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By: Ivonne J. Hernandez  We were out of town celebrating our wedding anniversary when we found out that the funeral Mass for Fr. Matt would be celebrated the day we were set to return home. We immediately decided to change our plans. We would check out of the hotel right after breakfast and drive straight to the Church. Thankfully, we had packed some clothes that would be acceptable to wear for a funeral, though our shoes were more casual than we would have preferred. That morning, traffic flowed easily, and we made it just in time for the viewing, which was happening right before the Funeral Mass. The casket was open, at the foot of the altar, as the faithful lined up to pay respects and say goodbye. When it was my turn, I just had to touch his hands. I thanked him for each absolution, each blessing, and each host I received, consecrated through those beautiful hands, hands anointed at his ordination.
The priesthood of Jesus Christ is the greatest gift we have. Without the priesthood, we would have no Blessed Sacrament. Just as without Mary we have no Jesus, without priests we have no Eucharist. Their greatness comes from the One who acts through them, from the One they bring to us. The Eucharist is at the heart of the priesthood. During ordination, the Bishop hands the ordinand a chalice and a paten. He then says to them:
One thing became very clear as I was sharing the news of our dear Fr. Matt’s death with parishioners and friends. He does not belong to any one of us, but he belongs to the family of God. Fr. Matt was very special to my family, with many memories of times shared. Still, everywhere I turned there was yet another story of someone who was impacted by his love for Christ and his Church. “We love Fr. Matt!” … “He heard my first Confession.” “He brought my son back to Church.” “He anointed my father at his deathbed.” When a priest offers his life at ordination, he leaves his mother and his father for his new bride, the Church. He, in union with Christ, offers his life as a sacrifice for us. In a letter to Mrs. Tholin-Bost, St. Peter Julian Eymard writes:
Lex orandi, lex credendi (Latin: "the law of what is prayed [is] the law of what is believed"). When we pay attention to the prayers of the Church, we can better understand what it is that we believe. At a priest’s funeral Mass, the deceased priest is vested as for the celebration of Mass, and the casket is placed with the head towards the altar, symbolizing the position the priest was in when he celebrated the Mass. He is vested and in position… he is celebrating his own funeral Mass.
As we gathered in that Church to commend to God the soul of our dear Fr. Matt, we were reminded that the Church entrusts the souls of our dearly departed to our prayers. As much consolation as it brings to my heart to think that perhaps his longsuffering illness purged his soul and prepared him to enter heavenly rest, the truth is that we do not know. Our duty, now more than ever, is to pray for him and all the faithful departed. In this Jubilee Year of Hope, the Church gives us many opportunities to gain indulgences, which can be applied to ourselves or to the souls in purgatory, “so that the temporal punishments due to their sins may be remitted.” (CCC 1479)
We hope those who have gone before us will one day be in Heaven and intercede for us again. But unless (and until) the Church in her authority declares someone a Saint, we must pray for their eternal rest. If you are reading this, may I ask that you offer a prayer for the repose of the soul of Fr. Matt, and also bring to mind all the dearly departed that have a place in your hearts? And to echo St. Bernadette… when I die, please pray A LOT for the repose of my soul. "Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen." Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us!
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 The early Church found its footing not only in the Jews who converted due to their witness of Christ and the testimony of the Apostles, but also in the many foreigners who lived on the land, foreigners who opened their hearts and minds to the teachings of Christ. The early Church was thus made of both Jews and Gentiles, united in Christ despite all their differences. In the Acts of the Apostles, we read of a vibrant community of converts, Jews, and Gentiles who welcomed Saul. Saul, now known as Saint Paul of Tarsus, originally persecuted the Church but was converted by an encounter with the Glorified Christ. He, who was forgiven by the grace of God, launched himself then to build the Church, supported by the diverse many called to the Church. Whether they be Greeks, Hebrews, or Romans, these faithful Christians blessed and supported him on his first missionary journey and then three more. The Church was bold. It was, even that early in its history, to go over to the many nations and make Christ’s word known by their very lives. This is part of what it means for us to be the word in action.
