#but I want mt St. Abrams back

[lawrenceop]

HOMILY for the Solemnity of Corpus et Sanguis Christi (C)

Gen 14:18-20; Ps 109; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Luke 9:11-17

“You loved me from all eternity, therefore you created me. You loved me after you had made me, therefore you became man for me. You loved me after you became man for me, therefore you lived and died for me. You loved me after you had died for me, therefore you rose again for me. You loved me after you had risen for me, therefore you went to prepare a place for me. You loved me after you had gone to prepare a place for me, therefore you came back to me. You loved me after you came back to me, therefore you desired to enter into me and be united to me. This is the meaning of the Blessed Sacrament. The mystery of love.”

With these words, the English Jesuit, Alban Goodier, who was Archbishop of Bombay in India in the 1920s, sums up today’s feast. The meaning of the Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ, is love. It’s meaning is God’s love for you and for me, a love that reaches out to us from all eternity, a love that wills to unite us to eternity. Hence, Jesus said in St John’s gospel: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever” (Jn 6:51)

 St Luke’s gospel discloses the same mystery of love in a symbolic way. We’re told that the crowds “all ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps remaining were collected they filled twelve baskets.” Firstly, the people are fully satisfied, their every hunger and desire is sated, and they want for nothing more. Hence, the leftovers fill twelve baskets, which, given the symbolic numerology of the Bible, stands for fullness or completeness. So, there is enough left over to completely and fully feed our most fundamental human needs, because the people are completely sated; they want for nothing more, having been miraculously fed by Christ. Now, we human beings are made for love, we long for relationship and communion with others, but only God’s eternal love can satisfy our deep and restless cravings. So, in the Eucharist, through this Blessed Sacrament, God reaches out to us from all eternity. By a miraculous act, in the Mass, ordinary bread and wine is transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, and through this miraculous feeding, Christ gives us the divine love that we long for. Christ draws us into communion with the Blessed Trinity, an endless communion of love: this is the meaning and mystery of the Blessed Sacrament. The mystery of love.

St Paul also points to the same mystery in his first letter to the Corinthians. He says: “every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming the Lord’s death.” Christ died on the Cross for our salvation because he loved you and me. We call Christ’s death on the Cross a sacrifice because it is an act of love – Christ’s death shows us the depth of God’s love for us. And the Mass is that one same sacrifice on the Cross made present for us here and now. Hence, every time we come to Mass and receive the Eucharist, we receive the love of God, the love he shows in dying and rising again for you and me. For this is the meaning of the Blessed Sacrament. The mystery of love.

The figure of Melchizedek, who is mentioned in these short verses of Genesis, is mysterious. He comes out of nowhere, but unlike all the priests of his time who offered blood sacrifices, he, strangely, offers bread and wine. He is, of course, a prefiguration, an anticipation of the person of Jesus Christ, who is the true High Priest of God, and who offers sacrifice to God using bread and wine. Jesus does this for us here and now in the Mass, acting through the ordained priest who ministers at the altar. Jesus does this for us today, and every time we celebrate the Holy Mass because he loves us. And true love is constant, faithful, and repeatedly does loving things. This, too, is the meaning of the Blessed Sacrament because Christ remains constantly with us through the Eucharist, present in our tabernacles. Christ is faithful to his promise to be with us until the end of time (cf Mt 28:20), and Christ never tires of repeatedly giving himself to us in the Mass. In each and every Mass, the Lord is saying to you and me: “I love you”. This is the meaning of the Blessed Sacrament. The mystery of love.

Therefore, this great feast of Corpus Christi was established through divine inspirations given to a 13th-century Belgian nun, to call us, as a Church, to pause and to ponder again the meaning of the Blessed Sacrament. This feast is an invitation for you and me to enter more deeply into the mystery of divine love. 

For St Thomas Aquinas this feast occasioned a great outpouring of song and praise, and he called on us Christians to give exuberant praise to God; to dare to do all that we can, at least on this feast day, to glorify and thank God for the great gift of the Blessed Sacrament. He has loved me after he came back to me, therefore he desired to enter into me and be united to me.  How shall we respond? Abram, in the first reading, gave to God a “tithe of everything”, that is, the best portion of everything he had. In the Gospel, the disciples give to Jesus all that they had - they held nothing back from him. And we? We have received everything indeed, even the Lord of all things himself, who has reached out to us from all eternity. We receive the mystery of love. Do you dare to do all that you can? Give him your best, your everything, your love. 

Today, on this feast, open your heart to God, and welcome him. Come, to worship and adore him. This is the meaning of what we celebrate today on this feast of Corpus Christi. Here is the mystery of love. 

[rogerblackwolf]

The Mt. St. Helens Incident

Containment Site 93

Mt. St. Helens, Washington.

-May 17-18, 1980-

A violent rumble shook the facility, metal supports creaked and moaned as the earthquake shook the room and everyone inside. Concrete cracked and fractured, the sound of pieces breaking off were heard throughout the facility. As quickly as it started it was over, the aftershock was barely a tremble that sent an empty cup shattering to the floor. In one room, the researchers in lab coats got out from under their cover and checked the seismo monitors. One man stood, straightened his lab coat, combed his fingers through his brown hair, and stroked his bushy goatee before speaking to the young man at the monitor.

