Talents

We cannot bury our talents or we will lose not only our own souls, but the souls of others as well. We must realize how quickly our lives can pass us by. When they are over, no one will take notice of our passing. We cannot bring back time which has passed. The time which is to come we do not yet have. The only time we have is now and we must use it well.

We must make careful use of the gifts of God. The challenge for us as Christians is to not seek rest while we are upon this earth. This is a life of toil, struggle and pain. Our rest will be in the Kingdom of God.

Satan prowls about the world seeking the ruin of souls. He knows his time is short and he works to dechristianize our society, to denigrate family life, and to spread hatred throughout the world toward God’s Holy Name.

We must place all our talents at God’s service. We must strive to live holy lives by renewing our love for the Eucharist and our reliance on the Blessed Virgin Mary for all our needs. God will one day soon demand an exact account of the use of our every moment of time.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeffery A. Fasching

Humility 2

Christ willed to be thought of as the lowest of men, a man of sorrow. The Holy of Holies has taken upon Himself the sins of all. In so doing, Christ has also taken upon Himself the wrath of God for our sins. Christ has been crushed under the omnipotent hand of God.

If Christ has been treated as such for taking on the sins of others, what do you suppose we ourselves deserve for having actually committed the sins? We are God’s creatures and are completely dependent upon Him. In Him we live and move and have our being. We are completely incapable of remaining in God’s friendship, of making any spiritual progress, of persevering or anything else without the grace of God.

We must therefore constantly humble ourselves before God. If we acknowledge our nothingness and sinfulness, God will draw close to us. He will purify us. He will love us. We must always keep our hearts contrite and humble in the presence of God. We cannot attribute to ourselves any talent, success or good work. All these things come by the hand of God.

If we want to be true friends of Christ we must love the hidden life as He did. We must be humble in our own opinions. We must recognize our sins. We must pray to God that we may see ourselves as we really are. Often we believe we are strong, sound, healthy and worthy of respect and admiration. We must be humble if we want to truly please Christ.

Learn of me says Christ, because I am meek and humble of heart, and your soul shall find rest and peace.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeffery Fasching

Reflection

This is the Lord’s Day. How we spend it is up to us. It would be good for us to focus on the Blessed Eucharist and spend some time in prayer thanking Christ for his tremendous love He expresses through the Blessed Sacrament. Christ has no need of us, yet His love for us compels Him to make Himself present in the Eucharist to satisfy our need for Him.

Are you satisfied when you receive Jesus Christ in the Eucharist? When we receive our Lord we receive everything we can ask for or imagine. If we do not find ourselves drawing fruit from our frequent communions, we must examine our interior spiritual life of grace. How are we responding to the immense love Christ pours out to us through His Sacred Heart? Do we properly prepare each time we approach the Blessed Sacrament to receive our Lord? Do we give Him a proper thanksgiving?

Are we firmly resolved to avoid mortal and deliberate venial sins? Remember the infinite purity of our Lord and be ashamed if you are not living in imitation of Christ’s virtues. No matter what your spiritual state, never fear of approaching Christ in the Blessed Sacrament where He waits for you. He wants to rid you of all your pride, selfishness, self-centeredness, vanity, and self love. The more often we approach our Lord, the less unworthy we become of Him.

If you find yourself in a state of mortal sin, make a sacramental confession before receiving the Eucharist, otherwise you receive our Lord unworthily and bring condemnation upon yourself. Christ instituted the Sacrament of Penance because He knows all too well our need for forgiveness.

Let us approach our Lord in both the Sacrament of Penance and the Sacrament of the Eucharist where He waits to forgive us and pour out His love upon us.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeffery Fasching

Humility

“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18, 4).

What is humility? Humility consists in despising all want of any praise, recognition, honor and glory in this life. It involves seeking only the glory and honor promised us in our true and heavenly home. We cannot please God without humility, nor can we save our souls. Christ says: “Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become like little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18, 3).

