Christ the Divine Shepherd  

Penn Hills/Pitcairn/Monroeville 

There are three feasts on the Church’s calendar that feature a sequence before the singing of the Alleluia: Easter, Pentecost, and today’s feast - Corpus Christi.  (There used to be more, but that’s another matter.)  The purpose of the sequence is two-fold: first, to serve as a preamble to the Alleluia itself; to prolong it, if you will.  Those feasts are particularly joyous, so it makes sense to do that.  The second reason for the sequence is that it is educational - it is meant to teach us something about what we celebrate.  And today’s sequence comes from an especially good teacher: Saint Thomas Aquinas.  Thomas has been referred to as the greatest theological mind in the history of the Church - no small feat, that - and this sequence, the Lauda Sion Salvatorem, has been referred to as his most theologically sophisticated canticle.

If it seems like a lot when we’re signing it this weekend, it’s because it is.  It’s part of the great treasury of the traditions of our faith: a great mind producing high theology exploring this unmerited gift from God.  It’s worth exploring more.

Lauda, Sion, Salvatorem/lauda ducem et pastorem/in hymnis et canticis.//Quantum potes, tantum aude/quia maior omni laude/nec laudare sufficis. 

Zion, to your Savior sing/to your Shepherd and your King/sing with canticle and hymn!//Dare with song to praise him well/though he does all praise excel/never cease from praising him.

Thomas doesn’t waste time - the second stanza contains a big challenge.  Thomas dares us to give praise to God.  What he means by that is that we ought to be so moved with joy and enthusiasm about our God that we cannot help ourselves but to sing his praises.  We simply cannot be silent.  We are called to be bold in our praise.

Later in the hymn, we are invited to be bold in our faith.

Dogma datur Christianis/quod in carnem transit panis/et vinum in sanguinem//Quod non capis, quod non vides/animosa firmat fides/praeter rerum ordinem.

This is the truth each Christian learns/bread into His flesh he turns/wine becomes His holy blood.//Though we feel it not, nor see it/ardent faith which now reveals it/all defects of sense make good.

Ardent faith could just as well be translated as courageous faith.  And the nature of what we believe requires us to be bold in our belief.  The Eucharist is truly the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Even more, the same Christ that died on the Cross is the same Christ that will be made present in the Eucharist today and is the same Christ who will come again at the end of the age to judge the living and the dead.  That’s not something you can easily wrap your head around – that’s something that requires faith.  A lot of faith.  A full-bore, hold-nothing-back, I’m-all-in kind of faith.  A bold faith.

We only have time to barely scratch the surface of this great hymn here.  Return to it often this week and re-read it - and more importantly, pray over it.  St. Thomas invites us to be bold this week, so let us accept that challenge as we work to build up God’s Kingdom.!

Welcome - Welcome back to Seminarian Nick Wytiaz, who is beginning his pastoral year with us.  Nick has just finished his second year of theological studies at Theological College in Washington, DC.  He will be with us until next summer, getting plenty of experience in the day-to-day life of the parish.  We also welcome Miss Shannon Murphy, our new Communications Director.  Shannon will be taking over production of the bulletin, our social media accounts, and working to better make our presence known in the community.  Welcome aboard!

Class of 2023 - Congratulations to all of our new highs school graduates!  You are invited to join us at the 11:00 Mass on June 25 in your cap and gown to be recognized and celebrated by your parish family.  For more information, contact Mary Sampey in the parish office.

Oremus pro invicem!