Sermons and Conferences
1993 2/09 Eucharistic Catechetics - S2
Real Presence: Communication of Grace (continued)
Jesus Christ is Physically Present on Earth
by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.
MP3 Disc 1 Received from Breslin
These Sermons were taped by Daniel Peper who
traveled and taped Fr. Hardon from 1990 to 1995
- Real Presence: Communication of Grace (continued)
- Jesus Christ is Physically Present on Earth
- Questions and Answers
1. Real Presence: Communication of Grace (continued)
So but having said that I just, to make sure, see this is traditional, and
what we are doing is back to our subject, in other words, that when we speak
of adoration we use the word in two ways. We can use it as distinct from thanksgiving,
petition and mercy or we can think of adoration as every form of prayer is
a form of adoration; so that when we speak of petition that with our minds we
can distinguish petition and adoration; but strictly speaking petition is a
form of adoration. Unless I recognized who God is, as the source of
my being, and as the destiny of my existence, well, I was not asking for what
I want.
So we’re using adoration, see what we are saying here, we’re using adoration
here, well, from one perspective in a broader sense; from another perspective
in a deeper sense. In other words we’re not speaking of adoration precisely
as distinct from petition, but adoration as one term covering all forms of prayer,
including petition; and of course, including thanksgiving, and including mercy
but for our purpose especially petition.
Now my question is: In the last analysis, what are we doing when we ask God
for anything? What are we doing? We are acknowledging our complete dependence
for everything from the past, in the present, and for the future. In other
words, petition is a form of adoration. You see, because what I’m doing and
this has been my work, as far as I can see in the Church, I need to repeat what
already is in books but with the help of the Church, and of course prayer, and
the Holy Spirit to deepen and penetrate. That’s why the present Holy Father
will go down, I think, as one of the greatest popes in the Church’s history.
He is profoundly intelligent. In other words, what we want to bring out is
that the Holy Eucharist now must be seen as not just the object of our adoration
as the word is popularly understood. Am I making sense? To properly understand
Eucharistic adoration; we come and we praise our Lord, we worship Him, we acknowledge
who He is and this is beautiful and that is. But we must now begin to see what
we have never have seen before in the history of the world that Christ is on
earth to answer our prayers; not just ordinary prayers but prayers are miracles.
2. Jesus Christ is Physically Present on Earth
Would then we say that, we are to pray before the Holy Eucharist not only by
adoring our Lord, as that word has been properly understood? No. It includes
the recognition on faith; first that God became man. I’ve taught over six hundred
of my own Jesuit priests and asked our priests who are struggling with their
faith nowadays and the bottom line where they are confused – they are confused
and they don’t realize that in the Eucharist is the same identical Jesus who
Mary carried for nine months in her womb and gave birth to in Bethlehem, Who
lived, suffered, died, and rose from the dead and now at the right hand of His
heavenly Father; that God became man so that Jesus Christ is God become
man and that Jesus Christ, the God-man, is really present in the Holy Eucharist.
And this is the basic difference between all the non-Christian religions of
the world, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, that they believe in God; often confused,
in fact, in their faith of who God is, but they absolutely deny that God became
man in the person of Jesus Christ. Moreover, here is also the basic difference
between Catholic Christianity and say the Christianity that separated from the
Catholic Church in the sixteenth century. As Catholics we believe that Jesus
Christ is physically on earth.
I did tell you didn’t I about the layman, the author, who couldn’t get an imprimatur?
I haven’t heard from him since he talked to the bishop. I said what happened?
They wouldn’t give an imprimatur because he said that Christ is physically present
in the Holy Eucharist. He asked him but he would not give him the imprimatur.
The archbishop of a rather large archdiocese, I’d rather not identify him, but
so he hasn’t written me since. Maybe he has but I haven’t had a chance to examine
my mail.
This is very real. And I should say the archbishop of that diocese
is one of the leading bishops in the country in the liturgy. So we’ve got,
in other words, that’s why I’m coming here, that’s why I went to, I told the
sisters that the last place on earth I should be today, is in Moscow. Sometimes
to some of my friends I’ve got to prove my sanity. They think I’m crazy. But
somebody, somebody somewhere has still better say, well, what we are saying
now, Jesus Christ is on earth. Because the so-called reformers, Luther;
that’s what happened to Luther, he lost his faith in his own priesthood. It
was sex. He couldn’t control his sex passions. So he invented a new religion
which taught and teaches that your conduct is not what matters, because every
action of a human being is a sin. That’s Luther. Every action you perform
is a sin. So who will be saved? Those who are predestined. As Billy Graham
and all these evangelists say, “Do you believe you are saved?” If you believe
you are saved, you’ll be saved.