Humility means not being boastful. We must not take pleasure in the praises that may come from other people. What is our attitude when we are corrected? Are we stubborn when it comes to our own opinions? Do we actively seek the praises of others? Are we obedient to those who hold authority over us?

Saint Augustine once wrote that “Jesus Christ does not say to us learn of me to work miracles, but learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart” (Matt. 11, 29). There can be no true devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus without sincere humility. If we want to be truly humble we must constantly ask God for this virtue. It is not enough to simply have a low opinion of oneself; we must truly believe it and accept it when others are of the same opinion.

We must constantly be aware of our imperfections and sinfulness and realize we are nothing but sinners without the grace of God. A truly humble person will rejoice when he is despised by others. He will never praise himself by his words or actions. He will not complain about the misfortunes God allows to happen to him, and above all he will pray much and speak little.

Saint Paul reminds us that we have enemies from within and without who lay traps everywhere for us. Love of humility is a great weapon against such people. If we truly want peace and we wish to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect, we must seek God’s glory alone through humility.

Tomorrow we will celebrate the External Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In Christ’s entire life we see His humility as the number one virtue He put on above all others. We continue to experience His humility as He comes to us sacramentally in the Blessed Eucharist and pours out his infinite love through His Sacred Heart. As we continue to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let us pray for the virtue of humility.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeffery Fasching

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

Reflections on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Today we honor in a special way the true presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. On the feast of the Sacred Heart we as Catholics acknowledge our belief in this tremendous mystery of our faith, and yet for the most part are cold or indifferent toward the infinite love Christ shows us in the Blessed Eucharist.

It is amazing to think about the immense love Christ shows us in not wanting to separate Himself from us. He returns to this earth every day invisibly because of His desire to remain with us. What will we pay Him in return? Christ dwells in Heaven where all desires are satisfied, yet he comes to be with us sacramentally in the Eucharist! What an amazing desire He must have to be with us!

We acknowledge that Christ loves us infinitely, yet so few of us are willing to love Him perfectly. What is our disposition after receiving Holy Communion? Do we give Christ proper preparation and a fitting thanksgiving?

Many people deprive themselves of Holy Communion altogether because they would rather not give up their vices. Receiving Holy Communion frequently would mean that they would have to love Christ more, be more reserved, and to live a more regular life. For many, this is inconvenient. They prefer to deprive themselves of Holy Communion because they have an aversion for the Body and Blood of Christ.

Christ wants us to come to Holy Communion often because it is the only way we can make ourselves less unworthy. Many people consider themselves unworthy and use this as an excuse to stay away from receiving Holy Communion. None of us are worthy, yet Christ invites us every day!

Christ wants us to visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament and to receive Holy Communion frequently. “Come to me all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.” (Matt. 11:28). Catholics who neglect such an easy and powerful means to bring themselves true happiness suffer a tremendous spiritual loss. This is the key to becoming a saint! Neglecting visiting Christ in the Blessed Sacrament frequently is the source of most of our unhappiness and misfortunes. When do pay Christ a visit, we must do it without distractions and with reverence. If we do not, our visits will be fruitless.

On the other hand, those who do visit Christ in the Blessed Sacrament frequently and as often as they can know that this is a sure means of receiving all they ask of Jesus Christ. Visiting Christ frequently and with confidence will draw down upon us special graces, in particular a true devotion to His Sacred Heart. Have you visited our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament today?

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeffery Fasching

Sin and devotion to the Sacred Heart

When we sin it is often easy to find an excuse for doing so. We even find it easy to point the finger at someone or something else as a reason for our sin! We must be responsible for our own wrongdoing. Sin is something that wells up from the depths of our own hearts. Therefore, the roots of sin are internal rather than external. God is not the author of sin, we are. God has an infinite hatred for sin and we should pray that our sentiments be the same. Sin is the source of all our unhappiness and it is the reason for souls in purgatory and in hell. In fact, sin is so great an evil that absolutely nothing can justify it.

