One Bread, One Body: We All Belong ~ The Rt Rev Michael Beckett,OPI

June is Pride Month, in which we celebrate/honor/continue the fight for the rights of LGBTQ folks and the victories associated therewith.  And, like virtually ALL of my LGBTQ sisters and brothers, we have heard the “Why do they need a month?  Why not celebrate veterans?  It should be the traditional family that is celebrated!” comments ad nauseum.  The “Traditional Family/Straight Pride” is celebrated every damned day, and Military Appreciation Month is in May and Veterans Month is in November, and if these folks were truly concerned about those things, then they would celebrate them and shut up. 

But I digress.  Anyway……  What folks don’t understand or simply refuse to accept is that we are who we are.  It’s been repeated far too many times by people who should know better that being LGBTQ is a choice….which is, of course, utter BS. 

Sadly, it’s our Trans siblings who are bearing the brunt of the condemnation and hostilities at this moment in time.  We hear folks who vilify them saying dreadful things to them.  I think one of the most hateful/ignorant/stupid/hypocritical accusations thrown at Trans folk is the “God made you a man (or woman) and to want to change that is an affront to God because God made you the way you’re supposed to be!”  Yeah.  OK.  So by that logic, if one is born with a heart defect God made you that way and for you to want to get it “fixed” is an affront to God.  If you were born with brown hair and you want to go blonde, that is an affront to God.  If you have poor eyesight/crooked teeth then to want to “fix” it, that is an affront to God.  The logistical twists and turns of bigoted thinking drive me to distraction.  The truth of the matter is that we are all of us, unique, different, and that all of God’s people, ALL of God’s people, make up the Body of Christ.

Today is a great Feast Day in the life of the Liturgical Churches throughout Christendom:  The Solemnity of Corpus Christi.  This day is celebrated in recognition of the Eucharist, the Body of Christ, and everything the Eucharist is and means.   We all know that the Eucharist was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper.  We all know that Catholics believe that the bread and the wine become the actual body and blood of Our Lord.  We all know that our Protestant brothers and sisters believe that the bread and the wine are symbolic of the body and blood of our Lord.  We all know that Anglicans and Episcopalians believe that the bread and the wine are still bread and wine, but are super special and are indeed the body and blood of Christ, but not really.  We all know that wars have been fought over these two basic, yet entirely different, beliefs.  We also know that from many, if not most, of the liturgical pulpits in the world, today the Word will be proclaimed concerning the Eucharist. 

Today, however, I would like to put a different spin on Corpus Christi.  I would like for us to leave the upper room of Christ and the disciples, and jump ahead a few years to Corinth, and to listen to what the Apostle Paul had to say about “the body of Christ” in Chapter 12, verses 12-14, of his First Letter to the Corinthians:

12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 

We, the Church, we, the people of God, we, those of us who confess Christ as our Lord, puny imperfect people that we are, WE are the body of Christ.  Some of us dress funny.  Some of us talk funny.  Some of us have emotional issues.  Some of us just have issues.  But we, ALL of us, together, make up the body of Christ.  Warts and all.  Some of us are wildly and multiply talented.  Some of us are incredibly intelligent.  Some of us have been blessed with physical beauty.  Some of us have been blessed with spiritual beauty.  Some of us have none of those things.    But we, ALL of us together, make up the body of Christ. ALL of us. We ALL belong.

My point, here, folks, if I haven’t made it already is simply this:  WE, all of us, make up the body of Christ.  What one person brings to the table may not be of particular interest or value to another person, but there is someone at that table who needs just that.  Perhaps we feel that this person or that person isn’t quite what we would like to see in our church, or in our family, or in our lives, but to someone, somewhere, that person is exactly who is needed.  The very person whom we consider to be “less than worthy” to represent Christ and His church may just be the exact one who is needed in certain situations.

Can you imagine Jesus saying to anyone, “You’re not a member of the club.  You don’t belong here.” 

So, that drag queen you’re hating on?  That transman or transwoman?  That politician?  That bigot down the street?  That news anchor?  Those immigrants?  Yep.  God loves ‘em.  They are part of the body of Christ.  Those gay folks?  Those brown skinned folks?  Those unhoused folks?  Yep.  Loved by God.  How dare we decide who God loves, who is worthy of God’s love?  Sometimes we need a stark reminder that Romans 3:23 says:  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  ALL have sinned.  Every darned one of us, so Pot, meet Kettle.  And we, our puny, different, unique selves are loved by God and make up the Body of Christ.

The music artist, John Michael Talbot, sums it up nicely:

One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless.

And we, though many, throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.

