Thirtieth Sunday Ordinary Time
October 24, 2021 •
The Scriptures teach us that our Lord is the one Who prays on our behalf, Who offers the sacrifice on our behalf, as a man, chosen by God to reconcile us with the Father.
You cannot communicate with the Father except through Christ. It is not possible. There is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ. That truth is still maintained in the present day.
If Jesus coming in the flesh two thousand years ago was the only way that we could be saved and communicate with God the Father in holiness, it's still true to this day. ... So where is He? How are you going to talk to Jesus?
Jesus teaches us in the Gospels that the way He saves us, the way He reconciles us with God the Father, is through His human nature. It's always tangible and physical. We Catholics call that "sacramental."...
The only way you can speak to the Father is through Christ. And the only way you can get to Christ is through His body. That's it.
No body of Christ, no Christ, no Father. And you are dead in your sin. ...
If Jesus is not physically here with us now in the world, then we cannot be saved.
Jesus gave us the seven sacraments of His Church to preserve His presence among us. Each one of those sacraments is necessary to maintain the Body of Christ in the world. ...
Consider if you will, that if there were no ordained priests - if Jesus had not given us the holy priesthood through the Apostles - you would only have two sacraments at best: baptism and matrimony. Every other sacrament requires a priest. You would not have the forgiveness of your sins in confession. You would not have confirmation or the anointing of the sick.
You would not have the holy Eucharist.
In order to give you these great gifts and preserve them, Jesus gave another gift: the sacrament of Holy Orders, the sacrament of the priesthood. These men, chosen and set apart, are empowered by Jesus to keep the life of Christ, Body of Christ, alive in the world.
How important it is to pray for your priests. For me especially because I've been given this responsibility to mediate between you and the Lord. You should be praying for me every day. Every day. And our Bishop since he reigns over me, and of course - every day - our Holy Father. Without your prayers it is not possible for us, your priests, to be holy. We're just not strong enough.
Jer 31:7-9; Ps 126:1-6; Heb 5:1-6; Mk 10:46-52
Homily begins at 18:47