Only God can hate sin as it should be hated. Only the blood of Christ can save us from the punishment we deserve for our sins. We should daily examine our consciences and pray to know the gravity and extent of our sins. Ideally, we should want to come to the point where we learn to hate even the smallest sin.

Sin is more than simply doing something contrary to God’s law. Sin is confusion. Satan will use all his power to lead us into sin. He will exploit our weaknesses and constantly attack us where we are vulnerable. Therefore, we must constantly pray to avoid any occasions that may lead us into sin. We should always ask God to keep us from sinning in the future.

Tomorrow is the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. If we want to develop a devotion to the Sacred Heart, one necessary disposition is an intense hatred for sin in all forms. We must be in a state of grace because the Sacred Heart is the source of all purity. No stain of sin can ever enter into the Sacred Heart, rather only that which is pure. The Heart of Jesus only allows entrance to those souls who are extremely pure.

Consider the beloved disciple Saint John. Christ loved Saint John in a special way because his chastity and purity of heart. If we want to develop a true devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we must learn to love Him more intimately than most people do. In other words, we must learn to hate even deliberate venial sins. It is not enough to simply avoid mortal sin. We must desire to acquire a purity of heart over and above the average Christian.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeffery A. Fasching

Sacred Heart 2

This Friday is the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Sunday we have the opportunity to celebrate the External Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. What do we mean by devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and in what does it consist?

The object of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is of course the infinite love of Christ. This love is what prompted Him to die on the Cross and to give Himself to us in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. Although Christ knew the ingratitude He was to receive until the end of time He nevertheless instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist to show His infinite love for us.

This love has caused many people to consider how little the world is moved by the love of Christ and how little men love Christ in return. Christ’s faithful friends do show their love by special acts of homage and reparation. This is in essence the nature of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

There are certain days of the year we have the opportunity to recognize particularly the great love Christ shows us in the Blessed Sacrament. In addition, we have the chance to make reparation for all the indignities our Lord has received and still receives each day in the Blessed Sacrament.

We make reparation first by our own frequent adoration and return of love. We call to mind how Christ is so little known by men in the Blessed Sacrament, or how He is so little loved by even those people who do know Him. Second, we make reparation for the indignities Christ suffered during His time on earth, as well as the indignities he receives each day in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

In summary, the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus consists in loving Christ, whom we always have with us in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. We demonstrate our love by our sorrow for seeing Christ so neglected by men in the Blessed Sacrament, and by our acts of reparation for this neglect. The object of our love is the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ.

I encourage you to visit Christ in the Blessed Sacrament frequently. He is waiting for you.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeffery Fasching

clerical attire

The Cassock, the Surplice and the Biretta

The meaning of the Cassock and Surplice

The black Cassock signifies that the priest should always be mourning for the Crucified Christ. The priest should be dead to sin, to the world, and to himself. The cassock is a reminder that the priest should be doing penance for his own sins and those of the world. The cassock also reminds us that the priest’s body should be constantly mortified so that Christ’s life is made manifest to others.

The surplice represents the “new man,” our Lord Jesus Christ. The priest must be like Christ and clothed with His perfection, humility, charity, modesty, purity and all His other virtues. The surplus signifies the ordained minister’s responsibility to be freed from the “slavery” of secular dress.

The Catholic Church demands that her clerics who wear the surplice lead a life in conformity with the life of Christ’s. Unfortunately, there are many priests who live as world lings and view their clerical dress as an obstacle to the very pleasures they renounced at their ordination. Many clerics live with an inordinate love for secular dress and look upon their clerical attire as something to be ashamed of. I am proud to be a priest. I am proud and privileged to be able to wear a cassock.

The meaning of the Biretta

The biretta is simply a cross which the priest wears on his head to show that the cross of Christ is his crown and his glory. Saint Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians: “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6, 14).

Priests should take seriously the meaning of the cassock, surplice and the biretta and treat them with fitting reverence. We must pray that all priests have the strength to practice what their clerical state demands of them.

“Let thy priests, O Lord God, put on salvation.” Sacerdotes tui, Domine Deus, induantur salutem.

