Humility is all about being grounded in reality. It involves seeing oneself in right relationships with God and all other creatures. Observing the guests at a dinner vying for important places at table, Jesus described the kingdom of God with a parable about a wedding feast. There was no more joyful time in the Jewish community than a wedding feast. It was a celebration of life and the covenant relationship between God and his people. The guests of honor at the wedding feast were the bride and the groom. Everyone else was honored by participating in their special day. Into this context Jesus introduced the guest who was seeking a place of honor at the banquet. This poor guest missed the whole point of the festivities. Instead of honoring the couple, he was only concerned with his own place of honor in the eyes of the other guests.
Jesus' point is that in this life all of us are guests at the Father’s banquet. We have not earned our invitation or inherited the right to be here. It is God's free gift to us. We are not the guest of honor; truly it is Christ. Can we overcome our pettiness and insecurity in order to worship and celebrate with the Lord who saves us?
Eucharistic Adoration
From the very beginning the Catholic Church has believed that the bread and wine consecrated at Mass truly becomes the Body and Blood of Christ. Furthermore, as the Catholic Catechism states, this “Eucharistic presence of Christ [which] begins at the moment of the consecration...endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist.” (CC #1377). In other words, the Eucharistic Christ then continues to be present in our midst beyond the Eucharistic liturgy when the consecrated host is either reposed in a tabernacle or exposed on the altar.
Based on material from © 2002 Fr. John P. Grigus, O.F.M. Conv. and the Pope John Paul II Eucharistic Adoration Association of the Archdiocese of Chicago
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For several months we have been preparing the former baptistery, north of our California vestibule, to become a chapel for Eucharistic devotion. New benches and kneelers have been added. Soon the renovations will be complete and we can open the chapel at regular times for Eucharistic adoration. There are many stories of the blessings bestowed on people and parishes because of Eucharistic adoration. Go to www.pjp2ea.org/pjp2ea for some examples. In order for this to happen here, we need parishioners to form an Adoration Committee. These people will coordinate the volunteers and times for Eucharistic Adoration. Please consider committing yourself to very special grace filled ministry. For more information, please call Fr. Eddy at the rectory, 773-561-3474.