Today we celebrate with great solemnity the dedication of this church, and it is always
a great time in the life of the mystical body to celebrate with great solemnity the
dedication of a church, for when a church is dedicated, that is, consecrated to God,
it is set aside exclusively for his use.
And so we see fulfilled that mystery that Christ came into this world of sinners in
order to establish for sinners a refuge.
That refuge is his church, and we must never confuse the physical structure of the church
with the reality of the church, for while the physical structure is an important element
in the life of the church, most especially because that most profound of all mysteries
transpires within her, that is, the holy sacrifice of the mass, the church itself is made up,
as St. Paul tells us, of living members, and so it is that this reality points to a
more important reality, that in our baptism, each and every one of us was
also dedicated to God, consecrated to him, and in today, in celebrating the dedication
of this church, we realize a more profound mystery, that if we are to lose our baptismal
innocence through sin, then we can come to the church and be reconsecrated to the Lord,
for we can receive from the church the forgiveness of our sins through the sacrament of confession.
And so we celebrate in the dedication of Our Lady of Guadalupe Friary, or in the
dedication of any church, a more profound mystery, that mystery of the incarnation of
Christ and his mission to come and establish, to establish the church in this world of sinners,
so that each and every one of us always has a place of refuge, and so every time we enter
a church to pray, we enter into that mystery of our consecration to God in our baptism,
for when we come to church to pray, we are praying either for the
grace of God, or for the grace of God, or for the grace of God, or for the grace of God,
the grace to persevere, the grace to repent, or we are praying for graces for others.
And so we show ourselves truly united to that mystery, that Christ came in order to give
himself to us, that is, he dedicated himself to us, and he would ultimately suffer the
greatest penalty, he would sacrifice his sacred humanity in order to establish this most profound
mystery.
And so today, in celebrating the mystery of the dedication of the church, we celebrate the
mystery of the incarnation, and hence, we celebrate that most profound of all mysteries,
the union of the sacred heart of Jesus and the immaculate heart of Mary, for our Lord takes his
flesh from the Virgin Mary, and it is that flesh that he will offer in sacrifice to the Eternal
Father to purchase us for the kingdom of God. And so, while we honor the dedication of this church,
let us always remember it points to the greater mystery that we are the body of
Christ.
We are the temples of the Holy Spirit. And so, if we misuse our bodies, then we commit a sort of
sacrilege.
But God has not abandoned us, even in our sins.
We have constant recourse to rededicate ourselves, to reconsecrate ourselves to God, to the sacramental
life, most especially the sacrament of confession.
And so, we truly rejoice, for we honor in the dedication of the church.
a more profound mystery, that Jesus Christ did not, that God did not abandon us. And in the
second person of the blessed Trinity, God sent forth his only son in order that his son may
reconquest, that is, reclaim souls lost through sin. And so he would ultimately offer that
greatest of all sacrifices himself for the reconquest of humanity. And he has established
in this world until the end of time, the church by which we have recourse, the church which will
always be the light shining brightly in this world of sin. And so let us pray that all souls flock
to the church, that all souls truly are incorporated into the mystical body of Christ, that the church
truly becomes made up of God.
of living stones because all souls are consecrated to God in baptism. And so let us pray that Christ's
reconquest of humanity is completed by the incorporation of all souls who are presently
living and all souls who will live into that mystery of his church. And most especially,
let us be thankful this day and joyfully praise her who initiated our Lord's journey to Calvary
at the wedding feast of Cana.
When she sent forth her son in order to begin his mission today, he will come to the house of
Zacharias and he comes to each and every one of us for the house of Zacharias, according to many
of the doctors and fathers symbolize the soul. And so Christ comes to each soul in its baptism
and through the church, he sustains that presence through, through her sacramental life. And so
let us rededicate ourselves entirely to this mystery of our salvation.
Constantly having recourse to the church for our own conversion and the conversion of sinners, so that all may come to know that reason by which they were created, not to gain the happiness in this life, but in order to gain that happiness in the life to come, we will praise our God together for all eternity in heaven.
And so let us be thankful this day and joyfully praise her who initiated our Lord's journey to Calvary at the wedding feast of Cana.