Gentile or Jew, woman or man, no more.   Many the gifts, many the works, one in the Lord of all.

Grain for the fields, scattered and grown, gathered to one, for all.

One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless.  And we, though many, throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.

So….who are you excluding?  Should you be?  Would Jesus tell ‘em no?

As we go about our daily lives, let us remember the lessons of today, this Feast of Corpus Christi, that we all of us make up the One Bread, the One Body, the One Cup, that is the Body of Christ.  Amen.

One Bread, One Body: Celebrating the Real Presence on Corpus Christi~The Rev Frank Bellino,OPI

As we enter into the beautiful month of June, our hearts and our liturgy turn toward one of the most profound mysteries of our faith, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, traditionally known by its Latin name, Corpus Christi. Now, if you caught the pre-Mass announcements from my wonderful wife, Alma, you already know my favorite reminder for this feast day: we aren’t talking about that beautiful Texas city down by the bay where the coastal winds blow! Instead, we are diving headfirst into the eternal truth of what happens right here at our altar. For those of us walking in the Dominican tradition as the Order of Preachers, Independent, this feast holds a special place in our spiritual heritage. In 1264, it was our own Dominican brother, Saint Thomas Aquinas, who composed the stunning prayers, sequences, and hymns for this universal celebration. He looked past the mere symbols of bread and wine to declare a powerful, life-altering reality that Christ is truly, fully, and substantially present in the Holy Eucharist.

In the liturgical cycle of Year A, Sacred Scripture traces a beautiful line from God’s historical provision to His ultimate fulfillment in the sacrament. In our first reading from Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the Israelites of the miraculous manna that rained down from heaven during their forty years in the wilderness. God allowed them to experience physical hunger so they could realize an essential spiritual truth—that we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Saint Paul builds upon this foundation in his letter to the Corinthians, giving us the ultimate blueprint for what a parish community should be by declaring that because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. Finally, in the Gospel of John, Jesus does not speak in comfortable metaphors or poetic symbols. He stands before the crowds and tells them directly that He is the living bread that came down from heaven, and that His flesh is true food and His blood is true drink. When we step up to the altar to receive Holy Communion, we are stepping directly into this divine reality and being physically and spiritually nourished by the very life of God.

As Dominicans, our guiding principle is Contemplata Aliis Tradere, which means to contemplate, and then to share the fruits of that contemplation with others. The Eucharist is never meant to be a private, isolated moment of personal piety. It is our active spiritual fuel. We consume the Body of Christ at the altar so that we can go out into the world and actively become the Body of Christ for a society that is starving for love, truth, and grace. We see the beautiful fruits of this holy unity alive in our upcoming parish calendar here at St. Michael’s throughout the month of June. We will gather right after Mass in the Parish Hall on June 14th for our monthly Coffee and Chat, which is a wonderful time to build up our communal bond and share fellowship. On June 21st, we will celebrate Father’s Day, honoring the men who lead, protect, and sacrifice for our families. Then, on June 28th, I will humbly celebrate my own Ordination Anniversary, thanking Almighty God for the immense, unmerited privilege of standing at this altar to break the Bread of Life for this parish family.

Our mission, however, stretches even further than our Sunday gatherings. Because we are nourished by the one loaf, we are already looking ahead and brainstorming for our upcoming November Act of Service. A church that is fed at the altar must actively go out and feed the neighborhood, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We start preparing our hearts, our ideas, and our plans now so that we can carry the charismatic fire of the Holy Spirit straight into the streets where people need it most. Within the welcoming, unconditional embrace of the Unified Old Catholic Church, our doors and our hearts are always open wide, and no matter where you are on your journey of faith, you have a place at our table. This Corpus Christi, let’s clear away the noise of the world, silence our digital distractions, and open our souls to the Real Presence. When you receive the Eucharist today and say your “Amen,” let it be a solemn promise to let Christ live through you, ignite your family, and transform our community. May the peace of Christ, which surpasses all human understanding, guard your hearts and minds always.

Fraternally in Christ,

Fr. Frank Bellino, PhD, OPI

The Overflowing Fire of Love~The Rev Frank Bellino,OPI

If we are being completely honest, Trinity Sunday is a day that makes a lot of preachers nervous. Too often, it gets treated like an annual, abstract geometry lesson full of dusty definitions and dry formulas, leaving everyone in the pews feeling detached from the mystery. But if we pull back the curtain and look at the real human story behind these scriptures, we find something far more raw, intimate, and urgent. The mystery of the Trinity wasn’t revealed in a pristine, quiet university classroom to scholars who had life completely figured out. It was revealed directly in the trenches of human vulnerability and struggle. Look at Moses in our first reading from Exodus. When he climbs Mount Sinai early in the morning, he isn’t carrying a victory trophy; he is carrying replacement stone tablets because the people had just completely blown it with the Golden Calf. He is leading an exhausted, rebellious, “stiff-necked” people, and he is bone tired. Look at Nicodemus in the Gospel of John. He encounters Jesus under the cover of night because he is terrified of what others will think. He is a prominent religious leader hiding in the shadows, surrounded by intense political and social tension, carrying a heart full of unspoken questions, doubt, and paralyzing anxiety.

