Today’s witness Wednesday will be a bit different than usual. Today I am going to read you two blog posts written by Father David Barnes. He was the Spiritual Director at St. John’s Seminary in Boston in 2014 when these posts were written. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston in 1997. The two blog posts were written about a Eucharist procession that took place in 2014 from MIT to Harvard. It was in response to a “black mass” which was to be held that same night and the administration at the college refused to intervene. There are a few reasons I wanted to talk with you about this today. First, there is a Eucharist Procession this weekend right here in Lowell, MA, for anyone who is listening to this and who lives locally. It is on November 26th at 11 am at St. Rita’s Parish. The other one is because I have heard this story at least twice over the last month, and I feel it is one that should be repeated. We tend to get scared watching the news. We feel as though evil is taking over, and we can sometimes feel helpless. This story shows us we are not helpless. It shows us good defeats evil. The Lord has already won the war of good vs. evil. He will always be victorious! We have all seen God working in our lives, however, we might not all be aware it is God who is working in our lives. This is why it is so important we start talking about it more. The more we share our experiences the more people understand how God works and how much He truly loves us. If you would be willing to share any experience you have had of how God has worked or is working your life, please email me at catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com or just click here. It won’t take up much of your time and your story could be just the story that someone needs to hear today. Prayerfully consider sharing. Everyone has a story and the world needs to hear them. I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow and I will have another witness for you next Wednesday. Remember Jesus loves you and so do I. Have a blessed day! Music:"Adding the Sun" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Today’s witness Wednesday will be a bit different than usual. Today I am going to read you two blog posts written by Father David Barnes. He was the Spiritual Director at St. John’s Seminary in Boston in 2014 when these posts were written. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston in 1997. The two blog posts were written about a Eucharist procession that took place in 2014 from MIT to Harvard. It was in response to a “black mass” which was to be held that same night and the administration at the college refused to intervene. There are a few reasons I wanted to talk with you about this today. First, there is a Eucharist Procession this weekend right here in Lowell, MA, for anyone who is listening to this and who lives locally. It is on November 26th at 11 am at St. Rita’s Parish. The other one is because I have heard this story at least twice over the last month, and I feel it is one that should be repeated. We tend to get scared watching the news. We feel as though evil is taking over, and we can sometimes feel helpless. This story shows us we are not helpless. It shows us good defeats evil. The Lord has already won the war of good vs. evil. He will always be victorious!
The First Blog article is titled A Beautiful Night to be Catholic in the Archdiocese of Boston and was written by Father David Barnes on Tuesday, May 13, 2014. CLICK HERE to go to Father David Barnes' Blog
It’s a little after Midnight, and I am just getting in after participating in a magnificent evening. Hundreds of Catholics joined in a Eucharistic Procession down Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge from the MIT chapel to St. Paul's in Harvard Square. There, we spent a period of time in prayer. The purpose of the evening was to pray in reparation for a planned Satanic Mass on the campus of Harvard University.
The procession, which passed MIT and Central Square, was a site to behold. People were coming out of restaurants--some kneeling on the sidewalks, others blessing themselves, and some just staring in bewilderment. Many of the servers who organized the procession were from Juventutem Boston. That is the Traditional Latin Mass Community of young people. They did an impressive job. It's not easy to keep us priests organized.
The procession ended at St. Paul's in Harvard Square. When we arrived, the church--which I suppose holds about 1000 people--was already filled to capacity. So hundreds of those who walked in procession were left standing on the street outside of St. Paul's.
As I looked out at the congregation, I saw many people from my previous assignment in Beverly. They traveled a good distance to be there. It makes me proud to have been in a parish of people who love the Eucharist so much that they would come to this event. In the procession, I saw many students from Boston University (where I serve as Chaplain). It was so inspiring to see their witness.
The unsung hero of the event, in my opinion, was Fr. Richard Clancy, who is the Chaplain at MIT and who is the Director for Catholic Campus Ministry in the Archdiocese of Boston. He was the one who came up with the idea of a Eucharistic Procession. Although he doesn't look for accolades, he deserves some today.
