Brothers and Sisters,

Who is your king? To whom do you give your obedience? As we approach the end of the Church year, we reaffirm that Jesus reigns on the throne. We commit to following his vision and listening attentively to his commands. Only he can bring authentic order and peace to our lives.

My heart is moved with compassion for our brothers and sisters within the Baltimore Beltway. We pray for the abundant fruits of the challenging work undertaken by Seek the City, an initiative aimed at revitalizing and consolidating parish communities to better serve the faithful and address changing demographics and resources. At the same time, many are now in a season of mourning as they celebrate the final regular Masses in some of the beautiful, historic churches around our city.

I think of the generations before us who made great sacrifices. They often lived with much less so they could gather in their parish churches to worship God. Our great Archdiocese is filled with stories of holy men and women who devoted their lives to spreading the Gospel, some even canonized as saints. That legacy lives on today, upheld by devoted disciples who work tirelessly to strengthen their parishes.

During our Masses this weekend, parishioners will have an opportunity to participate in a Eucharistic Consecration. What does it mean to consecrate? To consecrate is to set apart for the Lord, to offer oneself for his greater glory. We see examples in the consecration of an altar (during the dedication of a church), the consecration of Sacred Chrism (used in Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders), and, most significantly, in the consecration of the Eucharist. Each act of consecration is preceded by the Epiclesis, the calling down of the Holy Spirit, whose power and authority enable the offering.