The story behind the story is that God deliberately chooses to reveal the deepest mystery of His inner life precisely when we are at our lowest, our messiest, and our most afraid. Many of you walked through the doors of St. Michael’s today carrying that exact same weight. You might be carrying the heavy regret of a recent spiritual failure, like the wandering Israelites, or you might be hiding an overwhelming anxiety in the dark, like Nicodemus. And what is the Veritas—the divine Truth—that meets us in that darkness? On that mountain, God doesn’t descend in the cloud to shout a list of rigid rules, point fingers, or condemn a broken nation. Instead, He stands with Moses and proclaims His very Name, which means He reveals His core, unchanging character: He is a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity. Centuries later, Jesus takes that revelation to its absolute peak for Nicodemus, handing him the master key to reality: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.”

This brings us to the very reason for the Trinity—the divine “why” behind this great feast. Scripture tells us that God is love. But think deeply about the nature of love: love fundamentally requires an “other.” If God were a solitary, isolated, single person sitting alone in eternity before the universe was created, He could not have been love, because there would have been no one to love. He would have been a God of cosmic isolation, perhaps a God of raw power or a God of ego. But our faith proclaims something radically different. The reason God is a Trinity is because God is an eternal, dynamic relationship. Before the world ever existed, God was already a perfect community of love. The Father is the one who loves; the Son is the one who is beloved; and the Holy Spirit is the living, breathing bond of love that flows eternally between them. God is a Trinity because God is, in His very essence, an infinite and perfect family.

This is where that profound divine Truth catches fire with the power of the Charisma. Because the inner life of the Trinity is an eternal explosion of love, it simply cannot keep itself contained. Love, by its very nature, demands expansion. God didn’t create the universe because He was lonely or needed us; He created us out of sheer generosity so that His existing family love could overflow and have more people to share it with! That love overflowed into creation, it overflowed in the cloud on Sinai, it overflowed on the wood of the Cross, and it overflowed in a violent rushing wind and tongues of flame at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is the unquenchable, living fire of that Trinitarian love, and that same Spirit was breathed directly into you at your Baptism. You are not passive bystanders standing on the shoreline, looking at an abstract painting of the Trinity; through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, you have been pushed directly into the dynamic current of God’s inner life.

This is why this Mass is so incredibly important to us today. We live in a culture that is hyper-connected digitally but deeply isolated, lonely, and fractured. People are starving for authentic relationships and belonging. The Trinity is the ultimate community, and God’s greatest desire is to bring you into that divine family so that you never have to walk alone again. As a parish, we cannot experience this divine fire and remain the same. Saint Paul gives us the practical blueprint for living out this Trinitarian life when he exhorts the Corinthians to mend their ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, and live in peace. We cannot do that by our own human grit or willpower, but we can do it by tapping into the active fellowship of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. The gifts of the Spirit, the praise that fills this church, and the Veritas we proclaim are all meant to turn us into a living icon of the Trinity for a broken world. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn your mess, your past, or your struggles. He sent Him to save you by inviting you out of the shadows and directly into the Fire of His family love. So let’s stop watching from the shoreline. Today, let’s dive deep into the endless sea of His mercy.

Pentecost: Go. Do. Be.~The Right Rev Michael Beckett,OPI

Y’all…  Today is yet another major holiday in the Church.  As you know, within the calendar year there revolves another kind of year, the liturgical year, in which we, the church, celebrate the major milestones of our faith, usually marking the events of  Jesus’s life.  And, like the calendar year, the liturgical year is divided into “seasons.”  Today marks the end of the Easter season, which encompasses Easter and the 40 days thereafter.  And it’s a big deal.

Today is Pentecost.  Today we celebrate that day long ago when the disciples were all hanging out together wondering what in the world they were supposed be doing and how to fulfill Jesus’s command to them (and us) to “go out into the world and teach the Gospel” aka The Great Commission.  In the meantime, they, like the good Jews they were, had joined Jews from around the world who had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Shavuot, which is a major Jewish holiday that commemorates the day God gave the Torah to the Israelites at Mount Sinai.  And then, in the midst of the celebration, according to the Book of Acts (Acts 2:1-11), 

“Suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.  Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.  Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.  At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.  They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?  Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?”

