Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Like any parish, we ought to take genuine pride and have a sincere love for our patron. Today we celebrate and honor ours, Pope St. Pius X.
“Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven.” These words of St. Pius X are the foundation of why he is considered to be “Pope of the Blessed Sacrament.” He encouraged frequent reception of Holy Communion. In certain times of Church history, the Blessed Sacrament was respected and honored, but in such a way that people would only receive Holy Communion a few times during the year. Keep in mind that part of this is rooted in the fact that if we need to go to confession, we are not to receive Holy Communion. Pope St. Pius X emphasized frequent recourse to the sacrament of Penance so that Communion would be received worthily. In these sacramental encouragements, he was teaching the Church that those two fonts of grace, those sacraments that we are to repeat frequently, are to be our aid and nourishment in this life. If we picture the sacraments, we are only baptized once, confirmed once, and priests are ordained once, but confession and the Eucharist are to be frequent in our lives, and our patron encourages us to do so. He established the age of first Holy Communion which we still practice now, by lowering the age from 12 to 7. Quoting the words of Jesus, “let the little children come to me” St. Pius X wished to bring further devotion to the Blessed Sacrament from these little ones who were at the age of reason.
He was also a profound defender of orthodoxy of the faith. Heresy in each and every generation must be recognized, addressed, and dismissed, lest we grow lazy in our defense of the Truth. St. Pius X wrote and spoke clearly against “modernism” which was (and still is) a philosophical and theological approach to viewing the Church, revelation, biblical exegesis, and the sacraments that result in relativism, skepticism, and secularism. I encourage all to read his encyclical “Pascendi Dominici Gregis” which is an eloquent and thorough defense of our faith against the errors of that time. Although written in 1907, his words still combat the errors of modernism that persist to this day.
I leave you all with this prayer to our heavenly patron. Through his intercession, may this parish always be a source of grace and holiness.
Glorious Pontiff, Saint Pius X, devoted servant of our Lord and loving child of Mary, I invoke you as a Saint in Heaven. I give myself to you that you may always be my protector, and my guide in the way of holiness and salvation. Aid me in observing the duties of my state of life. Obtain for me great purity of heart and a fervent love of the interior life after your own example.
Pope of the Blessed Sacrament, teach me to love Holy Mass And Holy Communion as the source of all grace and holiness, And to receive this Sacrament as often as I can. Gentle father of the poor, help me to imitate your charity toward my fellow men in word and deed. Consoler of the suffering, help me to bear my daily cross patiently and with perfect resignation to the will of God. Loving shepherd of the flock of Christ, obtain for me the grace of being a true child of Holy Mother Church. Amen.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Brendan
