Our Gospel this morning records the story of the disciples and Jesus on the road to Emmaus, how at the end of their journey Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.  The “breaking of the bread” was the Church’s earliest term for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, so we know that Luke was not talking about a typical meal.  Jesus revealed Himself to the two disciples in the context of the Mass and then vanished from their sight.  The strength they received from their communion with the Risen Lord enabled them to hike all the way back to Jerusalem that very night, even though they had already retired for the day.

            The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is a truth attested to in the Scriptures, in the writings of the Church Fathers, and in the unbroken tradition of the Church; so it is imperative that what we do in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament reflects what we in fact believe about the Eucharistic Species, that in them is Christ present--body, soul, blood and divinity.

            First, let me say that I am impressed with how you conduct yourselves here at St. Anthony of Padua Church, when you come into the church.  You reverence in the presence of Jesus in the Tabernacle indicates that you have absorbed a very simple teaching—to be in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament is the same thing as if Jesus were standing before us.  Thus, the same reverence and awe we would feel before Jesus’ entire Body, we must also feel before his Body in the Blessed Sacrament.

            I note that over at one of your sister parishes, St. Joseph’s, there are signs as you enter the church indicating “The Blessed Sacrament is reserved here:  reverential silence is required.”  This says it all and means just this:  no one who is in church should be engaged in mundane or profane conversation.   If Jesus were at the table with us, we would never speak with one another as if he were not there.  Neither then can we do so here.  Since we are in His presence, it is nothing less than rude to converse in front of Him.  If you should happen to be in another church and witness such rudeness, or if you should even see it here, do not be afraid to kindly remind your neighbor of what the sign at St. Joseph’s says.

            We ought also be sure that we make a sign of reverence as we come into the Church.  St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Philippians that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bend—how much more must we go down on one knee when we are in the presence of Jesus.  To genuflect is the absolute minimum of what each of us should do before entering our pew.

            Nor must we forget to make a sign of reverence before we receive Jesus in the forms, in the appearance, of bread and wine.  A profound bow is appropriate in those places where Holy Communion is received standing up.  Though on the tongue is the preferred way to receive our Lord’s Body, if you receive in the hand, your hand must be the throne God intends for so precious a gift.  And be certain that no crumbs should fall to the floor and be trampled underfoot or disrespected in some other manner.  You will note that the altar servers pour water over my fingers at the conclusion of the administration of Holy Communion.  You must take the same care that no crumbs end up anywhere but in your mouth.

            Tomorrow this same reverence we show to Jesus during the Mass will be shown to Him throughout the day at St. Anthony of Padua Church.  At the conclusion of the 10 o’clock Mass, I will expose the Host in the monstrance in order that you may offer Eucharistic Adoration throughout the afternoon.  At 5:00 p.m., we will have Evensong and finally Benediction, when I will bless the congregation with the Blessed Sacrament.

            These devotions developed over time in the Church and have been especially pronounced and widespread since the thirteenth century.  They derive from the ancient faith of the Church—that the worship due Christ is due the Blessed Sacrament because He is as surely present here in the Eucharist as He is in Heaven.  That is, as the Church more fully understood the implications of her faith in the Eucharist, her devotional practices matched her devotion.  Tomorrow, and the first Sunday of every month, you will be given the opportunity to offer to Jesus in the Eucharist and in this Eucharistic Adoration, the worship that is due Him.

            This time is our opportunity for prayer, and more specifically, conversation with Him to whom we owe our very lives.  We know to adore our Lord, to say “sorry” for our sins, to give thanks for the many blessings bestowed upon us, and to pray for the needs of others and ourselves.  But we must also leave time during Eucharistic Adoration to listen to what the Lord is calling us to do for Him and His Church.  I encourage you to take advantage of so precious an opportunity--this time, and whenever you have the chance.

            On the other hand, if we are irreverent in church, dress immodestly, leave Mass early with Jesus still in our mouths, and neglect the opportunities Jesus gives us for conversation with Him, we indicate a lack of understanding of the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.  In fact, we owe Him much more.  After His resurrection, He promised to be with us to the end of the ages.  And in the Eucharist, given to us through the priests of His Church, He is present with us even now.  It is up to us to recognize this inestimable blessing for what it is and then give Him the honor due Him, to choose to be present with Him as He is present with us.