At any rate, so back to our original question, does Eucharistic adoration include
Eucharistic petition? Or in other words, when we adore Christ in the Blessed
Sacrament are we to beg Him for His grace? And that’s the whole, behind this
that the Holy See is telling. And these are the top superiors.
By the way, I met my Father General. Did I tell you this? Father General
wanted to see me. Well, we had a nice conversation. Encouraged me in my work.
Isn’t that great? Then I said, Father Joe “Can I go to confession? “ I hadn’t
gone yet. So he said, “Let’s close the doors”. He gave me a very mild penance.
Well this is good to hear. In other words, yes, when we adore our Lord; it’s
the same Christ. Now certainly you read the Gospels they did worship our Lord
but what did most people do? They asked, you name it, most impossible situations.
By the way, would you keep Nicholas in your prayers? Young Nicholas. Mother’s
name is Mrs. Reik; Mary Reik in Minneapolis. I gave some lectures up there
and she called me up to say that her two and half year old boy has terminal
cancer all over the body, not just only inside. So, he’s undergoing chemotherapy,
but at most he will live six months, at most they say. So she asked for my
prayer, which of course I promised. I’ll tell you what, I had cancer, which
I did. And, so in Chicago. This is in ’84. The community of nuns wanted to
keep Farther Hardon alive so they had a Novena of Masses. And the ninth day
of the Novena, I’d already had two surgeries and a biopsy, no question about
the cancer and terminal cancer. So they had nine Masses. And then my surgery
third surgery. And so they opened me up. No cancer. So I told her, “Find a
priest who can say a Novena of Masses.” Well she didn’t. She hung up almost
as soon as I told her that. Then she called me back in about an hour. She’d
found a priest; a Carmelite priest up in Minneapolis who will offer nine Masses
for Nicholas. Will you keep Nicholas in your prayers? Two and a half year
old boy. And but that’s the Eucharist, you see! You ask for miracles.
Crowds of people and most of us can use a few miracles. Marion, how about
you? Could you use a few miracles? Jesse, could you use a couple of miracles?
Sister?
But this is our Faith. And the only question is whether God wants to work
the miracles. Because it depends on our Faith.
Now it’s a quarter to three so suppose, so you won’t feel that, “Gee Father,
I’ve spent a long time thinking of a question and you didn’t even bother reading it.”
3. Questions and Answers
Is it necessary for both the ordaining bishop and the ordinand
to have the intention of ordaining for sacrifice or just the bishop for the
Sacrament of Orders to be valid? For example, a man is sent through nine years
of seminary training by a secret seminary; Freemasons, with the intention of
gaining power in the Church to pervert it from within. Did he validly receive
Orders?
No. No. Both must believe. Both the ordaining power and the one who wants
to be ordained must believe in the sacrificing Priesthood.
I’ve had cancer twice in two years. First, I was opened and
no cancer and second, now the test showed the tumor was gone. I was anointed
both times. And then many people prayed before our Lord for me.
Oh, yes, Christ works miracles; that’s part of our Faith. And one reason that
He’s causing so much, what should I say, so much, I don’t want to use the word
chaos, that’s allowing so much chaos in the world is to wake us up.
Would you please continue to explain the mystery of the Sacrifice
of the Mass.
Well, I think. Well, let me say just a few more sentences because the subject
is immense. It’s four semesters on the Eucharist in the seminary. Three hours
a week, fifteen weeks a semester. So, the Sacrifice of the Mass is the same
sacrifice of Christ offered on Calvary. Why? Because, it’s the same Jesus
Christ. But then we got to remind ourselves that the essence of sacrifice is
not that Christ died. The essence of sacrifice is that He willed to die. His
will. And Christ is on the altar; same identical Jesus. But remember with his human will, consequently who remembers, I almost hate to
ask, how many wills did and does Christ have? How many wills? (Answer from
Sisters: “Two.”) How many? (Sisters: “Two”) Hold on to that. Yeah. There
is a name of a heresy which says there’s only one will in Christ. Well, I think
we had it, at least I’ve mentioned it.
Heresies usually have long names. Monothelatism. Mono is one. The t-h-e-l
stands for will in the Greek. So one will. If Christ had only one will he couldn’t
redeem the world; couldn’t have the Sacrifice of the Mass. In other words,
God became man mainly, principally to have a human will. So He could not only
suffer and die, but that He could will to suffer and die. And that’s
the main message we hear from our Lord. The main reason we have a free will
is to submit our wills to God. And as we know, God is constantly, shall I say,
interfering with our will.
