Father Glenn J. Comandini

In the encyclical letter of Paul VI entitled Mysterium Fidei, we are told that the Eucharist is “the font of life that cleanses us, strengthens us to live not for ourselves but for God and to be united to each other by the closest ties of love.” This is an important point because the pontiff is pointing toward the social dimension of the Eucharist.

In the 1970’s, ecumenism, fueled by the Second Vatican Council’s Document, Noster Aetate, was very vogue. This movement toward inter-Christian unity was well-received by mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic theologians. As a result of many synods, research and good-will, communities of faith which were once pitted against each other, were now working toward better relations with each other.

During the Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday, which follows the Intercessions and Collection, the Choirs traditionally sing the Reproaches. Some parishes, however, have replaced the Reproaches with another hymn because they felt that these were anti-Semitic. Truth be told, the early history of our Church was marked by anti-Semitism because the Christians believed that the Jews were responsible for Jesus’ Passion and Death. It was only during the Second Vatican Council in the 1960’s, that the notion of the Jews’ being “Christ-killers” was rescinded. The Jewish authorities demanded his death, some of the crowd outside the Pretorium demanded his death, the Roman soldiers carried out his Crucifixion. But all of us, humans, are culpable of putting Jesus to death.

We all know that the feast of St. Patrick is celebrated worldwide on March 17. But have we ever asked ourselves, “how did he do what he did in Ireland?” After all, Patrick, it is said, came from Great Britain or Gaul (present day France). He did not arrive on the Emerald Isle speaking fluent Gaelic. In fact, it is a miracle that he was not killed by the pagan Celts!