NOTE: Christ in Our Neighborhood is a parish-based program consisting of small Christian communities that gather in the home weekly to prayerfully discuss the upcoming Sunday Mass readings. It’s easy to form a community and you can find out more by searching “Christ in Our Neighborhood at the Diocese of Phoenix website, dphx.org.
This coming Sunday, we celebrate the Third Sunday of Easter. The question the Christ in Our Neighborhood Commentary asks us is: Do we recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread or is it just some ritual we repeat? When was the last time our heart was on fire?
Do we realize that every time we go to Mass, a miracle takes place? As the priest consecrates the bread and wine, they become that Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. In that moment, the sacrifice at Calvary and the words of the Last Supper are made present to us here and now. All that love, hope, healing, goodness and victory over sin and death is right in front of us, if only we open our eyes and our hearts.
It’s easy to get complacent or become indifferent about the Eucharist, particularly when our hearts become hardened by sin. The further we get from God, the less we tend to think about Him. But even there, in our brokenness, God seeks us out and calls us to conversion, ready to bestow His mercy on us.
One way to grow in our love for the Eucharist is to read about those who have truly suffered in order to receive it. With God in Russia, written by Servant of God Walter Cizek, S.J., is a moving account of an American-born missionary priest who was sentenced to 15 years hard labor in the Soviet Union, branded a Vatican spy. Fr. Cizek was accused of years in Siberia, secretly ministering to his fellow prisoners, consecrating small bits of bread taken from their starvation rations. He risked his life to offer Mass in the freezing forest, providing the Bread of Life to others in the labor camps.
When we get too comfortable at church and our hearts grow cold, we need to call to mind the heroic virtue of fellow believers like Fr. Cizek.
If you haven’t joined a Christ in Our Neighborhood small group yet, perhaps you are being called to start one yourself. It’s easy! Check out our website today to find out more: dphx.org/Christ-in-our-neighborhood.
Watch the video of the weekly podcast segment featuring Christ in Our Neighborhood with Bishop Dolan by clicking HERE.
To sign up for our weekly Christ in Our Neighborhood newsletter that has everything you need for your next meeting, visit: https://phoenixdiocese.flocknote.com/CION