Here’s where I like to…
(Can hear Father Hardon drawing a diagram on the chalk board)
This is my definition of the Cross. When the Divine Will crosses our will
and they may not be exactly 90 degrees, but God sometimes it’s only 67 degrees;
sometimes it’s 87 degrees; and sometimes it’s an even 90 degrees. Just the
opposite of what we would want. To believe that is to be a Christian. Christianity
is all about the Cross.
So we could say more about the Sacrifice of the Mass, but that’s what it is.
In other words in the Mass Christ no longer able to suffer and die but has a
human will. He’s on the altar; He’s a man united with His Divinity. But, He
is willing every time the double consecration is made. That double consecration
signifies Christ willingly offering Himself to His heavenly Father.
You mentioned inclusive language. In our seminary we are
told we must use it and that the Bible translations used now are wrong and should
be changed. What should be done?
Well, here’s my four plan of recommendation to people in the Church’s crisis:
Number one, keep the Faith. Number two, keep cool. Number three, keep silent.
Number four, do something. And, because, in other words if I was in the seminary
I tell him, first responsibility is to get yourself ordained. I’ve counseled
enough men – counsel, counseled, counseling - in seminaries to get them through.
Our Formator has told us that Mary’s virginity ended at Christ’s
birth. Her virginity is a myth to support the Church’s taboo on sex. What should
I as a student say in return, if anything.
Better say nothing. But know your Faith, know your Faith. And I worked for
23 years with the Holy See. And thanks for these questions.
How can I get a copy of the pronouncement from the Vatican
regarding the apparitions at Medjugorje. Most charismatics have not heard of
a pronouncement. When I tell them they say, “Well, the Church is still making
up it’s mind. They, the charismatics, are waiting for the final decision”.
Or they will say, “The Pope says he wants to visit Medjugorje” implying he is
giving private approval. This is why, I hope, I can get a copy.
Well, there are statements made by the Holy See. But the problem as you realize
is very deep. Because there is no question you’ve got priests hearing people’s
confessions anywhere; Detroit, Medjugorje, San Francisco, or Paris. And people
will come to confession. Right? Those that have the Faith, want to go to confession.
Now there’s no doubt, you know many people; conversions, confess to the priests
who are taking care of them. But behind Medjugorje are the alleged apparitions.
And as I’ve said so many times, to put it mildly, I have strong reservations.
Have you heard of the book, “The Destruction of the Church’s Christian Traditions”,
by Rama P. Coomaraswamy.
No, I haven’t. But I presume it’s Hindu.
After the Gospel reading, should it be said, “This is the Gospel of the
Lord” or “This is the Word of the Lord”?
Neither. From what I understand, well, I should have the Latin in front of
me. Now there are many, oh how much should be cleaned up on the English translation.
The work shall we say cleaned up. The word “this is” is not in the Latin. It’s
simply, “Gospel of the Lord”.
Was the new Catechism first written in Latin or French? “The Wanderer” said
it was first written in French because there is not enough scholars to write
it in Latin.
Well, I would know the final reason, having worked with the commission. I
would say those who worked on the commission knew Latin. Otherwise you wouldn’t
be able to read the Church’s documents. The discussions, however, I understand,
I was not, I attended some but I did not the top, top level discussions with
only the bishops at these meetings. I understand they were in French. French
is a much more common language than Latin. And I can say this: That I pleaded
with the commission that there be a Latin, that the official be Latin.
And again would you mind turning off the machine?
I’ve been responsible to keep an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe visiting
a different person or family each week for a year. Would you or anyone else
want to welcome her?
What I’m not sure, I know that this is being done, what I’m not sure is the,
and I have to say this, is the real origin of this transporting of Our Lady’s
image. I’ve seen it in print and that it was promoted or whatever even by either
all or several Mexican bishops. But I’m not really sure. Because as you know,
Our Lady of Guadalupe is now being used in various ways; for example, our friend,
Vassula. God help the Church. And well, and she was going along with the image
of Our Lady of Guadalupe. So I would rather not directly accept but read the
question. And given the, well, things that I have to do for the Church I’d better
see this thing checked out just exactly what’s behind this passing around of
the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe?
If one is a reader at the Mass and there has been inclusive language put
into the reading. Do we have to read it?
Well. Let me tell what I do. First of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been faced,
this is Scripture, right with a text where I was to read inclusive language.
First of all I choose the churches where I go to and where I say Mass. However,
the translations, many of the translations that are used in the lectionary are
to say the least, inaccurate. And so I regularly, as I read, first of all as
I begin reading I know what translation I’m reading. So I make up my mind I
will change the words as I go along. For example, “And the angel came to Mary,
and he told her, “Hail!”, and it says, “highly favoured daughter”. And so what
I say, and nobody knows it, some people do know, So I read, “Hail, full of grace!”
So I don’t tell them, “You know I’m changing as I’m going along.” No.
