Octber 22, 2023 • 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The sacraments are often truly misunderstood as things that we do. Many people consider them as rites of passage as we move through life. The central truth of the sacraments is not discovered in what we do; they are not about us. Rather, the sacraments are centered in the living God who is calling us to experience the compassionate mercy He desires to bestow on us. A good analogy for coming to understand the sacraments may well be in how a house is built. The stages of building a home can help us break down our Catholic understanding of this wondrous God-given gift. Ultimately, we will come to see the sacraments as the house that God has built for us.

The first step in building a home is to create a foundation. What then is the foundation for understanding the sacraments? We dig the hole for the foundation by asking the question—where do the sacraments come from? Through the actions of Christ, God and God alone instituted the sacraments. Therefore, as Catholics, we need to understand and believe that the sacraments are not of human design. Their power comes from God through Jesus Christ. There are many discussions about how Christ may have gone about instituting the sacraments, but they all place the power to do so solely in Christ, who is the ultimate lawgiver where the sacraments are concerned. This leads us to ask then, what are the sacraments and what is their purpose?

The Council of Trent came up with the definitive number of sacraments—seven. The seven are: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, and Holy Orders. The purpose of the sacraments is found in Christ’s earthly ministry: both in his preaching and in his actions. We know why Christ came: “God sent his only Son not to condemn us, but to save us.” Everything Christ did was directed to our salvation—specifically his death and resurrection. Christ, ‘the way of salvation,’ came to show us the way to salvation. And the sacraments are the instruments He bequeathed to us in order for us to experience the salvation He won for us. We recognize that God’s saving actions—through the unique historical reality of Christ—remain truly available to us not simply through remembering them but through the sacraments themselves. God’s grace and mercy enable us to place our faith in what Christ has done for us, and to truly experience what He has done. Salvation in Christ remains an ongoing concern; we will never be forgotten or forsaken by our God. In the sacraments, we experience the reality of God’s grace and saving mercy through our encounter with Christ in and through the power of the Paschal Mystery (Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension, and its consummation in Pentecost). The sacraments, then, lead us to be a community that is centered in Christ. The sacraments define the purpose of this community—to live out our lives as a people saved in Christ, in order to proclaim that salvation to the world.

Now that we have our foundation, the next stage is to build the framing. The question that comes to mind at this point is—how do the sacraments work? Augustine called the sacraments “a visible sign of an invisible grace.” What he is getting at is that God uses creation to reveal his presence and his grace. Hence, God communicates to us through human means so that we can recognize his bounty. The sacraments are a particular way that God communicates his intentions to us. In Baptism, we discover his desire to be in a renewed relationship with us, and in the Eucharist, his desire to share his very life with us. Water is understood as a cleansing agent and therefore, through baptism, we come to be cleansed and are now capable of a real relationship with the Father through our relationship with Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit. In the Eucharist, as we share a meal, we come to share our very lives with the One who calls us to the meal.  God uses common, created works such as water, bread, wine, and oil, and endows them with new meaning. This new meaning speaks to God’s intentions, and through God’s action we receive grace to live out our lives with God more fully. Each of the sacraments, in their own way and based on their particular purpose, will help us to encounter the Paschal Mystery. This encounter is intended to strengthen us to live out our lives more fully in Christ.

Next week, as we put on the external walls of our home, we will continue to look at the sacraments as the house God has built for us.

If you have any questions about anything, please do not hesitate to ask me directly, email me (link above) or call me at (978) 254-0560.

Please keep me in your prayers.                                                                     
In Christ,

Fr. Brian

Fr. Brian 2023 Weekly Articles

October 15 - 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 8, 2023 - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 1, 2023 - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 24, 2023 - 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 17, 2023 - 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 10, 2023 - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 3, 2023 - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 27, 2023 -21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 20, 2023 - 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 13, 2023 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 6, 2023 - Transfiguration of The Lord
July 30, 2023 - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 23, 2023 - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 16, 2023 - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 9, 2023 - 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 2, 2023 - 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 25, 2023 - 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 18, 2023 - 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 11, 2023 - Corpus Christi
June 4, 2023 - Most Holy Trinity
May 28, 2023 - Pentecost
May 21, 2023 - 7th Sunday of Easter
May 14, 2023 - 6th Sunday of Easter
May 7, 2023 - 5th Sunday of Easter
April 30, 2023 - 4th Sunday of Easter
April 23, 2023 - 3rd Sunday of Easter
April 16, 2023 - 2nd Sunday of Easter
April 9, 2023 - Easter Sunday
April 2, 2023 - Palm Sunday
March 26, 2023 - 5th Sunday of Lent
March 19, 2023 - 4th Sunday of Lent
March 12, 2023 - 3rd Sunday of Lent
March 5, 2023 - 2nd Sunday of Lent
February 26, 2023 - 1st Sunday of Lent
February 19, 2023 - 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 12, 2023 - 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 5, 2023 - 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 29, 2023 - 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 22, 2023 - 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 15, 202 - 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 8, 2023 - The Epiphany of Our Lord
January 1, 2023 - Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God

