Preparing for Lent and the Importance of the Eucharist

by Fr. John Granato  |  02/16/2025  |  Words from Fr. John

My Dear Friends,

After the perennial long January, it is difficult to believe that we are already more than half way through February, which means we are also that much closer to the beginning of Lent. I have been reading the Eucharistic consecration book (33 Days to Eucharistic Glory) that I gave the parish for Christmas. Many parishioners have approached me to let me know how much they love the book. I will be offering a Lenten series on the book for the six weeks of Lent, the days and times to be determined.

The Eucharist is the Heart of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He shows us how much He loves us by offering Himself on the Cross in order to nourish us with the Bread of Life, His very own Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. The devotion to the Sacred Heart of our Lord, as Pope Francis has been teaching us in the encyclical, is both the human and divine love of our Lord. His humanity and His divinity are united together in His person because of the mystery of the Incarnation, whereby God took on human flesh and entered into His creation. We are invited to the wedding banquet of our Lord in order to receive Him physically, but there are instances where some Catholics may not be able to receive our Lord.

Some of these instances are a matter of not having confessed any mortal sins that you may be aware of. (Any sexual activity outside a sacramental marriage between a man and a woman, willfully missing Mass, murder, abortion, blasphemy, wrath, idolatry, enslavement of human beings, theft, taking advantage of the poor, etc.). There are also disciplinary issues, such as breaking the hour fast before Mass. Then there are some who may just decide that they do not want to receive that particular day at Mass. In those cases where you are not able to receive or do not wish to receive, there is a long tradition in our Catholic faith of making a spiritual communion.

Of course, especially when it comes to mortal sins, our Lord desires to forgive us, and He wants to bring us spiritual healing. He wants to bring us wholeness and a life of holiness. Worthily receiving our Lord in the Holy Eucharist is one such way to grow in holiness. As our parish and parishioners continue to work through the consecration of 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory, let us pray that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit may enliven our parish community and be a light in the midst of the darkness around us.

God bless,

Fr. John