…of all nations. The word “nation” does not mean “country”. It means a people that share a common history, ethnicity, or background. So, when Jesus calls people of all nations to himself, it is a call for people of all backgrounds, with all our stories. Christ’s word is for all of us. He calls all of us to himself. That diversity of culture and customs that the early church was founded on, was partly what helped it thrive. The Church embraced this openness of the people bringing their gifts, gifts given to them by their openness to the Holy Spirit. When we bring our gifts, and specifically, who we are in Christ, we end up enriching one another, while united perfectly in our shared belief and faith in the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. That diversity strengthened the Church. There was a strong desire to reach out to those who were outside their local communities and share the light that had been discovered. Do we have this desire today? The Church of Christ has never been, nor ever was intended to be, a homogenous tribe. We can see that Christ called people of different backgrounds to himself, even in his earliest and closest disciples. He called Simon Peter and Andrew, two Jewish fishermen without education, to let go of their trade so they could join the apostolate. He called Matthew, who was a Roman citizen and an educated tax collector, to let go of his life of riches and become an apostle, and we know he called Simon the Zealot, a Jewish nationalist, to abandon political intrigue and rebellion and become an apostle. There was Mary Magdalene, a woman of low station, who Jesus called, and who became an early disciple of Christ and the Apostle to the Apostles. We know the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch who was baptized by Philip, and then there is the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, a foreigner that Jesus ministered to and called to himself, and who is now known and venerated in the Eastern Catholic traditions as Saint Photini. There are so many different life stories and backgrounds to tell, too many to include here, but let us agree that it is meant to be like this. We are not all the same, yet we are all united in the One who loves us. We are diverse, yet one.
Just like Saint Paul, we all have our own stories of how we were called to Christ, and there are as many stories as there are stars in the sky. This call that we share with our brothers and sisters is an important part of what makes us one in Christ. In the Eucharist, we are one. We are to remember this. We are stronger together, in what makes us different and in what unites us.
Let us pray: Lord, please open our eyes so that we may see your love towards your people. Let us cherish You in your diverse creation and in what makes us all one in You. Together in the Eucharist, let us adore You. Amen.
 Dearest Eucharistic Family, The Lenten Season of our Liturgical year is truly a favorite time for me. Although the thought of sacrifice comes to mind first, the grace within the offering is always found and the presence of Jesus is ever more realized in the Eucharistic sacrifice. Of all the cycles of life within the Church, Lent seems so very sacred. It is a time to REMEMBER God's love for humanity especially. Taking time to reflect and pray on the Stations of the Cross and the suffering Jesus Christ endured opens us to the grace Christ came to give. Jesus lived out what it means to have a humble contrite heart. It is more than we will understand completely this side of the heavens. To deepen our faith in the Resurrection of life everlasting we pray, we fast, and we give of ourselves. This prepares us for Easter, the Triumph of grace, goodness, and love, over the power of evil. As we open ourselves, united to the Passion of Christ, a great hope sets a fire of love to our hearts, a longing to be with God, a vulnerability to cling to Our Father. We are blessed. The word anew means to find a new or different more positive way, to do something once again, once more. We are marked by the sign of the Cross to begin our Lenten journey reminded of turning to dust. The reality of us all being gone from this earth is before us. We have the opportunity to examine our love for God and love for our neighbor, especially our own families and all in our pathways of life to prepare us for heaven. As we dream of holy week and all the glories of the Easter Triduum fortitude manifests in our souls. I am still currently caring for my husband with his open wound and daily wound dressing changes. His day-by-day healing has touched my heart. Witnessing the body healing through intricate care is so remarkable. The same care for our souls is necessary to find the peace Christ came to give to us. The parallel of our spiritual lives in the aspect of healing deep wounds is striking to pray with. To go deep we must find in prayer a way to forgive and be forgiven. We need to be with God to heal from the inside out, to be made anew and bring forth greater life for those around us. There is freedom in the Cross, the pain, the suffering, the fortitude it takes to trust in God's intense love found in faith. Our Lady, our blessed example of beholding Jesus, comforts us at every Liturgy, with us in our reception of the Eucharist, our mother, the one to help wash away our offenses.
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AuthorsWe are Ivonne J. Hernandez, Rick Hernandez and Laura Worhacz, Lay Associates of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, and brothers and sisters in Christ. 
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