Fr. Brian 2022 Weekly Articles

December 25, 2025
December 18, 2022
December 11, 2022
December 4, 2022
November 27, 2022
November 20, 2022
November 13, 2022
November 6, 2022
October 30, 2022
October 23, 2022
October 16, 2022
October 9, 2022
October 2, 2022
July 31 - September 25: Ten Commandment Articles (to left)
July 24, 2022
July 17, 2022
July 10, 2022
July 3, 2022
June 26, 2022
June 19, 2022
June 12, 2022
June 5, 2022
May 29, 2022
May 22, 2022
May 15, 2022
May 8, 2022
May 1, 2022
April 24, 2022
April 17, 2022
April 10, 2022
April 3, 2022
March 27, 2022
March 20, 2022
March 13, 2022
March 6, 2022
February 27, 2022
February 20, 2022
February 13, 2022
February 6, 2022
January 30, 2022
January 23, 2022
January 16, 2022
January 9, 2022
January 2, 2022

 Ten Commandment Article Series

                                
   First  Second
  Third  Fourth Fifth    Sixth and Ninth CommandmentsSeventh and Tenth Commandments
     8th Commandment                   Conclusion              

Fr. Brian Eucharist Articles

• Week One: Introduction to Eucharist
• Week Two: Eucharist a Noun
• Week Three: Eucharist as Verb
• Week Four: Eucharist as Sacrifice
• Week Five: Eucharist as Meal
• Week Six: Eucharist as Covenant/Memorial
• Week Seven: Conclusion 

Fr. Brian Teaching on The Mass
From October 18 - November 15, 2021, Fr Brian presented a 5-week Teaching on The Mass. Below you can find a link to both his videos as well as the coinciding articles that appeared in the previous Sunday's bulletin.

Teaching on The Mass Videos

• Part One: Why we go to Mass
• Part Two: Introductory Rites
• Part Three: Liturgy of the Word
• Part Four: Liturgy of the Eucharist
• Part Five: Concluding Rites

Coming soon....

Fr. Brian 2021 Weekly Articles

December 26, 2021
December 19, 2021
December 12, 2021
December 5, 2021
November 28, 2021
November 21, 2021
November 14, 2021
November 7, 2021
October 31, 2021
October 24, 2021
October 17, 2021
October 10, 2021
October 3, 2021
September 26, 2021
September 19, 2021
September 12, 2021
September 5, 2021 [No Article]
August 29, 2021
August 22, 2021
August 15, 2021
August 8, 2021
August 1, 2021
July 25, 2021
July 18, 2021
July 11, 2021
July 4, 2021
June 27, 2021
June 20, 2021
June 13, 2021
June 6, 2021
May 30, 2021
May 23, 2021
May 16, 2021
May 9, 2021
May 2, 2021
April 25, 2021
April 18, 2021 [No Article]
April 11, 2021
April 4, 2021 [Easter]
March 28, 2021
March 21, 2021
March 14, 2021
March 7, 2021
February 28, 2021
Februry 21, 2021
February 14, 2021
February 7, 2021
January 31, 2021
January 24, 2021
January 17, 2021
January 10, 2021
January 3, 2021

Fr. Brian 2020 Weekly Articles

December 27, 2020
December 20, 2020
December 13, 2020
December 6, 2020
November 22, 2020
November 8, 2020
November 1, 2020
October 25, 2020
October 18, 2020
October 11, 2020
October 4, 2020
September 27, 2020
September 20, 2020
September 13, 2020
September 6, 2020
August 30, 2020
August 23, 2020
August 16, 2020
August 9, 2020
August 2, 2020
July 26, 2020
July 19, 2020
July 12, 2020
July 5, 2020
June 28, 2020
June 21, 2020
June 14, 2020
June 7, 2020
May 31, 2020
May 24, 2020
May 17, 2020
May 10, 2020
May 3, 2020
April 26, 2020
April 19, 2020
​​​​​​​April 12, 2020
April 5, 2020
March 29, 2020
March 22, 2020
March 15, 2020
March 8, 2020
February 23, 2020
February 16, 2020