From the Pastor’s Desk:

I have been blessed to have traveled in many countries of the world. Some of those countries I will never return to

because they are no longer safe or because they are at war. There is one main conclusion that I can make, we as

American that so much for granted, we are truly blessed. However step aside from being Americans, we as Roman

Catholics are also truly blessed. We also as Catholics take so much for granted.

Here within the city of Springfield there are 6 Roman Catholic Churches. On the weekend there are 7 priests in the 6

churches providing 24 Sunday liturgies. Of those liturgies, 1 is in Spanish, 1 is in Vietnamese and 1 is in Filipino. There is

also a Latin Mass and 2 more Sunday liturgies at Catholic Campus Ministry on the University campus at the O Reilly

Center. That is a total of 27 Sunday liturgies here in the city of Springfield. With all of these Sunday liturgies, the

question that needs to be asked, “Are that many liturgies needed, or are they just a convenience”?

The Eucharist is the greatest gift Jesus left us. Do we really believe this, or do we just take it for granted? We take time

for all types of sporting events. Will any of them get us to heaven? We take time for all types of entertainment. Will

any of them get us to heaven? We spend more time at work than any other people in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

(Technological Age), but will any of our computers, cell phones, internet get us to heaven? I raise all these questions,

because as American Catholics are we simply taking for Faith for granted as we do so many things we have in our lives

here in the United States.

In the Eucharist, Jesus offers Himself to us. That is our faith. It is the faith of the Roman Catholic Church from the time of

the Apostles. As the Apostles and Jesus sat at the Last Supper He took bread and wine and said, “take and eat, take

and drink, this is my Body, this is my Blood”. On our altars, in our tabernacles is found the Lord Jesus as he proclaimed

almost 2,000 years ago. Nothing can compare, regardless how great the technology becomes, how many hours we

spend at work, or how strong or fast an athlete is. No one, or nothing can compare to the gift of Jesus Christ in the

Eucharist.