The solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the king of the universe, marks the end of the liturgical year. It also is the day set aside by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to celebrate youth and young adults.
In the Diocese of Cleveland, young adults were invited to attend Mass on Nov. 23 at St. John Bosco Parish in Parma Heights. Celebrant and homilist was Father Eric Garris, diocesan vocation director. Concelebrant was Father Matt Byrne, St. John Bosco pastor.
After Mass, the young adults were invited to a catered dinner in the parish hall.
“It’s a good way for them to gather, pray, attend Mass and enjoy dinner and socializing,” said Deacon Mike Hayes, diocesan director of young adult ministry. He said the event also served as a reunion for those who participated in the young adult summer softball league. Some of the games were played on the fields at St. John Bosco.
In his homily, Father Garris said certain words immediately bring certain thoughts or meanings to people, such as Thanksgiving or the Browns. The same may be true for terms relating to our Catholic faith.
For example, in the Gospel, Jesus is referred to as a king. But he doesn’t wear the typical crown we would associate with a king. Instead, his is a crown of thorns.
“Jesus tells us he desires unity with us. He wants a relationship with us. He wants to be king of our heart,” Father Garris said, emphasizing that God wants to draw closer to us. “His kingdom is not just a place, it is a relationship. We have a God who wants to be with us. We pray and ask that God draws us into a union with him, away from sin.”
He said before receiving Communion, we pray, “‘Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.’ But the Mass doesn’t end like that. What a God we have. He comes to us, he is among us,” Father Garris said. “At the end of Mass, we are to take what we’ve received, go into the world and share it. We all have a role to play in God’s kingdom.”
He said we may come to Mass as individuals, but we are in communion together after the liturgy.
“The kingdom of God matters. It’s the people here today,” he added. “The kingdom of God is with us. He journeys with us. We pray that Jesus Christ, king of the universe, may reign and may be the king of our hearts and our lives.”
After Mass, the young adults moved to the parish hall where Deacon Hayes led the group in prayer before they had a dinner catered by Bruno’s. The group spent time catching up and sharing stories.
Click here for more information on the young adult ministry or contact Deacon Hayes at mhayes@dioceseofcleveland.org or call 216-696-6525, Ext. 2331.