Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
In today’s second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, the author describes the “sanctuary” of the Temple in Jerusalem as “a copy of the true one” that resides in “heaven.” This is reflective of a Greek philosophical idea popular in the first century which depicted the humans experience as a shadow of the reality that lies just beyond human understanding. Perhaps this philosophy may sound like our own understanding of what happens when we enter our church. The church, however, is not a shadow of a reality that we cannot see, but a real glimpse of the heavenly kingdom.
Christ is truly present here. In the Eucharistic sacrifice, in the Word proclaimed, in the community assembled and in the priest who stands before us in persona Christi. The priest has been called by God to the ordained life so that he may minister the sacraments and unite the faithful really and truly to not a shadow of heaven but its real presence in this earthly world. Our unitive experience with the divine, the communion of saints and eternal joy is a reality that we are privileged to experience. Encountering heavenly and divine realities gives us hope amidst our earthly experience.
The priest himself is a necessary element which allows us to experience not a shadow but a real true presence of Christ and this Kingdom. It is for this reason that all of us share the responsibility of helping young people in today’s culture to hear and respond to God’s call. This past week the church celebrated a national vocation awareness week so that each of us may do our part to encourage young people to consider the priesthood and consecrated life.
Parents have a particular and unique role in fostering vocations to priesthood. While some parents may encourage their son’s discernment of a vocation to priesthood. Others may have mixed feelings. Parents, when their son expresses an interest in the priesthood, might dispense well-meaning advice: “Get some life experience first—and at least a college degree—then think about seminary later.” Some moms and dads even hope that with a nice girlfriend and a good job, the idea of priesthood will fade away. The problem is, they may be right! That’s why it’s crucial that when God moves the heart of a young man to explore the priesthood, parents should be supportive.
In some cases, an 18-year-old may not be mature enough to enter seminary right out of high school. But the Holy Spirit calls at different times and the church is ready to accompany a young person at the various stages of maturity. Many are ready. Others may simply need to have a seed planted. Often when someone has the courage to invite a person to consider God’s call to discern a vocation, they are unwittingly unaware of the fact that the young person already has been internally reflecting on where God might be calling him. Our invitation is a confirmation of what God is already doing. Together may we be aware of doing our part in assisting others to respond to God’s call to the vocations of priesthood and consecrated life.
DOORS OF WELCOME – The most repeated response to our new church doors is that they are “welcoming.” In addition to practical concerns of maintenance and safety, the important goal of symbolizing a welcoming church was what we hoped to accomplish in making our new doors a reality. On behalf of the entire parish community, I express my deep appreciation and thanks to all whose generosity allowed this project to come to fruition. We are planning both a blessing of the doors and a permanent memorial recognizing all the donors.
HONORING VETERANS – Tomorrow we honor all who have served our nation as members of our Armed Forces. Their sacrifices allowed us to once again experience a free and fair election this past week. We can never take for granted the men and women who have defended and continue to defend our nation and its democratic and peaceful transfer of power. In addition, our service men and women model for us the call to care for the common good. We ask for God’s blessings on our Veterans and give thanks for their families who support them.
Peace,