Episode Transcript
[00:00:04] Speaker A: Welcome to Sundays with Bishop Ken, a weekly podcast brought to you by the publishers of little books of the Diocese of Saginaw.
Each Sunday of ordinary time, the Gospel and Bishop Ken's homily are proclaimed by members of our faith community.
During the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, our Sunday prayer time will be taken from the little book's reflections for that season.
We are pleased to spend this quiet time with you today.
[00:00:59] Speaker B: It's the fifth Sunday of Easter, April 28, and we begin by considering whats known as the Easter duty.
Most Catholics receive the Eucharist many times throughout the year. Its the greatest gift, the source and summit of our faith.
But many may be unaware there is an actual obligation in the Code of Canon law that requires, at a minimum, all Catholics receive holy communion at least once a year. This is to take place during the Easter season, Holy Week, as well as the period from Easter to Pentecost, and should be preceded by an encounter with the Lords love and mercy in the sacrament of reconciliation. According to the catechism, the popular term for this obligation has come to be known simply as the Easter duty.
Of course, the church encourages people to receive the Eucharist every Sunday, as well as on feast days and even daily throughout the year.
Our Sunday reflection this week considers the question of why we should belong to a church belonging to the church.
Today's readings converge on the theme of community and belonging.
Sometimes we may ask, why should I belong to a church? Why can't it just be me and God?
Belonging to the church has its pains as well as its joys.
It would be nice if we could belong to an institution that was totally divine.
The church, however, is both divine and human.
We belong to it for better and for worse.
Here are four reasons for belonging to the church.
This community gives support to our faith.
If we had to start from scratch and try to solve the meaning of life itself, we would go off in all directions.
We would have to do without the wisdom of St. Augustine, St. Thomas, and all the saints. All that heritage would be lost if we did not have a community that continued from age to age.
It keeps us honest.
There is something about sin that makes it more unrecognizable. The closer you get to it, the closer we get, the more we are a part of it, the more we tend to rationalize and ask ourselves, how can something so good be wrong?
We need the community with its traditions of right and wrong, its honesty, its ability to step back and take a long view of what we are doing.
The presence of Christ, he promised to be specially present and always present to his church in our quest to find him. The church is one of the best places.
It's not the only place where Christ lives and acts, but it's the only place where he promised to always be present because we were asked.
We have been tapped on the shoulder by Jesus Christ.
It wasn't our idea any more than it was the idea of St. Paul to become a disciple of Jesus.
[00:05:07] Speaker A: Thank you for sharing some quiet time with the Lord today.
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For more information and other prayer resources, go to littlebooks.org.
May your day be blessed.