Mary

All Christians should honor the Blessed Virgin Mary because God Himself has an infinite love for her. We must strive to show the same love, respect and submission that Christ Himself showed the Blessed Virgin Mary while He was here on earth.

Included in the reasons to show love for our Lady are the perfection with which God created her, the service and honor that she constantly shows God, and the infinite blessings that we receive through her powerful intercession.

There are many easy ways to honor Mary. We can do so simply by our thoughts. We have only to consider her perfect virtues and constant cooperation with the grace of God. We may also honor Mary by what we say. For example, we can encourage others to love her and to pray the rosary. Finally, we can honor Mary by our actions. We can offer everything we do in and through her, especially our charitable works.

The best way to honor the Blessed Virgin is through the imitation of her virtues, especially her perfect obedience to the will of God, her purity and her hatred for sin. Although we fall short of this ideal, we nevertheless are still children of Mary. We must pray to Mary for true repentance for our many sins and past transgressions and the grace to be more faithful in the future. Listen to the words of the dogmatic constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council:

Mary, because she has entered intimately into the history of salvation, in a certain sense gathers up in her own person the great truths of the faith and awakens their resonance when she is the object of preaching and veneration; she summons the faithful to her Son, to His sacrifice and to the Father’s love. In seeking to further the glory of Christ, the Church becomes more and more like Mary, its exalted type, as it continues its progress in faith, hope and charity, seeking and fulfilling the divine will in all things.

So also in its apostolic task the Church rightly looks to the one who bore Christ, Christ who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin in order that He might also be born and grow in the hearts of the faithful. In her whole life this virgin mother showed herself as an example of that motherly love that must animate all who share in the apostolic mission of the Church for the regeneration of mankind. (Lumen gentium, nn. 63-65)

Mary, Mother of God pray for us!

Sincerely in Christ

Fr. Jeffery Fasching

The Blessed Sacrament and prayer

Christ's love for us in the Blessed Sacrament is beyond comprehension. He chooses to remain with us for adoration in the Blessed Sacrament because of our great need for Him. Christ desires and intimate relationship with each one of us. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is what keeps us grounded in that relationship. This is especially true for priests. Adoration of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament keeps us focused on our duties. It also comforts us in our struggles and sorrows, and gives us the courage and strength to continue in our ministry.

Pope Benedict XVI recently wrote:

"Be models of prayer, become masters of prayer. May your days be marked by times of prayer, during which, after Jesus' example, you engage in a regenerating conversation with the Father. I know it is not easy to stay faithful to this daily appointment with the Lord, especially today when the pace of life is frenetic and worries absorb us more and more. Yet we must convince ourselves the time he spends in prayer is the most important time in a priest's life, in which divine grace acts with greater effectiveness, making his ministry fruitful...time for prayer must be given a true priority in our life."

Prayer is in fact the most important thing I "do" as a priest each and every day. Exposing the Blessed Sacrament and spending significant time with our Lord is simply a necessity in my daily routine. Without first being present to our Lord, how would I be able to do any good whatsoever to anybody seeking the ministry of a priest?

On this feast of Corpus Christi we have the wonderful opportunity to show our love for our Lord by carrying Him in procession in public. This is also a great opportunity to bring Christ to the world as we bear witness to our firm belief in the true presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeffery Fasching

Mass

Tomorrow we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. We will process with our Lord through the streets to honor the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist-Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. However, before the procession takes place we of course will offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Regarding the Mass, The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states:

At the Last Supper Christ instituted the paschal sacrifice and banquet by which the sacrifice of the cross is continuously made present in the Church whenever the priest, representing Christ the Lord, carries out what the Lord Himself did and handed over to his disciples to be done in His memory. (GIRM 72)

Therefore the procession and the Mass remind us that the Holy Sacrifice is much more than an event that simply happened at a point in history 2000 years ago. Rather, at each Mass the same sacrifice of the Cross is "made present" although in an unbloodied manner. What a tremendous and awe inspiring event! Furthermore, we have the opportunity to participate in it as often as we wish! The role of the priest in this sacrifice is pivotal. Although Christ is present in the entire gathered assembly, there can be no Eucharistic sacrifice without the priest.

