The Importance of the Eucharist in the Catholic faith

Welcome to the podcast for the parishes of Saint Charles Borromeo in Whitefish and Saint Richard in Columbia Falls. And now to start the show, here's father Raftis. Welcome to the Parish Podcast Project at Saint Charles Borromeo Parish in Whitefish, Montana, as well as Saint Richard of Wick in Columbia Falls, Montana, all in the Diocese of Helena. This is brought to you by Shannon at the Parish Broadcast Project. I just wanted to thank Shannon for his patience and all the hard work he's putting into this to make this a nationwide Podcast available to individual parishes that share information and the share segments, which should help edify you in your faith. So let us begin. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

It's great to be back after Christmas. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas season. And right now, we're in the interim between, The Christmas season as well as the, holy season of Lent and the precipice, the highest Point of the liturgical year, Easter. And then celebrating Easter for 50 days, culminating with Pentecost. And so last Sunday, traditionally, we celebrated Sunday. So it's a time to prepare and to get ourselves ready For our Lenten observances of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. So it's a good idea for us to maybe start thinking about what we're going to do for Lent And, going into practical details and announcements regarding Saint Richard and Saint Charles.

First of all, Saint Richard, the Knights of Columbus put on a 5th Sunday Breakfast every 5th Sunday. They do a great job. Also during Lent on Fridays, they will do the annual fish fry, which is a great hit. People can have takeout, or they can come in and eat, fish and chips after the stations of the cross. So more information will be given on our website Saint Richard. And also at Saint Richard, we need, young folks hopefully Who have, strong backs and strong lungs to sign up to help for elderly or maybe sick folks who can't shovel the walk To maybe come shovel every now and again when we have a storm and to put ice melt on their steps And to just make sure they're doing okay. So if you're interested, contact Colleen or Angie at the Saint Richard office. If you wanna do the same over at Saint Charles, Please, feel free to sign up, and people will be most appreciative.

Also, over at Saint Charles, there are a lot of things on the calendar that I'll go over. But first of all, I just wanted to thank Carla West, Who has been our office manager, and she's also the organist in the choir and choir director. She, Has done such a beautiful job in the music ministry here at Saint Charles. She's been at Saint Charles, I think, over Close to between 30 35 years. She's a professionally trained musician and organist, and she does a lot of things Outside of the parish, professional gigs. And, as a matter of fact, her and Sandy and Her group will be playing, I think, I don't wanna be quoted on this, of the great northern, but just look. Give the office a call and talk to Carla or anybody who's in the know. And, Just at the Winter Carnival, make your way around. By the way, the Winter Carnival is a decades long tradition in Whitefish that's coming up This Saturday, it'll be great.

And so we will have here at Saint Charles, The family fun at Saint Charles Borromeo following the Whitefish Winter Carnival parade, which starts at 3. And so at Saint Charles, we will have starting at 4:30 PM, free of charge, kid friendly live music and dancing, Featuring the venerable and wonderful Maggie Eisenbeth and Michelle Myers. There'll be food trucks and beer and wine, And it's all free. It'll be great for people to get together and to be able to invite the good people, community, and the Saint Charles parishioners After the winter carnival. However, kinda backtracking a little, putting in a reverse from 12 to 2, we have our annual Pie feast. The pie feed at Saint Charles. So I encourage you if you are a parishioner To make a pie, if you're really good at making pies but you can't get out to deliver them, we'll pick it up. So, If you can make a pie, it'd be great. And, be creative, and it'll be wonderful because it's a community wide event, This carnival and also the pie feed, the pie social is a great way to connect with others. And some people who might be questioning, some people who might be searching, and some people who might be just looking for some good companies, some good socialization. And so I'm gonna be there. It'll be 12 to 2 PM on Saturday, this coming Saturday, February 3rd. It'll be a blast.

