Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.”

As an opening remark I express my gratitude to Fr. Dennis Veltri of the Diocese of Erie who celebrated the Masses and heard Confession here at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, while I was on my annual retreat for 6 days this past week.  Fr. Dennis shared with me your warm welcome for him.  My retreat this year was the famous “El Camino de Santiago” in Spain.  I walked in heat and even rain, the ups and downs on the rocky way for over 35miles in six days to end up at the Cathedral of St. James in Santiago where the relics of St. James Apostle are preserved and venerated. For me it was a challenge —  nothing to do with old age, thank you!  “El Camino” in Spanish means the Way and reminds the pilgrim making the Way that our life is a pilgrimage to Heaven, and also that the pilgrimage is not always easy. 

Let me share with you just three experiences that I had on the “El Camino” or the Way:  

As a pilgrim I visited a beautiful Basilica called Our Lady of the Oak, referring to our Lady carved from a huge Oak tree.  While there, a priest approached to welcome me and my three fellow pilgrims: my goddaughter Michelle, her husband Francis, and Francis’s mother Endemena.  I introduced everyone to this priest, the rector of Our Lady of the Oak and shared with him that I was the rector of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Basilica in Youngstown, Ohio U. S.A., and immediately he turned all the lights on in the Basilica and gave us a magnificent tour of its awesome beauty. Then he pointed to a side altar and said, “Mira! Mira!” … “Look! Look!”  Above the altar was a hand-carved statue Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.  I thought I was back home.  I was so pleased, and he noted it as he smiled at me and nodded his head saying, “Si, si, yes, yes.”  

Then it happened that I met three religious sisters along the Way — two from Spain and one from Venezuela — never met them before in my life.  After a long conversation they gave me a special gift.  I will tell you about this gift,   but before that I want to tell you about the Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of St. James the Apostle … 

The Cathedral was packed with pilgrims, more than a thousand.  The Archbishop was the principal celebrant of the Mass, and there were eight of us priests.  Before the final blessing of the Mass, down from the high ceiling, 8 men with very heavy ropes lowered a large censer about four foot tall!  The men filled it with incense … the smoke of the incense rose, and off they went, swinging the enormous censer from left to right, back and forth, over and over again with a great intensity and joy — so much that I thought they were going to hit the Archbishop! It was truly awesome, and all I could feel for some reason or other was that all my sins were forgiven.  Amen!  Then the great censer slowed and was stilled, and a black woman, beautifully dressed and possessed of a positively angelic voice sang the Ave Maria.  First the frenetic exuberance of the censer and now, following the hymn sung by this angel, you could hear a pin drop.  Ave Maria!

Oh yes — back to the gift that the three joyful sisters gave me! It was a small, crystal statue of Jesus as a young child — about the age of our first Communicants today. The child Jesus is depicted holding a sprout of wheat and a bunch of grapes. They wanted me to have it as a priest. I immediately thought of our first Communicants this weekend!  Today they are receiving for the first time the Body and the Blood of Jesus — really, and truly, under the appearance of wheat and grape. But it is the Lord.  This is their highway to heaven; and this is our highway to heaven. This is our shared Camino. This is our WAY to go.  Live in His love as we receive Him.  Live in His love as you go along the Way to Heaven. Holy Communion is our ticket to heaven as we go along the Way.

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

Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,
“Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice,
you cannot be saved.”
Because there arose no little dissension and debate
by Paul and Barnabas with them,
it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others
should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders
about this question.

The apostles and elders, in agreement with the whole church,
decided to choose representatives
and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,
and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
This is the letter delivered by them:

“The apostles and the elders, your brothers,
to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
of Gentile origin: greetings.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind,
we have with one accord decided to choose representatives
and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are sending Judas and Silas
who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:
‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,
namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
and from unlawful marriage.
If you keep free of these,
you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’”

R (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R Alleluia.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R Alleluia.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R Alleluia.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R Alleluia.

The angel took me in spirit to a great, high mountain
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God.
It gleamed with the splendor of God.
Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,
like jasper, clear as crystal.
It had a massive, high wall,
with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed
and on which names were inscribed,
the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites.
There were three gates facing east,
three north, three south, and three west.
The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,
on which were inscribed the twelve names
of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

I saw no temple in the city
for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb.
The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it,
for the glory of God gave it light,
and its lamp was the Lamb.

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.