Preacher of the Gospel

I have written many times of the nice comments from people about my preaching. I keep that joy in my heart and thank Him for the gift of preaching. I am not the best in preaching, I am not the best in many things, yet the Lord spared a time for me to reflect and deliver well His message. I feel uneasy when in the Mass there is no sermon. I always believe that preaching is part of our missionary activity. We preach about the Gospel, and it should eventually lead people to the Sacraments.

I love the thought, in fact a question: “How on earth the Lord allows me to listen deep in the heart of the person in the Sacrament of Reconciliation?” Just imagining the fact that you are listening to the secrets and sins of a person! Isn’t it so mysterious? Isn’t it such a sacred entity for a person, yet I am given that trust to listen and reflect together, and the responsibility to forgive in the Lord’s name?

It is beyond description for me, even if I am a priest, that gift from God to see a person coming to me, weak and vulnerable, a sinner, telling directly his sins in my eyes; asking interventions and my personal prayer. What a responsibility! But I also would like to ask forgiveness from the Lord for my light approach on this sacrament on some occasions. When they are many, as if they just become a normal job. But I feel this time there’s that great honor and responsibility!

I am always very strong in telling the people who don’t receive the Eucharist especially lay leaders of the church not receiving the Eucharist that this is ‘first class hypocrisy.’ People claim to be members of the Catholic Church but never receiving the Eucharist! It always awakens them. The Eucharist makes the community. He binds them together. The Eucharist makes the Church and people are taking it for granted. It is in the Eucharist that we break the bread and share the cup. But together, we also break our personality, our being and realize our weaknesses and work together to be whole again.

What a big calling! That is why I always emphasize the importance of the Eucharist. The Eucharist heals division between me and God, and it unites between me and the rest of the people. He is our daily food for the journey. He is the reason why I became priest, why I am here.