Also, looking ahead, there will be a Mardi Gras celebration on February 9th. That's a Mardi Gras celebration on February 9th, which February 9th is a Friday. And, of course, we know that Ash Wednesday falls on February 14th, so it's a good idea not to do just to do something giving some lead time towards Ash Wednesday, they have a Mardi Gras party, and it'll be a Cajun feast. And there will be hurricanes, gumbo, Oh, Etufe, bread pudding, live music with McCready and friends and a 4 piece brass band, maz Maggie Eisenbarth and Todd Cowart. And all proceeds go directly to the Saint Charles youth. And, we'll have 4 seatings I mean, some sorry. 2 seatings. 1 will begin at 4 PM. It'll be $45 per person, and 7 PM, $60. So, actually, Table for 8 will be $460. So, again, we have 2 seatings, 47 PM On February 9th. So for the 4 PM seating, it's 45. 7 PM at 60. The reason why it's a little extra, For the 7 PM, there will be free flowing wine and adult beverages. So it's sponsored by the venerable And awesome nights of Columbus. And I just wanted to thank, you know, Ryan Boyle and Brian Zadeh and Max Millington and, Clint McClure, everybody. And I'm sorry if I'm missing somebody.

Okay. Then when we move into lent Fresh Fish Fridays. We play throughout land at Saint Charles following the stations of the cross, which are at 5:30. So it starts on February 16th and culminates on March 22nd. There will be unique fish options each Friday And unlimited beer and wine. Adults, $30, kids eat free. Again, adults, $30, and kids eat free. So Prepay and Fridays. It's a 150 per adult. Oh, I'm sorry. It's prepay 6 Fridays. I was misreading. My eyes are failing me. Prepay for the 6 Fridays, it's a 150 per adult. So, yeah, All proceeds go directly to Saint Charles youth as well. I'll be posting this on our website. So We have a lot going on also at Saint Richard. We really haven't figured on a time for The fish fry, I think usually it happens after, the Stations of the Cross, which are at 5, I believe. So more to come regarding all that news. And so it's been a very eventful, Christmas season. I just wanna thank the CCW, at Saint Richard as well as the Knights of Columbus at Saint Richard for doing cooperative work in helping with the funerals and also Helping with all the invisible work that you don't see. They do such a wonderful job. And, also, I'd like to thank the sacristons. A lot of work goes into putting on funerals as well as is what we have regularly, the masses. And so, you know, a lot goes into the masses. People clean the linens, and canonically, And in out of respect for the precious body, blood, soul, and divinity of our lord, which touches the linens. The linens are meticulously cared for and cleaned And then neatly pressed and ready for the next mass. So I just wanna thank everybody who does the linens. Also, I wanna thank greeters, people who hand out the bulletins at the end of mass, lecturers, extraordinary ministers of holy communion. Also those who, just are very attentive at mass. The people who open doors for others, The altar servers, and it's not a ministry. In any way, you know, it's a ministry, but it's a special ministry to serve at the altar. Young women men and women who do so are engaging in the ministry of the angels. And so it is a very, very important And solemn responsibility. So if you see an altar server, tell them thank you. And, they really help make life easier for the deacon and I. Our great illustrious deacon that we have is deacon Doug Gordier, and he and his wife, Shar, have done Lot of work. They especially do work at the food bank. So keep the food bank in mind as well, both here at Saint, or at Whitefish, Also, in, Columbia Falls, I believe the food banks off of nuke North Nucleus Avenue in Columbia Falls. Also, keep in mind the warming center down in Kalispell. If you have any, if you have any coats, extra coats, Socks, gloves, hats, more coats, more socks, more hats. And if you have any toiletries that you can, help to affirm and to encourage one's dignity. That would be a wonderful thing to do. So, it goes without saying that there are multiplicity of activities that we can do here in the Flathead.

Also coming up this Saturday is the blue and gold, auction and dinner And gathering at the Hilton in Kalispell benefiting the students of St. Matt's. We have about 6 students From Saint Charles going to Saint Matthews, and we have about 2, I believe, at Saint Richard going to Saint Matt. So we have a growing, crew of students who are attending Saint Matt's, and they have a bus now, and they're growing. They pretty much scotched The, thanks be to God, they scotch the common core curriculum in lieu of a more classical Catholic curriculum that helps them in mind, body, and spirit, and they also focus on theology of the body. Terms of respecting the body and counter distinction to our nihilistic culture, which has no standards. And so it's a very good thing to maybe think about Saint Matt's, keep Saint Matt's as well as Saint Charles Parish and Saint Richard Parish in our prayers. And so we're gonna be in a time of transition here at Saint Charles with Carla Disengaging. She's retiring. I'm sorry. She's resigning, not retiring because she's very busy with other businesses and other academic activities As well as other community services. So if you see Carla, please tell her thank you for all the work she's done. And, she's Still gonna be an active presence here. Thanks be to God at Saint Charles. And I wanna also thank Colleen Konopatsky Over at Saint Richard who's done such a great job as well as Angie Schubert. And so that kinda covers what's going on right now. We're in a transitional time, going in, getting ready for the Lenten season. And Lenten season is a beautiful season to kinda do a spring cleaning of our souls And to recalibrate our souls to true north, which is Christ.

