Fr. Cozzi’s last full day as a vicar at St Mary is today! He has been transferred to Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Winchester to oversee a new mission church to be created in Stephens City. We are grateful to Fr. Cozzi for all his tireless work and prayers for St Mary over the past four years! It won’t be the same without him!
Dear Folks,
Last week, in celebration of Trinity Sunday, we reflected on the Lord as He has revealed Himself to be: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This week, we celebrate the Lord giving Himself to us—Corpus Christi, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord!
Sometimes folks ask, “Why do we use those gold plates? And why is the server distracting me with that?”
I could simply say, “Because the Church instructs us to do so.” Specifically, the 2004 document Redemptionis Sacramentum states: “The Communion-plate for the Communion of the faithful should be retained, so as to avoid the danger of the sacred host or some fragment of it falling” (no. 93).
I believe that communion patens are relatively new— perhaps from the last 200 years—but the concern that every particle of the Host be cared for is not new. Around the year 200 A.D., Hippolytus of Rome wrote: “Let each of the faithful be zealous, before he eats anything else, to receive the Eucharist … and that nothing of it fall or be lost; for the Body of Christ is to be eaten by believers and must not be despised. The cup… let none of it be spilled.”
And around 350 A.D., St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote: “Even the crumbs from the Eucharist must be treated with great reverence, for what seems like a mere crumb is not mere bread, but the Body of Christ. Take care lest you lose even a single crumb, for it is more precious than gold or jewels.”
Reverence for every crumb of the Eucharist is not a medieval invention. It is the rightly ordered response of gratitude for the most precious of gifts! On a practical level, it does sometimes happen that the servers catch crumbs on the patens—this is why you’ll see the priest carefully wipe each paten after Holy Communion.
Sometimes, the faithful hold their hands very close to their chin. This makes it difficult for the server to place the paten underneath, in case the Host or a particle might fall. If you can leave space for the paten, it would be appreciated!
Also—though thankfully rare—after placing a Host in the hand of a communicant, I might see a visible crumb remaining. It always happens too fast for me to act, so I silently ask my guardian angel to find the crumb and return it to the tabernacle. If you receive in the hand, a simple glance to be sure no crumb remains is a prudent practice. And if you see a crumb, just consume it. I don’t want to encourage scrupulosity or the use of a microscope—just prudent care that none of our Lord’s most precious gift be lost!
Any reverent love you pour into receiving our Lord with care will bear great fruit in your soul.
Pax,
Fr. John Mosimann
Dear Folks,
Happy Father’s Day, and congratulations to all of our recent college and high school graduates!
I think most of you are aware that last weekend the diocese celebrated the ordination of twelve men to the sacred priesthood of Our Lord Jesus. WoooHooo!! We had wonderful gatherings on Tuesday, as Fr. Tim Banach offered the 9am and Noon Masses. It was inspiring to see the lines of parishioners waiting to receive a solemn blessing from the new priest!
Blessings from newly ordained priests are high-octane blessings! And word among clergy is that you have a year to give them out. So, if you travel up to St. James to visit Fr. Tim, ask him for the solemn blessing! And once he arrives here, don’t be shy about asking Fr. Joseph for a solemn blessing as well. Ask, and you shall receive.
Sometimes I reflect that being a pastor has diminished the amount of time I can spend with my parents and siblings; to which my mother would always say, “You are a Father now—take care of your family!” Church law reminds us that the pastor “is to strive to know the faithful entrusted to his care… sharing in their cares, anxieties, and sorrows, comforting them in the Lord.”
These words reflect the Church’s vision of the pastor as the spiritual father of the parish family. What beautiful words to contemplate on Father’s Day. Fathers are called to know their children, to help their gifts blossom, and to share their burdens and joys. Fathers are stewards of their children, because each child belongs to God. This is an awesome responsibility— and yet God will always give us the grace to fulfill the offices entrusted to us.
I often see young couples express a similar awe at the prospect of starting a family. They may say, ‘Wow, we’re not ready yet. We want to get to know each other better.’ Or they express fears about whether they’ll be able to provide. We all fear our inadequacy—or at least we should, if we have any humility. Y et in Christ, all things are possible. Our fears melt away in the loving embrace of our Lord.
Dads: thank you for sharing in our cares, anxieties, and sorrows, and for comforting us in the Lord. May you continue to help us know the Father’s love.
And Graduates: always remember who you are. Stay rooted in the family the Lord chose for you, and in the faith He entrusted to you. The most succinct advice I received in college was: “Remember, you will always have your family.”
Graduates: your fathers, both heavenly and earthly, are proud of you. Hold onto these words of Psalm 149:4, “For the LORD takes delight in his people…”
pax,
Father John Mosimann
Dear Folks,
I may be more excited about the new chapel at Holy Cross Academy than anyone—especially when I walk by and see students in there praying! Sooooooo worth all the work! This week, the statues of St. Helena and St. Francis arrived, so they will be in place soon—maybe even by the time you read this!
And so: let’s offer Mass in the new HCA chapel!
Summertime Mass – Mondays at 4pm in the St. Helena Chapel at Holy Cross Academy.
We will offer Mass each Monday this summer, beginning tomorrow and continuing through August 11th. This allows us to wrap it up when school restarts in August. And by celebrating Mass at 4:00 PM, we should avoid conflicts with the construction crews who will be busy finishing the final touches on the building!
The Mass is open to all parishioners, and the chapel holds about 80 people. I hope you can join us for one of the Masses and see the beautiful new chapel!
Welcome, Summer Seminarian!
Tomorrow we also welcome Tyler Boreani to the parish, as he is the seminarian the bishop has assigned to serve with us this summer! I know you will welcome him with joy. He will be with us through August 10th. Welcome, Tyler!
pax,
Father John Mosimann
