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Women’s Conference My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: I wish first of all to express my deep gratitude to the core committee and to all who have so enthusiastically planned, prepared and brought about today’s “Oklahoma Catholic Women’s Conference.” I recognize that you had great vision and determination in doing this. More importantly, I believe you are women of faith. Thus, I thank you. I encourage you and I support you in this good work. I congratulate you, the Catholic women from parishes all over Oklahoma and I welcome women of faith from other religious expressions who have come here today. I pray that all women who have participated in this conference will truly be “Clothed With Strength and Dignity” and that each of you will become and always remain a worthy woman of God. As human beings we are always searching for answers. We must seek guidance if we are to come to
the truth. In order to make good
judgments we must examine all we can
and wonder about what we cannot fathom.
In a recent social justice
magazine, I read an example of such wonderment written in a comical fashion. It read: While a word is supposed to have a meaning – and indeed it does – the way a word or combination of words are used can nuance or alter its meaning considerably. In a similar way, the unalterable Word of God has been sent to us in the Person of Jesus Christ. He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. However, the manner in which we react to the Word of God varies greatly. Today’s Gospel reading, for example, shows us the mistaken responses of some of Jesus’ listeners. When Jesus beautifully presented Himself as the One in Whom the Scriptures were fulfilled, they doubtingly questioned and challenged Him: “Isn’t this the Son of Joseph?” And, as He Himself revealed their thoughts: “Physician, cure yourself; do here in this place what we heard you did in Capharnaum.” Like the people of old, we too have been introduced to Jesus but how have we responded and how will we react and live in the days ahead? Today, the people who have attended and participated in the Catholic Women’s Conference have heard some beautiful testimonials. You have been encouraged to become worthy women of God. Tonight, all of us who are here participating in this Eucharistic Sacrifice are brought face to face with Jesus. He is not a far-removed God. He is here. He is one of us. He has taken our own human flesh and blood. In doing so He remains the One and only God, yet He becomes our brother and our Savior! The mystery of the Incarnation cannot be fully understood by our limited human abilities but it can be appreciated and celebrated. In his Christmas homily, Pope Benedict reminded us that God made Himself small (a little baby) so that we could understand Him, welcome Him and love Him. In that figure of a little baby, God directs us toward all children who suffer and are abused in the world today. Throughout the world, there are children who lack the necessities of life, children who are forced into slavery, children who are abused. In our own society and homes where children have a super abundance of material needs, there is often a lack of true love. They are deprived of the true introduction to the mystery and plan of God. They are not given proper direction of how to live in a secular and materialistic society. The Baby Jesus likewise directs us to the Great Commandment which underlies all His teachings: “Love God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole being and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Yes, God so loved the world that He sent His Son Jesus to save us. And this Jesus Who came as a baby has redeemed us and remains here with us. He remains here not as an over-bearing ruler or frightful image or threatening word. He remains with us under a humble image of food and drink. Under the appearance of bread and wine, the eternal, immense and all powerful God comes to us and remains with us. “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” Then He says: “Take My Flesh and eat It, take My Blood and drink It and you shall have life everlasting.” My dear women of today’s conference and all my brothers and sisters who have come here for this Eucharistic celebration, let us remember always, that the Eucharist is the heart of our Catholic faith. This is so because the Eucharist is Jesus. This is indeed the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus. Thus, in receiving Holy Communion, we receive Him whole and entire: His Body, His Blood, His Soul, His Humanity, His Divinity. Christ makes us enter into His thoughts and share His feelings. He communicates His virtues to us and, above all, His charity. The purpose of the sacrament of the Eucharist is to work a certain transformation into Christ by means of charity. The Eucharist is the great gift of God to us. God’s part is accomplished by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. What about us, the recipients of that gift? What must be our response? The Church’s teaching is clear. We must change first by conversion from sin, then by growth in holiness. Jesus gives Himself to us in the Eucharist so that we might be united to Him in all our thoughts, words and actions. The Eucharist is not a magical event. It is not a drama to be observed. It is a sacrifice of love on the part of Jesus Who gives Himself to us. It must be a sacrifice of love on our part as we receive Him. For in receiving Him, we give up our weakness, our pettiness, our sinfulness. By His Grace and His Love, we die to our old selves and become one in Him. Most Reverend
Eusebius J. Beltran |