Tonight, I spent several hours with Catholics from all over the Archdiocese of Boston--young and old, students, married people, priests, seminarians, religious men and women, lay people--who all love the Eucharist. That's what being a Catholic is. I'm grateful to have experienced their powerful witness tonight.
The second blog article is titled The Harvard Eucharistic Procession Was Beautiful . . . But Now What? This was written on Tuesday, May 13, 2014. CLICK HERE to go to Father David Barnes' Blog
The decision of a student group at Harvard University to host a "black mass" on its campus precipitated a massive response from Catholics around Boston, the United States, and even the world. I've heard of parishes all over the United States that held Holy Hours at the time of the scheduled event at Harvard. As I mentioned previously, I participated in a magnificent Eucharistic Procession from the campus of MIT to St. Paul's in Harvard Square. Hundreds of Catholics followed the Eucharistic Lord down the main street in Cambridge, where thousands of onlookers witnessed the flock following the Eucharistic Good Shepherd.
I'm not always a huge fan of "big events" because I feel like those things can be used as a substitute for true faith. Sometimes, they feel as though the effort that goes into planning and executing them far outweighs the benefits. They sometimes feel designed as a publicity stunt or as a way of evoking a strong emotional reaction, but the effects seem short-lived. Last night's Eucharistic Procession had a different feel. As I looked about and saw the many young college students from area universities participating, I was touched by their love for the Eucharist and their sincere desire to follow Christ.
During the past year, one thing that has really struck me about the college students whom I encounter every day is their Eucharistic Faith. Quite often, as I am standing outside of church on a Sunday before Mass, I am asked, "Father, do you have time for a quick confession?" Similarly, for thirty minutes each day before Daily Mass, I hear confessions. It is rare for there to be a day that nobody comes. I also noticed this at Mass itself. At every Sunday Mass, there are young people who come up in the communion line and ask for a blessing rather than receive the Eucharist. Presumably, having examined their conscience, they do not want to receive the Eucharist until they have received the Sacrament of Penance.
I find all of this very striking. These young people are not scrupulous or legalistic. They are not tied up in knots. Instead, they strike me as being young people who simply love the Lord and who want to approach Him and receive Him with devotion and love. Their love for the Eucharist and the ease with which they approach the Sacrament of Penance is a beautiful witness to Christ and His Grace. I benefit from their example.
All of this comes to mind for me today as I think about the "big event" of the Eucharistic Procession and the blasphemous "satanic mass" that precipitated it. I am reminded of my own need to deepen continually my devotion to the Eucharist. These events beckon all of us to examine ourselves and to renew our love for the Blessed Sacrament. Do I love the Eucharist? Do I live a life that is coherent with the Eucharist that I receive? Do I humbly examine myself before approaching to receive the Eucharist? Do I spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and make visits to be with the Lord in the Eucharist? Do I receive the Eucharist with reverence, or am I distracted, careless, or even willful?
In this instance, the "big event" ought to cause all of us who are Catholic to become more coherent in our lives. While we were rightly outraged at the intended sacrilege of the Eucharist by others, we ought to make certain that we do not simply become "protesters" in our relationship to the Eucharist. Instead, we ought to become more Eucharistic in our daily life. This "big event" ought to deepen our desire to grow in Eucharistic intimacy. We want to make sure that we ourselves are not sacrilegious, blasphemous, or careless.
I think the "big event" of the Eucharistic Procession will bear the most fruit if it is followed by Catholics everywhere examining our own consciences and humbly confessing our sins and receiving absolution. For me, the Eucharist Procession was an amazing witness of people showing their love for the Eucharist. In my life, however, the far more powerful and convincing witness of Eucharistic Faith is seeing the daily procession of college students making their way to the confessional.
Both of these articles demonstrate how powerful the Eucharist is and also the power of taking Jesus, in Eucharistic Form, to the streets. People recognize and can feel His presence even if they don’t know what they are feeling. If you have not participated in a Eucharistic Procession, I recommend you try to find one. They are so powerful, and it is so beautiful to see Jesus processing down the streets. It is one thing to love Jesus in the comfort and security of our churches. It is quite another to love Him out on the streets. I have placed a link to a video of the procession in the show notes. CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO If you have a few minutes, I know you will be blessed by watching it. I hope you enjoyed hearing about this amazing event and the effect it had on so many!