On the Journey of Life, there comes a time when we are called to do more than walk and talk; we are challenged to “see” and “feel” (that is, to trust in the Lord Jesus). Holy Scripture and our faith tell us that our Lord Jesus comes alive in the Word and the Breaking of the Bread. Do our hearts burn like the hearts of the disciples on the road to Emmaus?

Do we have a “special road” in Eastchester/Tuckahoe? Can we place ourselves on this road and, perhaps, walk the walk? Like the walk of a parent who just buried their child; or a person who finds out they have COVID-19; or a middle-aged man who has been let go from the company he’s worked for all his life; or walking the road of one who has lost their spouse and partner of 50 years? Is there anyone you can think of who may be on this road?

We walk trying to make sense out of life: perhaps, without direction or hope, with our heads down and sometimes spiritually blind. But with hope and faith, we remember Jesus’ invitation: “Peace be with You.”

What is this Peace? Jesus says it is His gift to us. And why is that? It is because His death and resurrection provided us with victory over anything that this world can throw at us, even death. His peace is the peace of acceptance; the peace that allows us to appreciate each other, each and every moment.

So, yes, the gift that Christ gives us is the peace of acceptance and forgiveness but there is another piece of the puzzle here that brings about Christ's peace. It is our forgiveness of the sins of others against us. As long as anger resides in our hearts, there can be no peace. Peace only comes with forgiveness. “Let us offer each other the sign of Christ’s Peace.”

Pope John Paul II, in an Easter message from April 23, 2003, said: "Peace, therefore, is … inserted into the history of the Passover of Christ. It is born from a deep renewal of the human heart. … it is a gift to be accepted with generosity, to be preserved with care, … However troubled …, however strong the tension and conflict, nothing can resist the effective renewal brought by the risen Christ. Jesus … is our Peace." (430)

Amen.

The concept of the Holy Trinity has been an important part of the Christian religion since its inception. Initially, this feast wasn't celebrated after Pentecost and took a few centuries to find its place in the calendar. In 1334, Pope John XXII formally established Trinity Sunday as a Feast Day on the Sunday after Pentecost.

There are numerous Biblical references to the Trinity including:

• Matthew 28:18-20 -- “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ ”

• Corinthians 13:14 -- “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

After the celebration of Pentecost, the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church continues to meditate on the great mystery of God through the feast of Trinity Sunday. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, this Sunday was known originally as a Dominica vacans, with no specific focus or theme. At that time, there was no particular feast celebrating the Holy Trinity, but soon enough there arose a need for the Church to further define her beliefs in God.

A heresy known as the “Arian heresy,” which disputed the traditional Christian belief of one God in three divine persons, began to spread in the 4th century. The bishops of the Church decided to compose a Mass in honor of the Trinity to reaffirm the belief, but it was not given a specific date in the calendar.

By the 8th and 9th century, however, the Church found a perfect place. Sunday is consecrated throughout the year to the Holy Trinity because God the Father began the work of creation on the “first day,” the Son-made-man rose from the dead on a Sunday morning, and the Holy Spirit came down on the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday.

Besides celebrating the Trinity in some fashion on each Sunday, there also grew a need to fill the “vacant” Sunday after the Feast of Pentecost. This need was heightened by the fact that ordinations occurred during this time and there existed no specific liturgy. (Note: Our own Deacon, Rev. Mr. Steven Gonzalez, was ordained a Priest on May 29.) By celebrating Trinity Sunday after Pentecost, the Church allows further reflection on the mystery of God after receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. This helps us see the connection that, if we truly want to understand the Trinity, we need to recognize the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Trinity is one of the most fundamental beliefs of the Catholic Church, and so it is fitting that we dedicate a particular Sunday to that mystery.

In the Name of The Father, and of The Son, and The Holy Spirit … Amen!

Understood simply, Eucharistic Adoration is adoring or honoring the Eucharistic Presence of Christ. In a deeper sense, it involves "the contemplation of the Mystery of Christ truly present before us" -- Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity!

Eucharistic Adoration is "God and Man reaching out for each other, at the same time!" At the moment of consecration during Mass, the "gifts" of bread and wine are transformed (transubstantiated) into the actual Body and Blood of Christ. The elements retain the appearance of bread and wine.