This was, of course, foretold by Jesus right before he ascended into Heaven.  He had said to his disciples, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  And BAM!  Receive the Holy Spirit they did!  And on the day of Pentecost, the world received that very same Holy Spirit.

And there was their answer to the question of how to do that job they, (and we), were given to do. 

We were told in no uncertain terms to go hither and yon and tell folks about Jesus and his message to the world, and the lucky disciples were given the ability to do just that, to go and preach so that folks could understand what the heck they were saying. 

So reckon wonder what does all this mean for us today in the here and now?  When I was a teenager I sang in the church choir, and one of the songs that I remember singing was “Come, Holy Spirit” by JW Peterson.  The chorus, in particular, stuck with me: 

Come Holy Spirit dark is the hour
 We need Your filling 
Your love and Your mighty power
Move now among us stir us we pray
Come Holy Spirit revive the church today

The funny thing is, though, the Holy Spirit has already done that.  The Holy Spirit has come and filled and moved, and done His best to revive.  It’s up to us to accept what the Holy Spirit has done and act accordingly.  Jesus commissioned us to do and go and be, and the Holy Spirit has given us the wherewithal to do so…but we gotta accept that commission.

In order for us to do that, however, we gotta know what it is we’re preaching.  The whole central tenet of Jesus’s message, before anything else was love.  Love first, love last, love period.  Us having the courage to step out from wherever it is we are and say, in every language and to all people, “God loves you, I love you, and how can we help you?”  Pentecost reminds us that we are the only Bible some folks will ever read.  Pentecost reminds us that we are the only Jesus some folks will ever see.  How do we put that love into action?  Again, Jesus tells us in Matthew 25 to feed the hungry, house the unhoused, and make the world a better, more loving place.  Jesus did NOT tell us to crack on someone’s skin color, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, body type, political affiliation, or any other perceived difference.  Jesus told us to love.  I’m not a big fan of Paul, but he certainly got it right when he wrote “love is patient, love is kind.  Love is gentle.  Love is longsuffering.”  Heck, even the Beatles had it right when they sang, “All ya need is love.”

Now there ya have it.  The message of Pentecost.  It’s really the same message as that of Christmas, and of Easter, and of every other thing that happened in Jesus’s life and ministry.  Love God.  Love your neighbor. (Yes, even that neighbor that you don’t like, agree with, approve of, and can really barely tolerate.)  And one more time for those in the back….. Love.  Do it.  Be it.  Show it. 

Amen.

​The Fragrance of Veritas: Celebrating the Translation of Our Holy Father, St. Dominic~The Rev Frank Bellino,OPI

On May 24, the Order of Preachers throughout the world pauses to celebrate a unique and profound event in our history: the Translation of our Holy Father, St. Dominic. In the tradition of the Church, a “translation” refers to the formal movement of a Saint’s remains from one location to another. For the Dominicans, this occurred in 1233 in Bologna, Italy, twelve years after St. Dominic’s death. Under the supervision of Blessed Jordan of Saxony—Dominic’s successor—and in the presence of numerous friars and dignitaries, the original modest tomb was opened to move the founder to a more fitting marble sepulcher. It was at this moment that a miraculous, sweet fragrance, described by witnesses as unlike any earthly perfume, emanated from the tomb and filled the air.

​This historical event holds immense significance for the Order of Preachers, Independent (OPI). It serves as the physical fulfillment of St. Dominic’s deathbed promise to his brothers: 

“Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death than I was in life.” 

The “sweet fragrance” was understood as a divine sign that Dominic’s intercession remained active and that his charism—the preaching of Truth (Veritas) for the salvation of souls—was being blessed and expanded by the Holy Spirit. For the Order, this feast is a reminder that we are not merely preserving a memory; we are participating in a living mission that continues to bear fruit in every generation.

​Within the life of The Order of Preachers, Independent, and all of us who are beholden to St. Dominic, the Translation of St. Dominic offers a powerful spiritual lesson. It teaches us that the “fragrance” of a life lived with integrity and faith does not dissipate with time. As a community, we are called to live in such a way that our actions—our service to our families, our neighbors, and our country—leave behind a lasting legacy of kindness and truth. It also reminds us that “transitions” in our own lives, though they may involve change and movement, are often the moments where God’s grace becomes most visible to the world around us.

​As we honor this feast, we renew our commitment to the Dominican spirit of contemplation and action. Like our Holy Father, St. Dominic, may we strive to be people of the Word, ensuring that our lives are a “pleasing sacrifice” that brings the sweetness of God’s mercy to all we encounter. By standing firm in our faith and our duties, we ensure that the light of Truth continues to shine brightly in our parish and beyond.

