19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Aug. 12, 2012
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
(Full sermon text) The movie “Fireproof” deals with a marriage which has gone to the point of no return. It seems that the husband, a firefighter, has become disinterested in his wife. He is distraught that his marriage is falling apart, but is blind to his own destructive behaviors. Selfishness has crept into every aspect of the husband’s life. Even when he does things for his wife, his actions are without feeling or have ulterior motives. This character displays for the audience how apathy can take hold of our lives.
The emperor’s sunken boats, a volcanic lake, and a famous sanctuaryA man full of life and of the Lord’s love, Fr. Tony Fortunato, O. de M. explains the significance of the famous Sanctuary of the Holy Crucifix in Nemi, Italy, and the history of the Mercedarian friary there. View it on our YouTube channel.
Visit the Mercedarians’
Blessed John Paul II in his famous Theology of the Body says the opposite of love is not what we think it might be. Many of us would say that hate is the opposite of love. But, Blessed John Paul II explains that the real opposite of love is to not care or to be apathetic. Apathy is defined as a lack of feeling when emotion is appropriate.
Confronting selfishness
The firefighter in the movie must begin a journey to save his marriage by confronting the selfishness that leads to apathy for the person of his wife and the covenant of marriage. He is challenged to take a 40-day experiment called “The Love Dare.” The husband must perform acts of kindness for his wife and expect nothing in return. This experiment leads the husband to face the fact that he doesn’t know how to love, because he doesn’t know Jesus Christ. It is Christ who shows us true heroic sacrificial love in his crucifixion and death.
Our readings today point us all to the source of sacrificial love, which is the Most Blessed Sacrament. Jesus is trying to explain to the Jews that He is the “bread of life” given to us in the Eucharist. God wants to come closer to us than we can ever imagine in the Blessed Sacrament and we “shall all be taught by God.” The Eucharist will be a foretaste and sign of eternal life. Those who receive the Sacrament worthily are promised a share in the Heavenly Banquet.
But the Jewish people don’t believe Jesus’ words. For them Jesus is just another man, because they know his mother and father. Also, these people can’t understand or accept that a man would give his own flesh and blood for us to eat. Those who reject Christ miss out on the opportunity to embrace the Good News.
Apathy toward Blessed Sacrament
However, there is a much more serious sin than the lack of faith displayed in the Gospel. This is for one of Jesus’ disciples to become apathetic toward Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. To lack emotion or to stop showing signs of love for so great a gift as Jesus’ Body and Blood would be a very serious offense to God. Honestly, it is better to never believe than to believe and then not care or become apathetic. This would be the opposite of love and appreciation for Jesus. Those who allow their love to grow cold truly grieve the Holy Spirit, who dwells within the faithful from their baptism.
We who are blessed to be so close to the Blessed Sacrament, especially priests and faithful Catholics, must constantly guard against apathy. The Lord is with us always in the Sacrament. We must strive to display at all times appropriate emotions or signs of love for the Eucharist. We can do this in many ways: First, we can remember to always genuflect on our right knee toward the tabernacle when entering or leaving a church. Second, we can come a few minutes early for Mass on Sunday. This is a wonderful time to kneel and prepare ourselves for Mass. Thirdly; we can receive the Eucharist as the Bishops ask: bowing reverently and receiving appropriately.
Make a throne with your hand
In the United States, we receive on the tongue or we have the option of receiving on the hand by making a throne, with the left hand over the right. Next, we can remember to always kneel after Communion and make an appropriate thanksgiving for the Body and Blood of Christ who is now within us. And, finally, we can make frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament at adoration chapels or churches just to say hello for a few minutes.
It is in these sincere “little signs of love” that we show Jesus that we really appreciate His gifts to us. We show that we still love the Lord who gives himself totally for us. For the worst offense to God would not be to hate what we do not understand, but to lose the love we once had. This wounds the Sacred Heart of Christ who longs to just have the love and appreciation of those He loves so much!!