READINGS FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST, FATHER’S DAY AND FAREWELL MASS, YEAR C, SUNDAY 19TH JUNE, 2022.

First Reading: Genesis 14:18-20

Psalm: 109

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Gospel: Luke 9:11-17

REFLECTION BY FR CORNELIUS NWAOGWUGWU, CM

THE REAL PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE HOLY EUCHARIST

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

In union with the Church, the African Chaplaincy, Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. We also celebrate Father’s Day and honour Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo as we say farewell to him on this day, Sunday, 19th June 2022.

May I take this opportunity to welcome His Excellency, Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo and to say a sincere thank you to His Excellency for accepting to celebrate this special Mass for us and with us today in St. Brigid’s Parish Church, Blanchardstown.

His Excellency, in your post as the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, we find an epitome of faith, humility, excellence in service and a visible expression of transparent honesty. To you, Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, we say a sincere thank you for all that you are and all that you do in your ministry. We are very proud of you.

To all the entire members of the African Community, the Irish Community, all other Communities here present, all our guests and all others viewing this celebration online, we say welcome and thanks for enhancing today’s celebration with your attendance. It is a real pleasure and huge honour to see so many of you here today. God bless you all.

Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. It is also called Corpus Christi which means the Body of Christ. It is a liturgical Solemnity that celebrates the Real Presence of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.

Today’s celebration is significant. It brings all of us together to Adore Christ the Lord present in the Holy Eucharist, to honour St. Joseph, the Patron Saint of the Catholic Men Organisation and to appreciate the excellent work of His Excellency, Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo in his post as the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland now reassigned as the Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic.

The observance of Father’s Day on the feast of Corpus Christi has also an important place in the Church and the African Chaplaincy of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin. The feast of Corpus Christi is an annual event in the Catholic Church. Father’s Day is also an annual event in the African Chaplaincy.

As we celebrate joyfully, the feast of Corpus Christi today, Pope Paul VI reminds us that, “from this feast of Corpus Christi have originated many practices of Eucharistic devotion that, under the inspiration of divine grace, have increased from day to day and that the Catholic Church uses eagerly to show ever greater homage to Christ, to thank him for so great a gift and to implore his mercy”.

In the same way, Jesus Christ urges us to recognise and accept this eternal truth. Jesus said, “I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world”. (John 6: 51-52). Fathers are honoured and privileged to celebrate their day on a special Sunday when Jesus Christ promised to give us himself, the living bread from heaven that gives true life to the world. Giving meaning and true life to the world is the mission of Christ the Lord and the mission of the Church. By extension, it is also the mission of the African Chaplaincy Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.

The aim of the African Chaplaincy Catholic Men Organisation is to promote evangelization, defend the Catholic faith, foster holiness of life among Catholic Men and their families and promote Lay Apostolate activities throughout the Centres in the African Chaplaincy of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin. The Catholic Men Organisation provides a platform for the restoration of hope, joy and peace between fathers, their wives and children, through attending Sunday Masses, daily Masses, family prayers, sharing the word of God and work of charity to those in need.

In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses said to the Fathers: “you are a people consecrated to the Lord your God, it is you that the Lord our God has chosen to be his very own people out of all the peoples on the earth”. (Deuteronomy 7:6-11). Moses further encourages all fathers not to forget the Lord their God who brought them out of the Land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: who guided them through this vast and dreadful wilderness… fed them with manna that their fathers had not known. (Deuteronomy 8: 2-3, 14-16).

We call on all fathers to emulate Saint Joseph, their Patron Saint whose sterling qualities and unique example stood out in history. St. Joseph was upright, humble, unassuming, sincere, honest, simple and patient. He was a man of great faith and endurance. He had filia awe for God and things of God.

Like St. Joseph, we urge all fathers to be deeply involved in the affairs of the African Chaplaincy and the Church in general. Please, fathers, use your God-given talents at all times to serve the Lord in humility and love. We need you all here in the African Chaplaincy. We cherish your presence as always. Be an instrument God will use to bring His goodness nearer to all African families in Diaspora and to Irish society. Be a good Christian father. Be vigilant and faithful, show love and care to your family members and to one another.

Father’s Day is a time for all fathers to reflect upon their duties as responsible and well-integrated men. According to the Catechism of the Catholic, “Married couples should regard it as their proper mission to transmit human life and to educate their children; they should realize that they are thereby cooperating with the love of God the Creator and are, in a certain sense, its interpreters. They will fulfill this duty with a sense of human and Christian responsibility.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2367). Fatherhood requires love, care, patience, hope, endurance and faith.

We urge all fathers to be for their children the kind of model that, surely, they deserve. We also call on fathers to be a model of goodness, holiness, faith, trust in God and fidelity to the teachings of the Church. Please fathers, put your faith into action and be proud of it. Let your faith and prayer life remain good sources of strength and hope. Do not be discouraged. Keep doing your best, creating happiness for yourselves and your whole family. Do not feel alone. God is with you. Please, help to promote the dignity of fatherhood. True fatherhood demands commitment, maturity, sacrifice and responsibility.

There is something good and special about our fathers. They are special gifts from God. Fathers deserve everything good. They need to be appreciated and be loved. God gave us the gift of life through them. We need to recognise this basic truth. We are eternally grateful to God for the gift of our fathers. They are channels of God’s blessings to us, their children. We pray God’s blessings upon our fathers that they may be strengthened as good Christian fathers and good shepherds.

We pray God to grant eternal rest to all fathers who have died. May the examples of their faith, care and love continue to challenge and inspire us in our search for eternal truth now and forever more. Amen.

Once more, on behalf of the entire African Chaplaincy, I wish all fathers and their families God’s blessings and continued success now and forever more. Amen
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Please, feel relaxed and experience the presence of God amongst us in this special celebration. Thank you for your attention.
Rev. Fr. Cornelius Nwaogwugwu, CM