The Most Important Day of the Year~The Rt Rev Michael Beckett,OPI

Y’all…..You know how I go on and on, teaching and preaching about Jesus commanding us to love, and folks falling short of that, and how we’re posta be good to folks, and all that?  Today’s bit of sermonizing is a bit different, coz TODAY is a LOT different!  Last week I talked about “If Then” statements, and we’re gonna hit on that again, because today we celebrate the single most important day in Christendom. 

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension.  The Books of Acts, Luke, and Mark all tell us that Jesus and his disciples went up to the Mount of Olives where Jesus reminded his folks what they needed to do, blessed them, and then, he was physically lifted up into the sky where he kinda disappeared into the clouds.  Talk about making an exit!

And this, my friends, is the single most important day of the year.  Think about all those big, huge, oh so very important days we celebrate:  Christmas.  Easter.  Pentecost.  Feast Days marking this that and the other great occurrences in our faith history.  Without the Ascension, those days wouldn’t mean anything at all.  Christmas?  We celebrate Christ’s birth.  Of course, think about all the other “birthdays” we celebrate.  Every person who has ever lived has had birthdays.  In the grand scheme of things, while important to us as individuals, our birthdays aren’t necessarily a cause of worldwide celebration.  Most of us just aren’t that important.

Easter?  Now, granted, Jesus being raised from the dead is a Pretty Big Deal.  However, it’s not unique in history.  Think about it.  Without celebrating today’s importance, Jesus’s resurrection is no more important than that of  those folks Elijah and Elisha raised, or Lazarus of Bethany, or the widow of Nain’s son, or Jairus’s daughter, or Tabitha, or any and all of  those other folks who made an encore appearance when Jesus rose from the dead on Easter.  

Yeah, it was a pretty great thing that Lazarus was resurrected, as well as those other folks who popped out of their tombs when Jesus did, but super important???  Not so much.  Why, you ask?  THEY DIED AGAIN and stayed that way.  They all got  up and did whatever it was that newly un-unalived people do, and then, when it was time, they died.  Again.  Jesus?  He did not.  He. Did. Not.

And as promised, here come those If/Then statements.  If Jesus had not ascended into heaven, proving yet again that he was who he said he was, then Christmas would mean nothing.  If Jesus had risen from the dead, only to have died again and stayed dead a few years later, then  it wouldn’t amount to a hill of beans.

St. Augustine, the great fifth century theologian, called the Ascension the most important Christian festival of the year, more important than Christmas, more important than Pentecost, even more important than Easter. (See, told ya.  It’s not just me!) For the ascension reminds us just how high Jesus was raised, and what that means.  Aquinas states:

‘This is that festival which confirms the grace of all the festivals together, without which the profitableness of every festival would have perished. For unless the Saviour had ascended into heaven, his Nativity would have come to nothing…and his Passion would have borne no fruit for us, and his most holy Resurrection would have been useless.’

What Saint Augustine says here resonates with the passage in Ephesians 4:10, where Saint Paul says that ‘He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things’ – i.e.; that by ascending into Heaven, and taking our human nature up with Him into the heavenly places, He completed the process of redemption by reclaiming His place as rightful sovereign of the universe, so that He might be present to us in a different way. If He had not so returned, the process would not have been completed, and as Jesus said in John 16:7, ‘it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you’.

The gospel writer Luke is renowned as a careful historian. When he recorded the birth of Jesus he rooted the event in its historical setting within the Roman Empire. He continues that same preciseness at the end of our Lord’s earthly ministry by recalling the place of the Ascension – at Bethany. He dates the event – 40 days after the resurrection on Easter Day. He emphases the presence of eyewitnesses – the Ascension took place he writes “before their very eyes” (Acts 1:9). Yes, the Ascension was a real event of history.

Some people are puzzled as to why Jesus waited around on Earth 40 days after his resurrection, but that period is no accident, and Jesus had things to do.

Jesus had endured the Devil’s temptation for 40 days in the wilderness at the beginning of his public ministry, but now the tables were turned. In the period after Jesus’ resurrection, He triumphantly paraded his victory over Satan. During this time, the conqueror of death displayed his supremacy before his faithful followers so that they might share in the joy of his victory. But there was another reason. Those 40 days of his appearing after the resurrection were of immense value to the believers, for they established the reality of his lordship. A single sighting of the risen Christ may have been open to question, but his continuous encounters with the disciples and others would remove the doubts of the most skeptical among them and assure them of his power and authority.