And so, also, I just wanted to mention the bishops are engaging in a Eucharistic revival. It's a 3 year process in which the diocese of Helena has been ensconced and has been celebrating And promoting. And this is an extraordinarily important part of our faith is it is the source of our faith, the source and summit, the Eucharist. It's body it's the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our lord, the holy Eucharist. And so It's an answer to the unfortunate, reality that only 30% of Catholics believe in the real presence of Christ In the Eucharist. Now it doesn't matter whether you believe or not. He's real, truly, personally, Lovingly, body, blood, soul, and divinity. And he said on the cross, I thirst. And he thirsts for us To become one with his body, blood, soul, and divinity. So when we say yes, when we walk up In the communion line, after preparing ourselves to receive the King of kings, the King of the universe, we can receive on the hand or on the tongue. On the hand, we make a throne For the king of the world, the king of the universe, and on our tongue, we receive the Lord like a baby bird receiving food from its mother. And so we need to be more reverent. And the process is if you're Just in Catholic, in a state of grace, come forward and receive our Lord lovingly and reverently. And when myself, the deacon, or The extraordinary minister of holy communion present to you the Eucharist, the body of Christ. It's important that you respond with amen. And what that does is you are saying yes to everything the church teaches. When you say yes or amen, Which means so be it to the words, the body of Christ. You are consenting to the fact you believe in the real presence and You are ascending and saying yes to all the churches, beliefs in toto In matters of faith and morals. So technically the priest, the deacon, or the extraordinary minister, if you don't say amen, We don't have to give you the Eucharist. You have to be in a right state to receive the Eucharist. Go to confession regularly, especially if you're aware of any mortal sin. And this is for your own benefit, for our own benefit. I have to go to confession frequently because I celebrate mass frequently. So it's very important for us to, again, refocus And redevote ourselves and consecrate ourselves to our Lord in the Eucharist. We have Eucharistic adoration at Saint Richard On Saturdays at 11 to either noon or 1 o'clock. This weekend, the 1st weekend of February, we will celebrate, we will have, I will be administering the holy sacrament of confession as I usually do at Saturdays at 11. Exposition of the blessed sacrament happens right before that. And then when I'm done with confession, if there's not anything else Going on, exceptionally, I will do ben simple benediction and repose the blessed sacrament. So that goes usually from 11 to 1, but on this coming Saturday, we will have first Saturday in February, I will do the benediction right after, the, confessions whenever that is somewhere around 12 ish, Noonish. And, over at Saint Charles, I'll be hearing confessions from 3 to 4. And at Saint Charles, we have adoration from 10 to noon on Wednesdays. 10 to noon on Wednesdays. So it's a good opportunity to deepen our love for And, reverence for our Lord in the Eucharist. And only good things and beautiful blessings and graces will The result. So one more thing. It's a great thing. We have a very active bishop, Bishop Austin Anthony Vetter, And our good Bishop will be visiting, both of our parishes at the 10 o'clock St. Richard mass. He will be celebrating with you, the faithful. I won't be con concelebrating. I will have celebrated the 8 o'clock Latin mass, and I want the bishop just to celebrate with you, the Saint Richard parishioners. And if you wanna go to from Saint Charles and that's a better time, that's great too. But he loves parishioners. He loves the diocesan, faithful as well as the communities, surrounding And in the diocese. So surrounding our parishes and in the diocese, he really wants to get to know people. So he'll celebrate on Saturday, The mass at 10 o'clock at Saint Richard, then I'm sorry. My correction. If, Shannon, if you could do a little edit, Bishop will be celebrating mass at St. Richard on Sunday at 10 AM and over at St. Charles At noon. So again, Bishop better will be celebrating mass with the faithful of St. Richard at 10 o'clock AM On this coming Saturday, the 1st Saturday in February as well at oh, for crying out loud, Shannon. I'm sorry. Shannon, if you could re edit this, Bishop Austin Anthony Vetter will be celebrating masses on Sunday at Saint Richard and Saint Charles, Charles at Saint Richard at 10 AM and at Saint Charles at noon. Gonna have a little social at Saint Charles, with bagels and donuts and a little bit of coffee And some water and orange juice. So if you wanna spend a little time saying hello to the bishop, probably the best time is after mass at Saint Charles because he really has to get going After mass at Saint Richard because the window is pretty narrow. So that about covers it.