As the priest ascends the altar he, like Christ, mounts the wood of the cross. This is exactly why the priesthood cannot be viewed as simply a "functional" role. As we close out this year for the priest, we should continue to keep in mind the grandeur of the priesthood. We cannot think of the Mass as simply something the priest "does," or as a function he performs. This is a misunderstanding of the divine mysteries present in the sacrament. We cannot begin to comprehend the grandeur of the priestly calling.

I have printed on one of my ordination cards a quote from Thomas A Kempis: "Great is this mystery, and great the dignity of priests, to whom that is given which is not granted to angels." Ex opere operato means that the grace of the sacrament is conferred regardless of the sanctity of the priest. In other words, the primacy of the action is the person of Christ, not in His ministers. However, the integrity and sanctity of the priest are nevertheless very important. Although the sacrament will be conferred regardless, we must always remember to look carefully at the role of the person of the priest in whom Christ is acting.

Many of us have experienced the great good that one priest can do. We have only to look to the Cure of Ars whom our Holy Father has held up this year as the patron of all priests. On the other hand, many of us have witnessed what great harm a priest can do when his actions are scandalous. Pope Benedict XVI once said "It is more important to have good priests than to have many priests."

Although the "year for priests" is coming to a close, we must always pray for the sanctity of our priests. We must pray for our own sanctity as well. I encourage you to take the opportunity of celebrating Corpus Christi with the intention of conforming our lives more closely to Christ and His saints.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeffery Fasching

Sacred Heart

Two tremendous feast days are celebrated during this month of June. We have the External Solemnity of Corpus Christi this coming Sunday the 6th, and the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Friday the 11th. Because of these two celebrations, June is among my favorite months of the year. On this first Friday of the month we remember a few significant points with respect to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Christ suffered insults from three classes of people and continues to do so even today: His own people who rejected Him, heretics who recognized Him, but refused to believe in His benefits, and Catholics who believe in His benefits, but repay them with nothing but ingratitude.

Consider what must be the sentiments of our Lord upon seeing so many Catholics who are cold or indifferent toward Him in the Sacrament of His love. Christ is sacramentally present in His Catholic Churches, but He is nevertheless left most of the time without adorers. Often we spend hours upon hours on worldly affairs and even complete idleness, but do not seem to even find the time to spend a few minutes with Him in the Blessed Sacrament.

Christ must have expected such treatment from His open enemies, but how much it must sadden Him when it comes from us! On this first Friday of the month let us spend some time with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Attend Mass if possible. Remember our Lord is waiting for you...

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeffery A. Fasching

Corpus Christi 2

The feast of Corpus Christi allows us the opportunity to focus solely on the Eucharist. Praying to Christ before the Blessed Sacrament has always drawn me closer to Him. It is why I became a priest and what sustains me in my priestly ministry. When a priest offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, he does so as one who is uniquely configured to the person of Christ. The Eucharist calls the priest to holiness. It is the most efficacious grace to that end for all of us. As I strive toward holiness of life, I offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass each day. Therefore, I am transformed into the One whom I love. Each day I ascend the altar I pronounce the words:

"HOC EST ENIM CORPUS MEUM"

I invite you to join me and the Latin Mass Community of Springfield, MO this Sunday, June 6th 2010 at 2:30pm at the Cathedral of Saint Agnes as we celebrate the External Solemnity of Corpus Christi with Mass followed by a procession of the Blessed Sacrament.

Corpus Christi

Today is the feast of Corpus Christi. In light of Saint Paul's words as he addressed the Corinthians, we owe Christ the utmost reverence in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. We must always approach the Sacrament of The Eucharist with reverence and awe, especially when we receive our Lord in the Eucharist. In fact, Saint Paul writes that we bring condemnation upon ourselves when we receive the Eucharist unworthily.