The resurrection of Jesus marked the ending of a chapter in his earthly life. Things could never be the same again, and it was essential that there should be a clear-cut event to bring that particular chapter to a close. It’s true that Jesus was making a series of appearances to his followers, but they couldn’t go on forever.

It would have been odd if Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances had grown fewer until finally they just stopped – that would only cause confusion and even loss of faith. No, there had to be a single, miraculous occurrence, separating the time when the Jesus of Earth would become the Christ of heaven. The Ascension was the only fitting conclusion to the life of Jesus on Earth.

Luke tells us of the disciples with their eyes straining to catch the last glimpse of the cloud bearing up their Lord. But then they were quickly brought back to earth. It would seem that with their eyes heavenward they didn’t notice the two heavenly beings that slipped quietly alongside them until they spoke: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking unto heaven?”, as if to remind the disciples of the work that they had been given to do.  The angels, for angels they were, had to tell the disciples to get to business.

And so it is with us.  Ascension Day reminds us of the Mystery of Faith: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.”

Christ will come again.  And as we await the “coming again” of Christ, we, like the disciples, have a job to do, business to attend to, things he commanded us to do.  In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus says, “Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.”

Now, most of us don’t have the time or money or intestinal fortitude to “go to the people of all nations”, so where do we start?  (Oops.  Looks like I’m gonna do it, even though I said today was gonna be a bit different, but we know how I am, so here we go…..)  So, again I ask, where do we start?   In John 13 Jesus says to us, “But I am giving you a new commandment. You must love each other, just as I have loved you.  If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.”  Love.  Each.  Other.  We are to continue to change the world in the work that Jesus has given us to do by helping others to see Jesus through and in us, by showing that love that he demonstrated, by bringing that love to everyone.

Jesus told us to love everyone.  Love.  Everyone.  Period.   Not just those whose politics are the same as ours.  Not only those whose religion is the same as ours, not only those whose lifestyles are the same as ours.  The least, the lost, the forgotten.  Work for peace.  Work for equality.  Work for justice. 

Love.  Everyone.  Period. 

Come Lord Jesus.    Amen.

The Chosen Replacement: The Feast of St. Matthias the Apostle~The Very Rev Lady Sherwood, OPI

Today, we gather to celebrate a man who lived most of his life in the shadows of giants, only to be called into the light by a roll of the dice—or rather, by the mysterious providence of God. We often think of the Apostles as a fixed “dream team,” but the story of St. Matthias reminds us that the Kingdom of God is dynamic, resilient, and always moving forward. After the tragedy of Judas Iscariot, there was a hole in the heart of the Twelve. To the world, that empty seat looked like a failure, a permanent scar on the mission of Christ. But to the early Church, it was a space waiting for God’s next move, proving that while individuals may falter, the Divine plan remains unshakeable.

​What is most striking about Matthias is his unwavering presence. When Peter stood up to find a replacement, the criteria were strict: it had to be someone who had been with them from the very beginning—from the baptism of Jesus by John until the day of the Ascension. This means Matthias was there all along, a silent but steadfast companion in the background of the greatest story ever told. He was there for the feeding of the five thousand. He likely heard the Sermon on the Mount firsthand. He may have been one of the seventy sent out in pairs to heal and preach. Yet, his name is never mentioned in the Gospels. He was a faithful follower who didn’t need a title or a spotlight to stay committed to the Master. His life asks us a difficult question: Are we willing to serve God in the “unnamed” seasons of our lives? Matthias proves that God is watching our consistency even when the world isn’t, and that the “quiet” followers are often the ones God prepares for the greatest tasks.

​The Apostles cast lots to choose between Matthias and Joseph called Barsabbas. While it looks like a game of chance to the secular eye, it was an act of total surrender to the Holy Spirit. They were saying, “Lord, we’ve done our homework and assessed the candidates, but the final decision is Yours.” Matthias didn’t lobby for the position. He didn’t campaign for votes or highlight his qualifications. He simply stood ready. When the lot fell to him, he stepped into a role that promised no earthly glory—only the certainty of persecution, the rigours of travel, and the heavy weight of the Great Commission. He reminds us that our true “call” isn’t about our personal ambition; it’s about our availability to God’s will.

​We all face “empty seats” in our lives—roles we are suddenly asked to fill, shoes that feel far too big for us, or unexpected transitions that leave us feeling ill-equipped. St. Matthias teaches us that preparation happens in those hidden, quiet years of service. Your current faithfulness in small, unrecognised things is preparing you for a future call you cannot yet see. God fills every void; no betrayal, loss, or vacancy can stop the mission of His Church. Ultimately, success in the Kingdom is measured not by fame, but by witness. Matthias’s primary job was to be a witness to the Resurrection. Our job is exactly the same: to show a weary world that Christ is alive through the way we love, the way we serve, and the way we remain faithful when no one is looking.

