THE GOOD NEWS
ARCHBISHOP BELTRAN

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June 13, 2010

The Good News...

           ...Our Lady of Fatima Church

Nicoma Park
June 6, 2010

My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Today we celebrate the great Feast of Corpus Christi. These Latin words are translated as the Body of Christ and refer to the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. This is the wonderful gift that Jesus gave us of Himself. It is our communion in the Pascal mystery of Christ. Therefore, this is the principle liturgical celebration of the Church. This is the heart of our belief in the continuing real sacramental presence of Jesus among us. This acceptance of Jesus, the Lord and Savior, including His Eucharistic teaching,  constitutes the very essence of our Catholic faith.

The teachings and revelations of Jesus are presented to us throughout the New Testament of the Holy Bible, especially in the four Gospels.  

Moreover, the teachings of Jesus answer and fulfill many of the questions and prophecies of the Old Testament. In many, many places Jesus refers to Himself as the Paschal Lamb, the Bread of Life, food that nourishes, drink that satisfies. Also, by many of  His actions, Jesus prepared His  listeners — including us — for the gift of the Eucharist He would institute at the Last Supper.

Today’s Gospel of the multiplication of loaves and the feeding of 5,000 is one of the many teaching moments Jesus used to prepare us for His great teaching on the Eucharist. Thus, when Jesus instructed His apostles to prepare a place for the Paschal meal and gathered them together around the table, they were enabled to accept and receive their first Holy Communion.  

Our second Scripture reading attests to the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper and the continuing Eucharistic teaching and practice from then on. Saint Paul said: “I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night He was handed over, took bread and after he had given thanks, broke it and said: ‘This is My Body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying: ‘This cup is the new covenant in My Blood. Do this, as often as you drink It, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this Bread and drink the Cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.”

The Last Supper began as a solemn celebration of the Paschal event. It ended with the dynamic institution of the Eucharist. The sadness of the imminent departure and suffering and death of Jesus was not the end for that first Christian parish of apostles. They were told: “This is My Body, take and eat; This is My Blood, take and drink and you shall have life everlasting.” The Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Real Presence of Jesus, has continued from that moment on to be the heart of our Catholic faith and practice.  

Over the past six decades, the Lord’s injunction has been followed thousands of times here at Our Lady of Fatima Church. Here a community of believers has been formed, nurtured and guided on the pilgrim journey of life. The Eucharistic celebration presided over by an ordained bishop or priest has brought life and healing to a faithful band of parishioners, visitors and friends. Here many people have been brought to the Lord in baptism and confirmation. Many have received the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with the Lord in the sacrament of Penance. Men and women of faith have been united in holy matrimony and strengthened for their pilgrimage of life. Others who were called by the Lord in death have been blessed and ushered into the everlasting Kingdom of God.

The Parish of Our Lady of Fatima has been a very beautiful and dynamic Christian community. The countless people who have passed through these doors, living and dead, are gratefully acknowledged now and will continue to be in our memory and prayers. As the Last Supper of Christ with His apostles was a solemn, sorrowful event, so is our celebration of this final parish Mass tinted with sorrow. But more importantly, the Last Supper was also filled with hopeful trust and love because Jesus assured that parish community of His continuing Eucharistic presence among them. So today, in the name of the Church of this Archdiocese, I assure the parishioners of Our Lady of Fatima Church of God's continuing love and presence. I welcome each of you to one of the adjoining parish communities. The two major parishes are Saint Teresa of Avila Church in Harrah and Saint Philip Neri Church in Midwest City. The pastors and members of those parishes have already extended to you a very warm and cordial welcome.

My dear brothers and sisters of Our Lady of Fatima Church, your participation in the life of your new parish will be a continuation of the life you shared here in Nicoma Park. Both here and there, our Catholic faith is centered on the Person of Jesus and His Eucharistic presence among us.  

"Take My Flesh and eat It, take My Blood and drink It and you shall have life everlasting."

The amalgamation of Our Lady of Fatima Church into the neighboring parishes was not caused by a lack of faith or weakness on the part of the parish. The determining factor is the shortage of priests. Therefore, I hope that you and all the people of our Archdiocese will continue to pray for priestly vocations. Parents and all parishioners are urged to nurture priestly vocations. Pray that the Lord of the harvest will send us many good and holy and faithful priests to celebrate the Eucharist, providing us with the bread from heaven on this, our journey of life.

In the meantime, be assured that Our Lady of Fatima Church will not be forgotten. These buildings which have been used to nurture your parish will continue to be used for the necessary social ministries of our faith.  

Under the guidance of our Archdiocesan Catholic Charities, we will continue to serve God's people, especially those most in need.  Later at our meal, a representative from Catholic Charities will share with us some of our initial plans for this ministry.