​Beloved in Christ, 
 
Last Sunday was amazing! It was primarily because it was Corpus Christi, and Jesus was the center of our worship and life. But it was also a remarkable day because many of you walked in the procession under the scorching sun. I prayed for you and Elizabethtown as I carried Jesus in the monstrance from the church on the hill to the historic church. What a blessed day!
 
I thank everyone who worked hard to make it a smooth spiritual experience. Thanks to the Guards of St Michael, the CCW, the young altar servers, the traffic controllers, the photographers, the canopy holder, those who set up and decorated the station altar, and Sandy, the sacristan. 
 
I am writing this from Nairobi, Kenya, where I am presenting a paper at a conference on African literature. Nairobi is beautiful!
 
Sacred Heart of Jesus,  have mercy on us. Happy Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. 
 
In Christ's Heart,      Fr. Bernard Alayode,  OP 
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
On this solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), I would like to bring our attention to five areas of Eucharistic life and worship we might want to reflect upon to strengthen our love and reverence of the sacred mystery of Christ's Body and Blood. It is our belief as Catholics that in the Holy Eucharist, Jesus is truly, really, and substantially present in His entirety- body, blood, soul, and divinity- under the appearance of bread and wine. With God granting us the grace of faith, we must respond to the Eucharistic presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ with deep and befitting reverence. The following are five areas I would like us as a parish to consider in our efforts to improve our reverence for the Holy Eucharist:
 
Firstly, let us plan to arrive early for Mass. Consider leaving home for church earlier than you currently do if you find yourself usually arriving at the church just as the procession of ministers begins. It helps to prepare better for the celebration of the sacred mystery if you arrive at church a few minutes before Mass begins to choose a seat and pray or meditate before the start of Mass. So, come early!
 
Secondly, out of respect for the Lord of lords, the King of kings, Jesus, whom we come to offer worship and adoration at mass or Eucharistic adoration, let us come appropriately dressed. Think of how you would dress for a job interview, prom, or any other official event; there are dress codes, and you will usually be in your best attire out of respect for the event or institution. We are talking about encountering God here! The Bible supports wearing proper garments and dressing modestly (e.g., see 1 Timothy 2:9-10 and Matthew 22:11-13). Ushers would never turn away any parishioner, but we kindly request that you refrain from wearing beachwear and summer shorts to church and Mass.
 
Thirdly, participate actively in mass. Please pick up the missalette and hymnal as needed. Open your mouth to join in praying and singing. Sing along (even if you have to pretend you know the songs, lol!). "Singing is the sign of the of the heart's joy (cf. Acts 2: 46). Thus St. Augustine says rightly, 'Singing is for one who loves, and there is also an ancient proverb: 'Whoever sings well prays twice over'" (GIRM 39). Let us also respond to prayers made by the ministers from the altar. Liturgical dialogues are intended to be "dialogues." Be part of the liturgical dialogues at mass.
 
Fourthly, when you receive the Eucharist from the ordinary or extraordinary ministers, do so carefully to preserve the integrity of the Sacrament. In addition to the customary bow, do cusp your hands if you are receiving in the hand, and extend your tongue when receiving in the mouth. Whatever your choice, please receive the Eucharist carefully and reverently. Take your time; no one is rushing you off. And very importantly, if you believe in the real presence, say "Amen" loud enough before receiving from the minister. You are receiving Jesus sacramentally in your hand or mouth; always remember this reality!
 
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, do not receive the Holy Eucharist if you are aware of mortal sin on your soul. Receiving Holy Communion while in a state of sin has serious consequences that may take effect now and/or in the afterlife. Remember that we believe the Eucharist is literally Jesus Christ- God Himself. To quote St. Paul at length, "Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgement on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable are dying" (1 Cor. 11: 27-30). Jesus loves us, and He is merciful, but let us not take these for granted. Get to confession as soon as you are aware of committing mortal sin (check the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes for guidance), and preferably before receiving Holy Communion.
 
Let us turn out in large numbers after the 10:30 am mass this Sunday to join the Corpus Christi procession to the Historic Church. A picnic will follow the close of the Eucharistic procession. I look forward to publicly proclaiming our belief in Jesus with you to our Elizabethtown neighbors.
 
Please do remember me in your prayers as I fly to Nairobi, Kenya, tomorrow to give an academic presentation at an African Literature Conference. I will spend some of my annual vacation days visiting my mother and sisters in Nigeria after the conference. I'll be back in mid-July.
 