​A Prayer for the Feast of St. Matthias:

​Heavenly Father, You chose Saint Matthias to share in the office of the Apostles, ensuring that the saving message of the Gospel would reach the ends of the earth. We thank You for his quiet faithfulness and his humble readiness to serve when called from the shadows. Lord, grant us the same spirit of steady devotion. When we feel overlooked or hidden, remind us that You see our hearts and value our presence. When we are called to step into new responsibilities or difficult transitions, give us the courage of Matthias to say “yes” without hesitation. May we, like him, be true and living witnesses to the Resurrection of Your Son in everything we do. Help us to fill the gaps in our own communities with love, to mend what is broken by grace, and to always trust in Your divine providence rather than our own luck. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

I Will Not Leave You Orphans: The Gift of the Advocate~The Rev Frank Bellino,OPI

My dear brothers and sisters, our journey through the Easter season brings us today to a pivotal moment in the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel according to John. We are back in the Upper Room, in that sacred and somber space between the Last Supper and the Cross. Jesus is delivering what we call the “Farewell Discourse,” and He is speaking directly to the anxiety of His friends. He sees their hearts breaking at the thought of His departure, and He gives them a truth to cling to: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always.” It is here, in John 14:18, that He speaks the words that anchor our celebration today: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” This is not just a vague sentiment; it is a legal and spiritual promise. In the ancient world, an orphan was the most vulnerable member of society, but Jesus promises that His followers will never be without a Defender.

By identifying the Holy Spirit as the Advocate or the Parakletos, Jesus is describing someone “called to one’s side.” As we celebrate Mother’s Day and honor the Blessed Mother in this month of Mary, we recognize that this scriptural role of “Advocate” is the very definition of motherhood. Just as Jesus promised the Spirit would be a “Spirit of Truth” and a “Consoler,” our mothers are often the first ones to teach us the truth of our dignity and the first ones to console us in our sorrow. This Gospel passage reminds us that when a mother advocates for her child, she is participating in the very work of the Holy Spirit. Whether she is teaching us to pray or standing by us in our failures, she is a living sign that God’s promise—to never leave us as orphans—is fulfilled in our daily lives.

We see this promise most perfectly realized in the “Yes” of Mary, our Mother and the Queen of our Dominican Order. At the foot of the Cross, Jesus extended this promise to all of us. When He looked at the Beloved Disciple and said, “Behold your mother,” He ensured that the Church would always have a maternal Advocate in heaven. This is the source of our hope, especially for those whose mothers have passed into eternal life. The Gospel of John assures us that the Spirit of Truth “remains with you and will be in you.” This means that the love and faith passed down by our mothers in heaven is not a memory of the past, but a present reality. They continue to advocate for us before the Father, ensuring that we are never truly alone.

Jesus concludes this portion of the Gospel by telling us, “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.” This is the “abiding” love that defines our faith. To honor our mothers today—and to honor the Blessed Mother—is to live out the commandment Jesus gives in this passage: to love one another with a sacrificial, abiding heart. As we move from the Liturgy of the Word to the Liturgy of the Eucharist, let us ask the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, to strengthen the mothers of our parish and to keep us all united in the Truth.

Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of the Word, pray for us. Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Guide, abide in us. And to all our mothers—those here and those in glory—may God bless you for showing us the face of His love.

The Divine Architecture: Aligning the Living Stones~The Rev Frank Bellino,OPI

As we gather here today, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment in this Easter season. You may notice something unique about our liturgy during these fifty days: we have set aside the shadows of the Old Testament to dwell fully within the Acts of the Apostles. This is a deliberate and ancient teaching of the Church Fathers. We do not look backward at what was promised; we look at the radiance of the New Covenant in action. We are no longer merely awaiting a Savior—we are living the reality of the Resurrected Christ!

In our first reading today, we encounter the “story behind the story.” We see the early Church experiencing growing pains. Historically, this moment marks the birth of the Diaconate. The Apostles recognized that for the “ministry of the Word” to reach its full power, the “ministry of the table” had to be handled with justice and charity. In our Dominican tradition of Veritas, we understand this vital principle: for the Truth to be preached effectively, the community must first be ordered in love. This is our mission in San Antonio. We serve the marginalized and care for one another not as a distraction from the Word, but so that the Word may flourish.