Please pray for a fellow named Michael. He was in a skidoo accident and
his head was crushed on both sides.
So let’s say a Hail Mary for Michael. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord
is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst 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. Mary, Help of Christians. Pray for us. In the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Well so you won’t complain. Let me finish these questions. O.K.? Though it is three o’clock.
Will the new translation of the liturgy be allowed? If it is, must we use it?
What I have seen of it, it is not our Faith.
Well, this is where, I’ve not seen the so-called new translation of the liturgy.
Whether that new translation means, we know now the ICEL… Pray oh pray for
the bishops that the International Commission for the institution of the liturgy.
I think I should say this and even have it recorded.
Some years ago, a wealthy Catholic was subsidizing worthy Catholic causes.
Subsidizing a new translation from the Latin of the basic English prayers.
Well, basic prayers. Our Father, Hail Mary, Memorare, and so on. We knew each
other. So he phoned me up and said, “You know, I’ve got a copy of the translation
made by the ICEL which is to be approved by the American hierarchy at the next
annual meeting and I’m bothered by the translation.” And the fellow was no
theologian. So he sent me the copy of the translation from ICEL to be voted
on by the American bishops. Well, it was incredible. I’d say every single
prayer was changed. For example in, I think it was the Consecration to the
Sacred Heart, there’s one paragraph there for the Holy Father; prayer for the
Holy Father. The ICEL removed that paragraph. The Litany of Our Lady where
we say, “Mary or Queen assumed into heaven”, the ICEL said, “Queen in heavenly
glory”. No Assumption. So I told him, I called him up and I said, “This is
bad news.” So and the last thing I needed was more work. So I stayed up nights.
There was one hundred pages of Latin, one hundred pages of Latin! It took me
a couple of months, whatever spare time I could afford. Went over the whole
thing. And then translated, well it should be translated, and on the left side
was the ICEL translation. And now this man by this time, I got in touch with
Rome and then he sent a person with both my translation and the ICEL to the
appropriate department at the Vatican and then they read it and of course it
was horrendous.
So then it came up to a vote in the United States, Bishop’s Conference. I
know I’m being recorded. And well just before they began to vote, one of the
cardinals, whom I know, in fact we’ve worked together for years, he put up his
hand. He said, just before the vote, he said, “By the way, didn’t you people
get any kind of letter from the Vatican on there wasn’t to be a vote? So the
President of the Bishop’s Conference said, “Yes, we did.” “Would you mind reading
the letter?” He was not going to even read the letter from the Vatican. So
he said, “Read the letter.” So he read the letter that this is not to be voted
on. They voted. But it didn’t pass. Except for the letter from the Vatican
it might have passed. And then the President of the ICEL, course he heard
that Rome was informed by some agent of the Vatican. So then I have
it in my files. I think it’s a fourteen page denunciation of my work. And it’s
some years now, so if they find out who that Vatican scoundrel is let him know.
First time I’m saying, said anything publicly. But I think we have to know
otherwise so many will be taken in.
Does a Pastor have a right to cross out some of the Gospel such as the part
where it “wives should be submissive to their husbands”.
No.
This one I pass, the Castle St. Angelo in Rome as you cross the Tiber and going
off towards the Vatican there’s a huge, well it’s a museum now, called Castle
St. Angelo. It used to be the papal prison where heretics were imprisoned.
More than once I just shake my head, “O Lord, how we could use that nowadays.”
When I visited the inmates as a Roman Catholic sister in full habit they
have a procedure where the men or women officers have to take their hands and
touch both sides of the body. My mother taught me as a child, “Don’t let anybody
touch you.” I even thought if a person touched me I would have a baby. Now
as a religious I know I won’t have a baby. But having taken a vow of chastity,
I feel I am breaking my vow and don’t feel right. I feel when they check you
that the officers press too hard. Disrespect really is, so I asked to not go
to that apostolate. But really, I asked again. Am I being disobedient not
to want to go. Written by a nun.
No you’re not disobedient. Not disobedient.
And this is why, Oh, the language I use with your Sisters in Moscow and in
Warsaw in talking to them. In God’s name realize where you are. And there
is such a thing as charity. And there is such a thing as charity and insanity!
In the name of charity you just don’t do things such as this. Absolutely no!
Absolutely no!
I think that, well, there’s still twelve more minutes. Is it O.K.? And then
next Tuesday, I’m in Detroit so we’ll have our class. O.K.?
Thanks for your cooperation and keep me in your prayers. You’re in mine.
In the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary. full of grace; The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst
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.
Oh, Mary Conceived without sin.
Pray for us, who have recourse to thee.
In the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Copyright © 1998 Inter Mirifica
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