Oh, the smell of it!  About a month ago, my nephew Jacob graduated from high school.  The typical graduation party was planned and family assignments were made!  As is typical for our family, text messages were flying back and forth about who would bring what, who would help with what before and after the party and who would help coordinate things on the day of the event.  I don’t know about you, but once these conversations get started in a group text my phone starts binging and dinging faster than the noise of popcorn popping in a popcorn machine.  Thankfully, I can temporarily mute these group texts and catch up on them when I have time.  My group text mute button and I are great friends (please don’t tell my family about this).  In the end, Jackie volunteered to help Jim and Sandy by making the rounds on the day of the party to pick up all the food items that needed to be rounded up.  She had to make the rounds to Gordon Food, Chicken Shack, Nino’s and Detroit Bakery.  Considering all the places she was visiting, she had one important job (that is, she had to make sure the cake made its way safely to the party … we all know my priorities).  Jackie had her morning all timed and perfectly planned.  Her last stop was to pick up all the hot stuff from Chicken Shack.  I wish I could have seen this myself, but I heard her car was packed when she finally returned to Jim and Sandy’s house.  Like we all do at family events, Jackie looked to the teenagers to help unpack the car.  An assembly line was formed, her car was quickly unpacked and all the food made its way to the appropriate stations.  From my vast experience, I can tell you that there’s nothing like being the first in line at a party after all the food has been delivered and set up (while many were heading for the chicken, I, of course, cut to the chase and dove into the desserts).  Life was good.  There was chocolate on the tables, food in the garage and lots of family and friends to visit with.  As the party was winding down, my sisters and mom got engrossed in a conversation about how well they planned because everyone had eaten and there wasn’t a huge amount of leftovers.  They were patting themselves on the back because the absolute right amount of food had been ordered.  The carry out containers start to appear (I actually keep a stack in my car).  As the leftovers were being divvied up, lines started to form to cart things out to people’s cars.  Our family has this down to a science because of our frequent family gatherings.  I was handed a box of things and told to bring it over to Jackie’s car.  So, I grabbed her keys and made my way to her car.  I clicked her key fob and opened the door. As I opened the door, this intense smell of Chicken Shack chicken came bellowing out of the car.  As the box I was tasked with to deliver made its way into her car, I glanced at the front passenger seat and saw a huge box sitting there. So I meandered over to the front seat and scoped out the nice shiny aluminum foiled trays sitting there.  I immediately started to laugh.  I grabbed the trays and made my way into the garage where I encountered the Bugarin girls.  All eyes were on the shiny trays I was carrying.  “Jackie, look what I just discovered in your car,” I said loud enough for all to hear.  “What’s that,” she asked.  “One tray of chicken, two trays of potatoes and one tray of beans.”  Eyes started to roll.  Jackie was quick to defend herself: “Listen, I had the kids unload the car, don’t go blaming me.”  Amazingly, because the car was sitting out in the sun, the food remained hot the entire time.  Well, so much for the pats on the back for ordering the right amount of food.  Thankfully, our family has “stock” in carry out containers.  We just needed to add air fresheners now to our arsenal of stuff on hand.  Jackie and Lonnie said it took almost 3 weeks for that distinctive Chicken Shack chicken smell to leave the car!  The plus to all of this was that everyone had leftovers!  If I really wanted to be funny, I’ll get Jackie and Lonnie a fried chicken smelling air freshener for Christmas (they actually make them … I just checked).
 
Vacation, attending Mass and the Reception of Holy Communion:  This time of year tends to surface the question about whether it is permissible for a Catholic to receive communion in a non-Catholic liturgy.  The question is often asked because families find themselves vacationing with family or friends of other faiths.  The quick answer is no; Catholics may not receive communion in a non-Catholic liturgy.
 
While attending a liturgy or service in another Christian Church or ecclesial community is permitted, attending such a service or liturgy does not fulfill a Catholic’s Sunday obligation.  Further, Catholics are not permitted to receive communion in other Christian ecclesial communities; these communities have not preserved the fullness of the Eucharistic mystery especially because they lack the presence of validly ordained priests and bishops.
 
In the document, “Happy are Those Who are Called to His Supper: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist” published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, it is noted in appendix B:  “Catholics may participate in and receive Holy Communion during any Eucharistic liturgy celebrated by a Church in full communion with the Holy See, whether using the Roman rite or one of the Eastern rites.
 
“In many areas throughout the United States, it is not uncommon for Catholics to be invited to participate in opportunities for common worship with other Christians.  When participating as guests in worship services in other Christian communities, Catholics are encouraged to join the community in the shared responses and in the singing of hymns.  It is not permitted for Catholics to receive communion in other Christian ecclesial communities.  Because the celebration of the Lord’s Day is of essential importance to Catholics, moreover, if participation in a non-Catholic service were to occur on a Sunday, it is important for Catholics to remember that the obligation to participate in a Catholic mass still remains.”
 
Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers.
 
In Christ,
 
gmb
[email protected]