Today we are living in a difficult time to be a Catholic. We know that there is a constant focus on the sins of the Catholic Church and people are using that focus in a way to discredit her to their own advantage.

 

 

There is one element that many people miss. 

 

There is an ancient Catholic teaching that actually comes from the words of Jesus that says nothing happens without the permission of God. Jesus reminds us that just as God cares for every sparrow, so he cares for us.

 

Many of the saints understood this to such a level that they would actually thank God for their difficult times, specifically mentioned are things like: disease, slander, trials and tribulation living without shelter in the worst of weather, and more,  for they knew that if nothing happens unless God allows it, then even the worst of all pains God allows for a reason that is beneficial to us in for our salvation.

St. Claude de la Colombiere explained that one day in adversity is more fruitful for salvation than many doing good.

Hear this homily as it was delivered at Mass

The saints often cited Job as an example who said that if we expect good things from God should we also not expect evil?

 

If it is true that nothing happens that is not first allowed by God, then we have to say that the difficult time we have been living as the Catholic Church has happened with God’s permission.

 

It is possible that what we are seeing upon the Church is God’s hand. If we understand this, then it may be time to pay attention to what God may be saying.

 

To understand this warning we need to look at the story of Eli, Hophni and Phineas found in the first book of Samuel.

 

Eli was the high priest, he was a good, holy man. He had two sons Phineas and Hophni. However, he cared so much for his sons he did not discipline them. They grew up to be corrupt.

 

This was a time that the Ark of the Covenant was present in the community of Shiloh.Like our own tabernacle found in every Catholic Church, it was the presence of God. The Ark containing the ten commandments would sit under a tent on a majestic table. Like the tabernacle in Church, there was usually no supernatural sign always present on the Ark. It appeared simply as the ark, golden: true and beautiful: true, but would appear simply as the ark. Just as our tabernacle appears simply as a tabernacle.

 

Phineas and Hophni would exact financial demands on the people in the form of the choicest cuts of their food from their table. They would oppress the people and even have relations with women next to the ark. Their evil was intense and they were not corrected by their father.

 

The Philistines, enemies of the nation of Israel, were a tough warring people and lived on what we today called the Gaza Strip. They engaged the Hebrews in battle and were defeating them. The Hebrews decided to retrieve the Ark from Shiloh and carry it into battle for they believed that this is the power of God’s presence and the Hebrews would be undefeated in battle if they had the ark. That idea is the basis for the movie the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

 

Upon hearing of the coming of the Ark, the Philistines were terrified for they knew the power of the God of the Hebrews was so great that they could be no match for it, despite them being the most powerful nation in the area. It is obvious that the pagan Philistines had more fear of God than the nation of Israel, especially under Hophni and Phineas.

 

The Philistines, nevertheless, went into battle against the Hebrews and their Ark. Hophni and Phineas were among those who carried it into battle relying on its mighty power. However, because of the corruption that had infected the nation through Phineas and Hophni, the ark was no advantage to them.

 

The Philistines defeated the Hebrews. They captured the ark and brought it with them back to their own temple. Phineas and Hophni were killed in the battle. A messenger was dispatched to Shiloh to inform Eli: a heavy set man in his 90’s because he too had eaten lots of the best of food. He was taken aback literally when he heard the news. Seated, he fell backwards in his chair, broke his neck and died. Phineas’s wife, pregnant with his child, gave birth immediately upon hearing the news of the death of her husband and the loss of the Ark. She died in childbirth but not before naming the child Ichabod, which means the Glory of Israel is gone.

 

The Philistines who were at first terrified that the Ark would be brought against them, carried it in triumph back to their camp. Strange things happened, including that their  idol Dagon fell off its pedestal and landed in front of the Ark prostrate. When they returned Dagon to his pedestal, it fell again that night and smashed into several pieces. Then the Philistine people began to suffer from terrible tumors and they realized these were all signs this Ark had no place in their camp. It belonged to Israel and was the presence of their God that the Hebrews took for granted. They returned the Ark. The Philistines not only feared the God of the Ark they learned what Phineas and Hophni never did, God must be revered and not taken for granted.

 

Today we celebrate what Jesus called something the prophets would long for. The Body and Blood of Christ in the tabernacle. Yet, like in the time of Hophni and Phineas, many take this for granted. Either they do not truly believe, or they forget the true meaning of our Eucharist. Remember, every baptized person receives the anointing of the Lord. It must not be taken lightly.

 

What we have in our midst is so much greater than what existed in the time of Hophni and Phineas. They ignored God’s presence in the Ark, many do the same today. When approaching the Eucharist we must appreciate it for what it is, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ given to us as a great grace. We must approach it as did Moses to the burning bush, on God’s terms not ours. If we approach God on our terms we reject him by our actions. We can only approach him on His terms. We cannot say, I do not care what the Church teaches, I will do what I want and receive Christ anyway. That is a great mistake for any and all from the college professor to the politician. It is the sin of Hophni and Phineas.

 

We need to recognize what we are receiving and humbly receive Christ in awe and thanksgiving. If one is not ready, for he or she is obstinate in serious sin, then it is not time to receive the Eucharist until the person is repentant and ready. They honor God when they refrain in those circumstances for they show their fear of the Lord despite their obstinacy in sin. If we ignore God completely and decide we have more important things to do than offer God the reverence He deserves, we also make a grave sin against the presence of God, similar to what the Hebrews did, even the Philistines did not do that.

 

Many, following tradition, receive the Eucharist on the tongue as a sign of the great reverence to what they are receiving. Others receive on the hand giving a sign of reverence as well. In either case, we approach the Eucharist in humility and awe.

 

Still others come forward who actually are not ready, maybe they are living a life that is against Christ’s teaching and they have no desire to repent. They receive as if it was gum. Others are actually chewing gum when they come forward having no appreciation for the Eucharist. This is a grave mistake. If you are not ready to receive, don’t, there is no sin or shame in that, in fact it actually reverences God when you recognize you are not ready to approach the Holy of Holies. You commit the sin of Hophni and Phineas when you receive in mortal sin.

 

Those of us on the altar can never forget what the bread and wine become and must remain in awe of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. If we priests or bishops lose a sense of the awesomeness of our call it is a tragic and dangerous disposition to acquire.

 

If you look at the news, do not focus either positively or negatively on the media. Nothing happens without God allowing it. People may complain that they target the Catholics, you need to turn this around and see: it is our Church that was founded by Christ and alone has the Eucharist instituted by Christ, no other. It is ours that will be judged the more harshly if we do not appreciate that. If people truly realized what is going on, everyone from here to LA would be on their knees in repentant prayer seeking the blessing and mercy of a powerful God whose hand has manifested itself upon his people as he seeks to strengthen us for days ahead when the world will need our witness.

God bless you,

Fr. Robert J Carr

Fr. Carr is member of the Segundo Elo  of the Canção Nova Community. He is the pastor of Holy Trinity Quincy, MAand is the editor of this blog. He is the author of several books, blogs and hundreds of videos all of which you may find on Youtube.  You can follow him on twitter as @frbobcarr and on Google plus as+FrRobertCarr. Thoughts, comments on the homily? Let us know at Facebook