Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
For the past two years I have had the privilege of serving as parochial vicar here at St. Joan of Arc and the time has come for me to say goodbye. Beginning July 1, I will serve as the parochial vicar at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Scottsdale.
These past two years have gone by quickly and I will take with me many fond memories of my time here. It's been a great experience working with Fr. Kline, as he and I have been friends for many years. It's also been entertaining to spend time with his bulldog Maggie. The staff at this parish is truly exceptional. You're all very blessed to have such a competent and dedicated group working here. And it has definitely been a joy to minister to such a prayerful and faithful group of parishioners.
It's never easy to leave a place where you feel comfortable and settled, as I do here at St. Joan of Arc, but that is a part of what priestly ministry is all about. We go where the Lord calls us to go, and serve as the Lord calls us to serve.
Please remember me in your prayers as I will remember you in my prayers. Most especially let us pray for each other during the greatest prayer of the Church, the Holy Mass.
In Christ,
Fr. Greg Menegay
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, known for many years as the Feast of Corpus Christi which is Latin for "the Body of Christ." The origins of this celebration date back to the 13 Homecoming for Returning Catholics: No matter how long you've been away, you can come home again. Check out www.catholicscomehome.org th century but the belief that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist goes back to the beginning of the Church.
When Jesus gathered with His Apostles in the upper room for the Last Supper he took bread and blessed it and said "This is my body." He also took a chalice filled with wine and said "This is my blood of the covenant." What Jesus did at the Last Supper fulfilled what we read in John 6: 53 – 54; "So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
For over 2000 years now whenever Mass is celebrated, bread and wine are consecrated and by the power of the Holy Spirit become the Body and Blood of Christ. Every time you are at Mass it's as if you're in the upper room with Jesus and the Apostles during the Last Supper. And so let us rejoice on this great feast the Our Lord is truly present with us in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Jesus is that "heavenly food" which leads us towards the promise of eternal salvation.
In Christ,
Fr. Greg Menegay
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today we give thanks to God for those who have the special title of father. St. Joseph, the appointed father of Our Lord, teaches us the importance of the role of a father. His steadfast presence as provider and protector for Our Lord and Our Lady are beautiful reminders of a father's love. Those who have experienced a father's love – have experienced a great blessing. For those who have had a negative experience of their earthly father, Our Lord provides us with the answer.
Jesus told us to call God – FATHER. When His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Our Father…' " Our Lord actually went a step further than telling us to call God "Father." He himself addressed God as "Abba." (Mk 14:36). That word is from Jesus' own language, Aramaic. It is the word small children used when addressing their father; it is the word for "Daddy." We don't need to bother asking a little child why he or she calls their father "Daddy." The whole point is that it's not something that has to be thought about: it's a spontaneous expression of affection and trust. It's something a child just does because they simply love and trust.
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This week I would like to continue to speak about pleasing Our Lord by how we dress for Holy Mass.
I read that Muhammad Ali explained modesty to his daughter this way: "Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at he bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them...Your body is sacred. You're far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too."
While mothers need to teach their daughters the art of being attractive without compromising their dignity, fathers need to teach their sons how to be gentlemen. Gentlemen do not wear shorts to church or hats inside church. Furthermore fathers need to speak to their sons about how to appreciate the gift of a woman without reducing her to a mere object of pleasure. For example, if a woman fails to dress appropriately the young man needs to learn the value of practicing custody of the eyes. Our Lord has warned us, "Everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28).
READ MOREBrothers and Sisters,
A few nights ago, I was watching the news and there was a segment at the White House. I noticed that when the President walked in, out of respect for the office, everyone stood. Those gathered wore suits and dresses and everyone was well-groomed--ready to meet a world leader. By the anticipation in the eyes of those gathered, you could tell that no one would have missed the chance to meet the President of the United States of America.
Of course, because I am a priest who relates everything back to Jesus, I started to wonder if we have the same attitude and awe toward the second person of the Trinity present at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?
I just want to remind you that Eucharist means, "to give thanks" and the MANY gifts that we enjoy in our community, "thanks" should be happening EVERY Sunday. I've heard that people "take the summers off" and by our Mass attendance records, there is significant proof that this is the case. But, as a Catholic, we are to go to Mass EVERY Sunday. If you are traveling, masstimes.org will direct you to another community where you can give thanks to Our Lord who has given us everything.
READ MORE