Dear Friends in Christ,

This weekend is the final weekend where we will see the priests and deacons wear the color green at Mass. As the Liturgical Year comes to a close, we will soon celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King next week, and the following Sunday will be the 1st Sunday of Advent. The cycle of time continues as we observe the many changes in our lives; from the changing of seasons, our children growing up and beginning lives of their own, or the loss of a loved one who has died. This time of year invites us to ponder the changes we experience in our lives.

However, as we encounter the many changes in our lives, both small and dramatic, we also realize that there are some things that do not change. We know that there are some truths that do not change, such as 2+2=4, but we also realize that there are truths in our Faith that do not change. For us Catholics, there is a key principle in our Faith that has not changed in two thousand years despite the many attacks that men and women have made against it. This dogma of the Faith I am referring to is the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Even though men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others have rejected this belief, we Catholics still hold onto this belief as something that has not and will not ever change.

For us in the Roman Catholic Church, it is such a gift for us to be able to be in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist whenever we wish. Whenever we enter into a Catholic Church and see a red candle or a light next to the tabernacle, we know that Jesus is truly present there, waiting for us to spend time with him. There are countless people who have encountered the presence of Someone who is ready to listen to them while praying in a Catholic Church. One of the most common ways to spend time with Jesus is by making a Holy Hour with his Eucharistic presence in any Catholic church.

When I was growing up as a child, I remember accompanying my parents sometimes as they made their weekly Holy Hour on Mondays from 11:00 PM-12:00 AM. During most of those visits to Jesus, I would often not know how to sit in silence for so long, so I would bring my rosary to pray, or I would read a book on Eucharistic miracles that was there in the adoration chapel. While sitting in the presence of Jesus, I didn’t know at the time that He was preparing me to become a priest who would learn to spend time with him every day in the Eucharist.

For us here at St. Philip, we will soon have the opportunity to spend time with Jesus in adoration during next weekend’s celebration of 40 Hours. From Thursday evening, November 19th, to Saturday evening, November 21st, Jesus will be exposed in the monstrance for forty continuous hours, interrupted only by Mass. While we may find it difficult to pray in silence with him, He is not discouraged, and he helps us to see the great love he has for us. As we see the constant changes in our daily lives, His love for you in the Eucharist remains constant and unchanging. It is my hope that as we enter into this devotion of 40 Hours, he is able to renew your heart to be conformed to his Sacred Heart.

May Christ's peace be with you,

Fr. Briggs