And Bishop's here for Catholic Schools Week. So pray for Saint Matthews and all the Catholic schools in the diocese, which he has been visiting all week. He was in Butte today And or yesterday, and he'll be in Missoula, I believe, tomorrow. And then he comes up here to the Flathead. So please give him a warm welcome, and please keep him and myself in your prayers. So thanks so much for listening To the Saint Charles and Saint Richard Parish Podcast Project. And, again, special thanks to Shannon Who is responsible for this wonderful ministry. And so let us close by Glorifying our lord as we say, glory be to the father, and to the son, and to the holy spirit as it was in the beginning is now, And ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Saints Helena, Richard, and Charles, Pray for us. Thank you, and God bless you.

Follow our parish podcast for Saint Charles Borromeo and loving and serving the poor has been part of the tradition of the Catholic church since its founding. The catechism of the Catholic church teaches us that the Eucharist commits us to the poor. This means that We have a responsibility to care for those in need. Whether it's donating our time, talents or resources, we can make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. Doing so is an essential part of our faith and shows God's love in action.

Well, the month of February is dedicated to the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. And during February, we can contemplate the indispensable role that the family unit plays in the broader mission of the church. And we can learn lessons from that family in Nazareth. Now let us remember it is within the family that we are first schooled in the virtues of the gospel, learning to live out the calling of every Christian family to become a domestic church, a beacon of gospel values in the world. Saint John Paul the second, or John Paul the Great as a lot of people like to call him, reminded us that the family in Nazareth should be an example for every Christian household. Now the lessons we can learn from Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, is that our family should have a commitment to prayer and contemplation, that there should be mutual understanding and respect between all family members, as well as a spirit of sacrifice. During February, every Catholic family can work towards deepening their communal spiritual life. Embrace the opportunity to pray together, to pray before meals, to undertake tasks as a unified family body, to find joy in shared leisure, and to help each other cultivate a virtuous life. And as we approach the penitential season of Lent, with Ash Wednesday right around the corner, each family could consider adopting a collective penance that involves every member of the household. This shared spiritual discipline can serve as a profound expression of family unity and a testament to your commitment to grow in holiness. And let's not forget the power of intercessory prayer, especially to the holy family, to guide and support our endeavors toward becoming reflections of their sanctity in our own family lives. And may the example of the holy family inspire all of us to transform our homes into vibrant centers of faith, hope, and love, radiating the light of the gospel to all who enter our home.

Now, we're pleased to bring you some scripture readings here on the parish podcast. And our last segment on today's show is a reading from Proverbs chapter 1 and chapter 2.

The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, to know wisdom and instruction, to understand the words of prudence, and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity, to give subtlety to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding. A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser, and he that understandeth shall possess governments. He shall understand a parable and the interpretation, the words of the wise and their mysterious sayings. The fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother, that grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck. My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them. If they shall say, come with us, let us lie and wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause. Let us swallow him up alive like hell and whole as one that goeth down into the pit. We shall find all precious substance. We shall fill our houses with spoils. Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse. My son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy foot from their paths, For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. But a net is spread in vain before the eyes of them that have wings, and they themselves lie in wait for their own blood, and practice deceits against their own souls. So the wage of every covetous man destroy the souls of the possessors. Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets. At the head of multitudes, she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city, she uttereth her words, saying, oh, children, How long will you love childishness? And fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge. Turn ye at my reproof. Behold, I will utter my spirit to you, and will show you my words. Because I called, and you refused. I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded. You have despised all my counsel and have neglected my reprehensions, I also will laugh in your destruction and will mock when that shall come to you which you feared, When sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction as a tempest shall be at hand? When tribulation and distress shall come upon you, then shall they call upon me, and I will not hear. They shall rise in the morning and shall not find me, Because they have hated instruction and received not the fear of the lord, nor consented to my counsel, but despised all my reproof. Therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their own way and shall be filled with their own devices. The turning away of little ones shall kill them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But he that shall hear me shall rest without terror, and shall enjoy