Father Robert Barron preaches love of the Holy Eucharist Original sin an interruption of God’s divine meal
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hen Father Robert Barron speaks, people listen, and that certainly was true Sept. 14, when the world-renowned theologian compared the holy sacrifice of the Mass to the Garden of Eden, the Last Supper, and the mountain where Jesus feeds the 5,000. The comparison to feeding 5,000 was especially appropriate given that Father Barron’s presentation during the Diocese of Knoxville’s Eucharistic Congress was shortly before the closing Mass, where 5,000 congress attendees would gather to receive the holy Eucharist. Father Barron was afraid Dr. Scott Hahn “stole his thunder” during the congress. Father Barron, founder and executive director of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and rector/president of the University of St. Mary of the Lake/ Mundelein Seminary, and Dr. Hahn both had similar themes in their talks on the Eucharist on Sept. 14 at the Sevierville Events Center. “What is the one thing that unites the saints as different as they are from Augustine to Thomas Aquinas to the Little Flower to Francis of Assisi to Edith Stein? Their love of the Holy Eucharist,” Father Barron said. “It’s the sign, it seems to me, that somebody is connected to the body of Christ. So it’s always a privilege, always a joy to talk about the Eucharist.” The eagerness of people to receive the Eucharist became apparent when Father Barron once had the opportunity to distribute Communion in St.
Peter’s Square, he said. “As you’re distributing, people are just rushing up to you in sort of the Italian way, but they rushed up and stretched their hands out and they’d say, ‘Padre, per favore.’ ‘Please, Father!’ And I would distribute, then the hands would continue to stretch out—the young hands, the old hands, the hands of different colors—and ‘Father, per favore!’ “And what struck me was that was the right attitude toward the Eucharist. It is something that we should be begging for from the bottom of our Power of God Father Robert Barron delivers a rousing talk to thousands of followers souls, because without who attended the Diocese of Knoxville’s Eucharistic Congress to hear him. the Eucharist, we starve to death spiritually.” that day. are beaten into plowshares and Father Barron said he wonders The original sin in the Garden of spears into pruning hooks,” Father whether Catholics hear “The body Eden was “an interruption” of God’s Barron said. of Christ, amen” with a ho-hum divine meal, Father Barron said. “That’s the mountain where there attitude. “An interruption of the flow of the will be no more warfare. That’s the “Think of St. Peter’s Square: ‘Padre, divine life leading to us and through mountain where the lion and the per favore!’ Like someone physically us to the rest of the world. Do you see lamb lie down together, right? But starving—that’s the right attitude to how in the Biblical reading, our trouwhat else happens on that mounthe Eucharist. That’s the right behavble began with a bad meal? The origitain? On this mountain, the Lord of ior concomitant to the claim that the nal sin was a kind of bad meal. ‘I will hosts will make all peoples a feast, a Eucharist is the source and summit of take, I will have, I will make it mine. feast of rich food, of well-aged wines Christian life.” I determine right from wrong. I will strained clear. God lays out for his Father Barron talked about the eat of this tree on my own terms.’ No, people on his holy mountain a meal, Eucharist “under these three great no. That’s where the garden is coma sacred banquet. It’s meant to rerubrics, and they’re familiar to us, I promised. Therefore, we shouldn’t be cover and recapitulate Eden.” think: namely a meal, sacrifice, and surprised that throughout the Bible, Jesus, “the person who speaks and real presence. Again, I’m touching on what’s God trying to do? He’s trying acts in the very person of God, is the some things that Dr. Hahn does as to re-establish his sacred meal.” God who was offended by the original well.” Father Barron’s address also Isaiah prophesied and saw “the sin,” Father Barron said. prefigured the themes of Cardinal great sacred mountain, that’s the sa “He is the God who set out the saTimothy Dolan’s keynote talk later cred mountain on which the swords Barron continued on page A19
STEPHANIE RICHER
By Dan McWilliams
THE E A S T T E N N E S S E E C A T H OLIC
PAM RHOADES
Congress continued from page A1
emphasized that the diocese’s teens are not the church of the future, but rather they are the church of today. In addition to Bishop Stika, diocesan youth attending the Congress heard from lauded theologian Dr. Scott Hahn, noted prayer and worship leaders ValLimar Jansen and Paul George as well as performers Sarah Kroger and Josh Blakesley, who also led adoration. Hispanic guests at the Congress heard from Father Rafael Capo´ and Sister Rosa Hernandez, MGSps, and a concert by Johann Alvarez, who also led adoration. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, gave the keynote address and praised the Diocese of Knoxville for its spirit of growth, saying it is a shining example of the Catholic Church growing dramatically in areas that historically have been dominated by other faiths. “The youth, vitality and promise of this diocese is inspirational for me,” Cardinal Dolan said. “Here in the South you have a remarkable sense of pride and cohesion, and a sense of what it means to be Catholic.” Cardinal Dolan was constantly surrounded by well-wishers as he made his way through the Sevierville Convention Center, often stopping to chat and pose for photos. His celebrity-like status prompted Bishop Stika, a longtime friend of the cardinal from their time serving the Church together in St. Louis, to joke that it was as if paparazzi had descended on the Eucharistic Congress. Bishop Stika and Cardinal Justin Rigali, who is in residence in the Diocese of Knoxville, also were constantly greeted by Eucharistic Congress attendees as they made their way through the Convention Center halls. Bishop Stika interacted with adults and youth, posing for photos and asking nearly everyone he met where they were from. He also was seen placing his zucchetto, a small round head cover as part of his official dress, on the head of an admiring child as the boy’s parents and siblings relished the moment. It also was an opportunity for Cardinal Dolan to share time with Cardinal Rigali. Cardinal Rigali was instrumental in the rise of Cardinal Dolan and Bishop Stika within the Church. Cardinal Dolan and Bishop Stika received their episcopal consecration from Cardinal Rigali, who once was the archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Cardinals Rigali and Dolan also participated in the papal con-
The Body of Christ Monsignor Al Humbrecht of Holy Spirit Church in Soddy-Daisy distributes Communion at Mass during the Eucharistic Congress. clave last spring that led to the selection of Pope Francis as the successor to Pope Benedict XVI. Cardinal Dolan drew laughs from the several thousand attendees at his keynote address as he told stories and joked with the group. Father Robert Barron and Dr. Scott Hahn, both of whom attract large audiences at public appearances, delivered inspirational talks to thousands of Eucharistic Congress guests. During his uplifting talks to adults and youth attending the congress, Dr. Hahn told the faithful that partaking in the Eucharist at Mass is the closest thing we have to Heaven. He said the Last Supper and Calvary are infused, adding that if they are not then the Last Supper is just a meal and Calvary is just an execution. “Jesus is not a victim of the Romans, but he is a victim of divine love,” Dr. Hahn said. He said when translating the Gospel of John into other languages, there is no figurative language for “Eat my flesh and drink my blood” because Jesus meant for them to be taken literally. Dr. Hahn, a former Presbyterian who converted to Catholicism, also said that when he used to do Bible studies with Presbyterians as a teen, Presbyterians would say “Jesus paid a debt that he didn’t owe because we owed a debt that we couldn’t pay,” which had an impact on the theologian and author, whose books include Rome Sweet Home and The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth, because Dr. Hahn described himself as a troublemaker as a teen and he knew what debt he owed. A highlight of the Eucharistic Congress was a chat on the first night with Cardinal Rigali and Bishop Stika, which attracted more than 1,600 people.
During the 90-minute dialogue, Bishop Stika asked Cardinal Rigali about his experiences as a cardinal, as a Vatican emissary and adviser to several popes, as an archbishop, a member of the College of Cardinals and participant in two papal conclaves, as well as their long friendship and time working together. Bishop Stika delivered the homilies at
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the opening Youth Mass and the closing Mass. During the Youth Mass, Bishop Stika told the students that while they are called the Church of the future, they actually are the Church of today. In the closing Mass, he told the more than 5,000 faithful in attendance that the Diocese of Knoxville occupies a special place, but it is part of a larger faith community of the Catholic Church around the world. Bishop Stika, quoting Blessed John Paul II, said praised be Jesus Christ, who taught the faith to those who would listen, and proclaimed those words we speak as we celebrate our faith—”the faith that we share as members of a community,” Bishop Stika said. “It’s much greater than just the Diocese of Knoxville and all the little churches scattered about the world, for it is the faith of the apostles, the faith of our fathers and mothers, transmitted throughout the ages from Jerusalem until this time and place as we gather together. But as a local church, as the Diocese of Knoxville at this particular time and place, we give thanks for our faith as it is lived in a particular way in East Tennessee … as we begin the celebration of our 25th year,” he added. n
The Most Reverend William F. Medley and the Church of the Diocese of Owensboro Extend Heartfelt Congratulations And Prayers of Support to The Most Reverend Richard F. Stika and the People of God of the Diocese of Knoxville On the 25th Diocesan Jubilee “To you all, then, who are God’s beloved … called to be saints, may God our Father and the Lord Jesus send grace and peace.” Romans 1:7
OCTOBER 6, 2013
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