I love you all, 
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

The Most Holy Trinity Sunday

​On this Sunday after Pentecost, when we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, we embark on a quest to know who God is. O Blessed Trinity, what can we know or say of you? Why does it matter to seek to know you? Why does it matter to celebrate the Holy Trinity? I'll answer these questions in my homily.

Can we know God in his essence? Can a finite being know the transcendence and infinite being that we call God? We cannot know God in his fullness. If we claim to know God in his fullness, then we must not be referring to the Alpha and Omega, the creator and redeemer of the world. "Si comprehendis, non est Deus (If you have understood, then what you have understood is not God), says St. Augustine. We are incapable of grasping the depth of God because God transcends the best of our human ability. Hence, in our quest for knowledge of God, we can never know everything, but we do know something about God from what He has revealed to us of Himself. St. Thomas Aquinas says, "Quidquid potest intelligi vel cogitari minus est Ipso Deo" (Whatever can be known or understood is less than God himself). The angelic doctor adds in De Veritate that "The essence of God Himself remains forever hidden from us. The most we can know of God during our present life is that he transcends everything that we can conceive of him."
 
But God revealed something of himself to us. He did this through Jesus and the Spirit of Truth. He revealed who He is as the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Jesus, we discover God, and in the Holy Spirit, he reveals more of Himself to us. In His incarnation and the Spirit of Truth sent to us, we can achieve knowledge of God that is possible for humans. It matters that we know God if we are to share in His life, worship Him, and love Him. This takes us back to the Baltimore Catechism, where the Church defined the purpose of our existence as knowing, loving, and serving God so that we may live right in this present world and in the world to come. When we know who God is in the way He has revealed Himself, we get to know that He is the creator of all things and the only one who can redeem us from sin and grant us eternal life where we shall see Him in His Triune fullness.
 
It matters that we contemplate the Holy Trinity on this Sunday and always. It is in doing so that His Spirit leads us to worship him in the right way and grow in love and service of Him. As a sign of our faith in the Blessed Trinity, we make the sign of the cross while saying the trinitarian prayer at the beginning and the end of our prayers. We immerse ourselves in the Holy Trinity by so doing. It indicates our hope that the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit dwell in us, and we are, in turn, inspired to live the life of relationship and communion that exists among the three divine persons, yet one God. This is truly the central mystery of faith from which other mysteries derive.

We will ponder on yet another mystery of faith next Sunday: the Solemnity of the Most Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). As we have done in previous years, we are going to bear testimony to our faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist by making a Corpus Christi procession from the church on the hill to the Historic Church. I once again plead with everyone God has given the ability to join this procession and be a part of our parish's witness to the presence of Christ among us. By walking with Jesus through Elizabethtown, He blesses all, and we also evangelize.
 
Today is Father's Day. I wish all our fathers all the graces they need to continue to be like St. Joseph, protector and provider for their family. Happy Father's Day. I also wish you all a Happy Juneteenth National Independence Day on Thursday!
 
In Christ,            Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

Beloved in Christ,

The Easter season concludes today with evening prayers, which will take place during our parish Pentecost Revival starting at 6 pm in the social hall. Ordinary Time resumes on Monday, June 9, the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. Ordinary Time does not mean "ordinary" in the sense of being a regular or usual liturgical season without special sacred moments or memories. Several major liturgical and devotional celebrations mark the month of June. Next week is the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, followed by the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) on June 22. We should also note that June is traditionally the month of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus starts on June 18- please note).
 
Back to our Pentecost Sunday Revival coming up this evening. As the flyer shows, I'll be speaking on Article 8 of the Creed, "I Believe in the Holy Spirit." St. Paul's question to the disciples he met at Ephesus, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" (see Acts 19:2) would be the starting point of my reflection on the mystery of the Holy Spirit. The Pentecost experience is an ongoing one. The Church needs regular renewal and refreshment in the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit to strengthen its mission of evangelization and aid personal sanctification. In addition to worship songs provided by the Gospel band Forgven (in imitation of Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25), we will have time for prayers for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit and healing.

I hope to see you all this evening at 6 PM for this special moment of grace in the Church. Come and let the Holy Spirit enkindle in you the fire of His love. Don't close the door to your heart; open and allow the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Come with your family and friends, Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

In the Holy Spirit,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP