“I have given
you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”
“Les he dado
ejemplo, para que lo que lo que yo he hecho con ustedes, también ustedes lo
hagan.” (Jn 13:15)
En esta noche
santa, Jesucristo nos da el modelo por excelencia de servicio cuando le lava a
los pies a sus disipulos. El nos deja no
solamente su cuerpo y su sangre en la Eucaristia pero nos deja este modelo de
servicio. Si queremos ser como Cristo,
tenemos que considerar al projimo como mas importante que nosotros (cf. Fil
2:3)
Christ leaves
us on this most sacred night not only the precious gifts of the priesthood and
the Eucharist, but also the model of service by which we will all be
judged. Saint Paul tells the Philippians
to always consider others as more important than yourself. This is how Christ lived his life and on the
night before he died he showed us what true love and true service really
means. This is the night in which he
instituted the ministerial priesthood and taught all priests the measure by
which we are to minister to our people.
We are servants: plain and simple.
Hoy celebramos
la institucion del sacerdocio y la eucaristia y desde el principio de su
pontificado hace dos años, el Papa Francisco ha hablado francamente de lo que
el pueblo de Dios merece de sus sacerdotes:
“Al buen sacerdote se lo reconoce por cómo anda ungido su pueblo;
esta es una prueba clara. Cuando la gente nuestra anda ungida con óleo de
alegría se le nota: por ejemplo, cuando sale de la misa con cara de haber recibido
una buena noticia.” Hoy se nos
presentaran los oleos que fueron bendicidos y consagrados por el arzobispo esta
semana. El oleo del crisma se usa para
ungir la manos del sacerdote para que esas manos consagren, bendigan, y
absuelven. Pero esas manos tambien
tienen que ser como las manos del carpintero que hoy ofrecio su cuerpo y sangre
por nosotros. Manos que ayudan a su
pueblo, manos que se ensusian con su pueblo, y manos que serven a su pueblo.
Pope Francis has always set the bar high in what he
expects from his priests: “We [as
priests] need to “go out”, then, in order to experience our own anointing, its
power and its redemptive efficacy: to the “outskirts” where there is suffering,
bloodshed, blindness that longs for sight, and prisoners in thrall to many evil
masters… be shepherds, with the “odour of the sheep”, make it real, as
shepherds among your flock, fishers of men.”
Archbishop Wenski echoed these words two days ago when he told us as his
priests: “Thus, a priest is to “cure the
sick,” that is, to attend to the ill and the injured, healing their isolation
with a visit and bringing courage to those who are weak; a priest is to raise
the dead, that is, to restore hope to those deadened by discouragement and
defeat; a priest is to cleanse lepers, that is, to befriend the outsider, to
extend the hand of friendship to the marginalized and rejected; a priest is to
drive out demons, by helping people deal with the various addictions that
affect them and by not failing to address any personal demons that may threaten
the integrity of his commitment.” As
priests, we are empowered by the Lord’s command to not only “Do this in memory
of me,” but also to go forth from this altar to spread this unction, this
divine fragrance we have received to a world the longs to be fed and anointed.
Hermanos, nunca cesen de rezar por nosotros sus
sacerdotes. Nosotros sabemos el hambre
espitiual que tienen y deseamos de lo mas profundo de nuestros corazones de
saciar esa hambre con la eucaristia. El
Señor verdaderamente nos ha ungido y cuando a veces no compartimos esa uncion,
dice el Papa: “la gente nos roba la
unción.” Para eso fuimos unigidos
sacerdotes, para que ustedes nos roben, como dice el Santo Padre, la ultima
gota de nuestra uncion. Ahora si, tenemos
que dar el ejemplo que nos dio Cristo en el evangelio de esta noche. Tenemos que humillarnos como el y lavarles
los pies. Tenemos que trabajar con
ustedes, servirles a ustedes, reirnos con ustedes, y llorar con ustedes. Una
las frases mas famosas del Papa Francisco las predico en un jueves santo: “el sacerdote tiene que oler a sus ovejas.” Y
como compartio uno de mis hermanos sacerdotes esta tarde en el almuerzo “y si
el sacerdote ejerce bien su ministerio, las ovejas empiezan a oler como su
pastor tambien.”
This model that the Lord has given us to follow is
obviously a difficult one, which is why this evening he also gave us the gift
of the Eucharist. For it is at this
Eucharistic feast that we are made Christ-like and given the nourishment that
we need to serve the least of our brothers and sisters. Tonight’s Mass is all about service. The Lord gives us the priesthood and the
priesthood gives us the Eucharist: that heavenly bread, that medicine of
immortality. You will hear me say this repeatedly: there is nothing more
important that we do as a parish community than when we gather around this
altar to celebrate Mass.
En esta noche en que celebramos la instituicion de la
eucaristia, repito algo que reptetire constantemente hasta que el la lengua se
me puegue al paladar: no hy nada mas importante que hacemos como comunidad
parroquial que cuando nos reunimos alrededor de este altar para celebrar la
Santa Misa. Todos nuestros ministerios y
todo nuestro servicio como parroquia brota de este altar y debe regresar a este
altar. Y es por eso que esta noche,
anuncio que nosostros como comunidad parroquial de la Inmaculada Concepcion nos
vamos a rededicar a la devocion eucaristica empezando el mes de que viene
cuando celebraremos 40 Horas de Adoracion Eucaristica el 7 y 8 de mayo. Tenemos que hacer, nos urge hacer una
parroquia eucarisitica.
We must be a
Eucharistic parish for it is at this altar from our Master that we learn how to
serve. That is why this evening I
announce that as a parish community we will rededicate ourselves to Eucharistic
devotion next month with a 40 Hour Eucharistic Devotion on May 7th
& 8th. A parish that is
centered on the Eucharistic Christ is a parish that can move mountains. It is a
parish filled with parishioners that are willing to get down on their knees and
wash the feet of their brothers and sisters.
Immaculate Conception has been for over 60 years a beacon of light for
this city, and it is time for us to recommit ourselves before our Lord and
Savior to prayer and to service.
La Eucaristia y
esta devocion les prometo, porque Jesus mismo lo prometio, transformara a
nuestra parroquia para que podamos seguir el ejemplo que Jesus nos dejo en el
lavatorio de pies. Tenemos que ser
reflejos de ese Cristo, dar la bienvenida al que nos visite como ese Cristo, y
amar hasta el extreme como ese Cristo.
La tradicion es bien importante y algo que yo valoro como tesoro que se
ha pasado de generacion a generacion.
Pero la Eucaristia siempre trae algo nuevo y nos impulsa a la conversion. Esto empieza conmigo que soy el mas pobre
servidor de esta comunidad, pero los invito a que participen en esta renovacion
parroquial. Que cuando alguien entre por
estas puertas vean en nostoros el rostro de Cristo y sientan el abrazo de
Cristo. No podemos ser obstaculos a este servicio que el Señor nos ha
encomendado. No podemos ser como los
Fariseos y seguir en la mismas practicas que trabajaban hace 30 o 40 años! Muchos diran, “Padre pero eso es trabajo para
los jovenes!” Y yo les digo, mira como el
Papa con sus 78 años a renovado a la iglesia cuando se supone que estuviera
jubilado. No, este proyecto es para
jovenes y ancianos, para toda cultura que enriqueze esta iglesia y no vamos a
conformarnos con la mediocridad espiritual porque esta es La Inmaculada
Concepcion! Y aqui como en un juego de
soccer siempre tirmamos para alente y no tenemos el lujo de tirar para atras.
So as we
celebrate the Lord’s greatest gift to us, which was himself. We too have to learn to give of ourselves to
our brothers and sisters. While we
cherish our storied past as a parish and treasure every tradition, we cannot
and will not be stuck in the past for the Lord does not dwell there. The Eucharist is a continual call to
conversion. It is a call to serve those
who do not know Jesus. It is call to
exercise the priestly ministry that each of us received at our baptism to
boldly share this Good News. Jesus left
us the ultimate example for us to follow.
It is time to put his words into action.
For over 60 years this parish has been a beacon of hope for so many,
which is why we cannot settle for apathy or spiritual mediocrity. We are Immaculate Conception! Mediocrity has never been part of this
parish’s vocabulary and it never will as long as we have our eyes fixed firmly
on Jesus Christ. And like that bell
tower that beautifully illuminates the night sky this evening, we as a
Eucharistic people stand tall as well because we have been fed by the Lord
himself from this altar to go forth and do great things in his name.