St. Peter gives us the blueprint for this mission by calling us “living stones.” In the ancient world, the Akrogoniaios—the Cornerstone—was the master reference point. It was the very first stone set, and every other stone in the building was measured against its height and its angle. If a single stone was not perfectly aligned with that cornerstone, the entire structure would eventually crumble.

The teaching for us today is profound: we are not solitary rocks scattered in a field. We are a “royal priesthood” being fashioned into a spiritual temple. This reflects our charism of Community. Our individual study, our private prayers, and our personal sacrifices are all meant to serve the building of the whole. As we prepare for transitions in the coming weeks, let us remember that the strength of the church does not rest on any one person, but on our collective alignment with the Savior. We are the architecture of God’s grace, and we must stand square with Him.

Finally, we hear the heart of the Gospel. Imagine the atmosphere of that Last Supper—it was intimate yet filled with the heavy fog of anxiety. Despite three years of miracles, the Apostles were still looking for a political map or a physical destination to ease their fear. To this, Jesus gives the definitive answer: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

He shifts our focus from a “where” to a “Who.” Our call to action today is to move from a troubled heart to a trusting spirit. As a parish family, we are called to be the path through which others encounter the Father. We must not be content to be mere spectators of the faith. We are called to be active architects of the Spirit.

Let us leave this sacred space today resolved to align every corner of our lives with Christ. Let our thoughts be squared to His Truth, our words be measured by His love, and our service be built upon His sacrifice. Whether we are gathered here for the Holy Mass or scattered into the streets of our city as the hands and feet of the Savior, remember your identity: you are a chosen race.

Do not let your hearts be troubled by the shifts and shadows of this world. Stand firm as living stones. Let our lives be the only Gospel that some may ever read and let our community be the sanctuary where the weary finally find their rest.

The Pillar of Truth: Honouring St. Athanasius~

The life of Saint Athanasius of Alexandria stands as an eternal testament to the power of a single soul anchored in the Divine. Known to history as the “Father of Orthodoxy,” his path was defined by a singular, unwavering focus: the preservation of the true nature of Jesus Christ.

In an era where the Arian heresy threatened to unravel the very fabric of the Church by denying the divinity of the Son, Athanasius stood as a solitary bulwark. His lived experience was one of radical sacrifice; he spent over seventeen years of his life in exile, hunted by emperors and misunderstood by peers, yet he famously declared, “If the world is against Athanasius, then Athanasius is against the world.”

This was not a cry of arrogance, but a profound commitment to the reality that the Truth is not subject to the whims of the majority.

​Athanasius understood with perfect clarity that our salvation depends entirely on the Incarnation. He taught that if Christ were merely a created being, He could not bridge the chasm between the Creator and the created. “He became man,” Athanasius wrote, “that we might become divine.” This transformative hope was worth every hardship, every cold night in the Egyptian desert, and every moment of isolation.

His resilience serves as a vital mirror for our own lives today. We often face pressures to dilute our convictions or to blend into the cultural landscape for the sake of comfort.

 Athanasius challenges us to consider what we are building our foundations upon. Are we swayed by the shifting winds of popular opinion, or are we rooted in the ancient, Apostolic faith that has survived empires and outlasted every storm?

​To honour Athanasius is to embrace the “long obedience in the same direction.” It is a call to intellectual rigour, spiritual fervour, and a courage that does not flee when the cost of discipleship rises. Even in his darkest hours of banishment, Athanasius remained a shepherd, writing letters of encouragement and composing treatises that continue to light the way for the faithful centuries later.

 Let us draw strength from his example, remembering that even when we feel outnumbered or overwhelmed, the Word of God remains sovereign. Like the Great Bishop of Alexandria, may we find our peace not in the approval of the world, but in the steadfast confession that Christ is truly God and truly man, our Saviour and our King.

​A Solemn Prayer for Truth and Fortitude:

​Almighty and everlasting God, You raised up Your servant Athanasius to be a valiant champion of the faith and a witness to the glory of Your Son. We yield You hearty thanks for the courage he displayed and the wisdom he bequeathed to Your Church throughout the ages.

​I pray, O Lord, that You would grant us, who are part of the order he inspired, and all the faithful, a portion of his unwavering spirit. In a world of uncertainty and shifting shadows, steady our hearts upon the rock of Your unchanging Truth. When we are tempted to compromise, grant us Your strength; when we are weary from the struggle, grant us Your peace.

Let the light of the Incarnate Word guide our every thought and action, that we may live as faithful stewards of the mysteries You have revealed.

​Strengthen our resolve to contend for the Gospel with both charity and conviction. May our lives reflect the beauty of the Truth we profess, so that in all things, Your holy Name may be glorified.

​Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.