R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

I wish to share with you the findings of my recent visit to the Clinic this past Thursday to evaluate everything since my recent stroke 3 months ago. The doctor says I am thus far making a remarkable recovery. The stroke was caused by high blood pressure together with extreme stress. And it was like my first stroke in 2013 – also a result of high blood pressure and extreme stress. Therefore, to continue my healing, I need to control my blood pressure, eat well, walk for at least 20 minutes per day, and avoid extreme stress. And I thank you for all your prayers; they patently contribute to such remarkable strides forward.

I’d like to say, my brothers and sisters in Christ, that my recent stroke makes me appreciate those profound words of Jesus, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

I am saying this because it’s true. Perhaps it’s hidden from the very learned who dwell in complexities, but it is true.

We know and believe that the Mass, the Holy Eucharist, indeed our celebration of the Eucharist – is a sacrifice. We continuously offer the body and blood of Jesus to the Father from the time of Calvary until the end of Time itself. I love in our celebration when everything is brought forth to the altar – the bread to become the body of Christ, the wine to become his blood, the water representing us mixed in with His body and blood, the gifts for the poor.

We place our gift of bread on the paten to become the body of our Lord, yes. We are also invited by the Church to place all of our sacrifices and our sufferings, regardless of their weight, upon that same paten along with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ offered to our Heavenly Father: the suffering of a gravely sick child, the suffering of a rebellious family member that hurts, the suffering of an elderly person in financial crisis, the suffering of a student struggling to complete a task, the suffering of a child experiencing the painful breakup of a friendship for the first time, the suffering that comes at the hands of a cynical opponent. Place everything – your whole self – the good and the bad, upon that same paten, and He will give you rest.

That’s it. Offer yourself in humility with Christ the King, the Just One, the Savior, the Meek One, who Himself is humble of heart, and He will give you rest.

Monsignor Michael J. Cariglio, Jr., Pastor, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica – Saint Anthony Parish

Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R.  Alleluia.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Brothers and sisters:
You are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.

It has long been a Catholic understanding that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy Communion, it is possible to make an Act of Spiritual Communion, which is a source of grace. Spiritual Communion is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and lovingly embrace him at a time or in circumstances when one cannot receive Him in sacramental Communion. The most common reason for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when a person cannot attend Mass. Acts of Spiritual Communion increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion and help us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily.

Spiritual Communion Prayer

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,

Come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace you as if you were already there

And unite myself wholly to you.

Never permit me to be separated from you.

Amen.