At the beginning of the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, a priest or deacon removes the sacred host from the tabernacle and places it in the Monstrance on the altar for adoration by the faithful. "Monstrance" is the vessel used in the Church to display the consecrated Eucharistic Host during Eucharistic adoration or benediction. The word monstrance comes from the Latin word monstrare, meaning "to expose." It is known in Latin as an Ostensorium. When a consecrated host is placed in the monstrance, it is said to be a solemn exposition.

When the Monstrance contains the Sacred Host, the priest or deacon does not touch it with his bare hands but, instead, holds it with a humeral veil, a wide band of cloth that covers his shoulders (humera) and has pleats on the inside in which he places his hands. The (reserved) Blessed Sacrament serves as a focal point of devotion. At all other times, the reserved Sacrament is kept locked in the Tabernacle so that the faithful may pray in the presence of the Sacrament. The Blessed Sacrament is given the same adoration and devotion that is accorded to Christ.

"Perpetual Adoration" is Eucharistic Adoration round the clock (that is, 24 hours a day). A "Holy Hour" is "Eucharistic Adoration of Reparation" which lasts for about an hour. Adoration ceremonies traditionally include Scripture readings, hymns, prayers and time for silent adoration.

Eucharistic exposition and benediction are a complete liturgical service in their own right and are celebrated as such. Eucharistic exposition and benediction are no longer considered devotions but rather are a part of the Church's official liturgy.

This liturgy is designed to "acknowledge Christ's marvelous presence in the Sacrament and invites us to the spiritual union with Him that culminates in sacramental communion." In the past, benediction was sometimes added on to the end of another service or devotion; this is no longer done.

"Could you not watch one hour with Me?" (Mt. 26:40) Jesus waits for us in the Blessed Sacrament. He waits for our little acts of faith, adoration, love, thanksgiving, repentance, reparation and charity that we can oīer Him as we contemplate His Divine Majesty in the Blessed Sacrament.

O SACRAMENT MOST HOLY!
O SACRAMENT DIVINE!
ALL PRAISE AND ALL THANKSGIVING
BE EVERY MOMENT THINE!

“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for the least of my brothers and sisters, you did for me." (Mt:25:40)

There are more than 1 billion Catholic Christians in the world. What a different society it would be if we each did something for someone needier than ourselves.

In the Gospel of St. Matthew, our Lord teaches that love of God and love of neighbor are intimately intertwined. This past year especially, we as a parish and as individuals have been called to love God more deeply by serving our brothers and sisters in extraordinary ways.

Factoid: The Bible is available in 2,300 languages; however, the world has 6,700 languages. People who speak two-thirds of the world's languages have not yet heard the Gospel. Jesus Christ tells us we have to do a more thorough job of telling everyone about who can be “their” Light. Is that not our challenge, too? To take care of each other? As we continue our faith journey, we need to ask ourselves how God may be calling us to reveal His goodness to others. We need to ask ourselves how we are answering our baptismal promise to be “beacons” of Christ's light to the world.

For the past few weeks, our Archdiocese has been actively conducting the 2021 Cardinal’s Archdiocesan Stewardship Appeal. You have received a letter from Cardinal Dolan and our pastor Fr. Sorgie indicating that the Appeal is vital to the work and life of the Archdiocese of New York and each of its parishes, including ours.

As we consider making our pledge to the Cardinal’s Archdiocesan Stewardship Appeal, the gifts we already have are gifts from God, and we receive them gratefully. We nurture His gifts responsibly and share His gifts lovingly with others.

In the face of a challenging economy, we remain thankful to God for all we have. As a sign of our gratitude, we must respond to the Appeal, which helps all those who minister to the needs of God’s people. But where does the money go?

The Appeal supports:

• Caring for the elderly
• Feeding the hungry
• Teaching our children the truths of our faith
• Helping churches on the margin who need to keep their doors open so their parishioners can pray and feel secure in their faith
• Providing for all of us the hearing the Word of God and receiving the Sacraments
• Educating our future priests and deacons
• Assisting our retired religious, affording them the opportunity to live their golden years with dignity, security and peace
• Providing resources for Catholic Charities to respond to the needs created by a pandemic, terrorism, and world disasters, and to assist in the fight for the unborn.