"How big was that one?"

"It was a 4.3 magnitude sir." He responded looking at the latest recording. 

"Is the epicenter the same as the others?" The man asked.

"Yes Dr. Hamilton, it's Object 317. It's been causing seismic activity for the past two months and getting stronger every time...if it continues, the volcano could erupt." The man said. 

The room was silent for a few moments before Dr. Hamilton spoke again.

"How much time do we have?"

"Based on these readings, anywhere between 36 to 48 hours before it sends a shockwave powerful enough to bury this facility and us along with it." The man said.

Dr. Hamilton stroked his chin in thought, to the facility's data and the roughly three hundred personnel. As Lead Researcher of Level 3 he knew that Object 317, or the Red Crystal they coined it, had been dormant for roughly a thousand years but two months ago it became active. What's worse is no one knows why. Suddenly a phone rang stirring him from his thoughts, a female researcher answered it before turning to Dr. Hamilton.

"It's Overseer Westbrooks. He wants to speak to you." She said, extending the phone to him.

"This is Dr. Hamilton." He said, taking the phone.

"Nicholas, you and your team alright?" The Overseer asked.

"Yeah, we're fine. A little rattled but nothing bad." Nicholas responded.

"Good, good. I just got off the phone with Laura on Level 2, I've given her the same instructions I'm about to give you. I'm enacting Protocol Omega, you all have 24 hours to get all your research together. If you and your team are not at the evac hanger before the deadline, you will be left behind." Overseer Westbrooks explained, his tone adding to the urgency.

"Understood sir. We won't miss it." Nicholas said before hanging up the phone.

"Alright people, Protocol Omega is in effect, we have 24 hours to get all our research. Dr. Park, take your team down to the data room, get all our server data. Dr. Maxwell, take your team to the archives, get as many files, notes, papers, journals, Anything pertaining to our research. Come on, time's a-wastin." Nicholas said as his team went about getting their work.

The halls were filled with researchers in moments, all frantic to get to their stations. The server room was being cleared of its data banks, the archive shelves were being emptied as each journal was filled with critical information on the Occult and Supernatural. The file cabinets were filled with sensitive and classified material so rather than try to fill tons of luggage, the researchers opted to take the entire cabinets. Security personnel were also helping with the evacuation of the researchers and the moving of the artifacts. The purpose of this facility was the secure containment of powerful objects that in the wrong hands would spell disaster for not just the United States, but the very world itself. It took nearly the whole night, plus a few more tremors, but when the rays of morning began to show, the majority of the facility was evacuated, the data had been all removed, and there was only one last object to extract, Object 317.

Secured within a bright lit, fifty by fifty foot room, levitating in a slow rotation was a dark crimson tetragonal crystal. It was twelve feet tall and the energy it gave off was a mix of menacing and grim. Two researchers, along with half a dozen security personnel armed with M16s and Colt Commando carbines, began attaching a harness to drag the floating crystal to the exit. Dr. Hamilton met with the head of security in the observation room overlooking the cell, he was a black man, average in build, dressed in full kit but lacked the helmet and balaclava of the other personnel. Holstered on his hip was a Colt 1911 Commander, along with three extra mags, and slung on his shoulder was a CAR-15 carbine. Dr. Hamilton smirked as he knew that this man took the safety of everyone seriously, sometimes even disregarding protocol to help his fellow man.

"Clay, thought I'd meet you here." Dr. Hamilton said.

"Dr. Hamilton, figured you'd be the last one to evacuate." Mr. Johnson said with a smirk.

"I'm the Head Researcher of Level 3, it's my job to ensure the objects are safely transported." Hamilton said watching the researchers secure the crystal.

"And it's My job to ensure you don't get unnecessarily harmed doing so." Clay replied with a chuckle.

Dr. Hamilton grinned with a light chuckle before a call on Clay's walkie caught his attention.

"Guardian Actual, this is Guardian 2-1, come in Guardian. Over."

"Guardian 2-1, report. Over." Clay responded.

"We've reached the sealed vent in Sector 3-7, we're placing the FAE now. Over." Guardian 2-1 said.

"Copy all, Guardian 2-1, give me a sitrep when able. Over." Clay said.

"Copy. Guardian 2-1 out." The voice said before going silent. 

Clay's sudden watch alarm startled him, he checked the time, 8:00 am. He took a breath before turning the alarm off.

Dr. Hamilton had read about FAE's, or Fuel-air Explosive, in the facility's classified files. When Protocol Omega is enacted, security personnel will place an FAE device in the room of the sealed thermal vent that leads directly into the volcano. The room of the vent's seal was locked behind a magnetic locked door built to withstand a shot from the 120mm cannon of the M1 Abrams tank. The theory, and hope, was that the explosion would cause a controlled vertical eruption, destroying the facility and limiting possible civilian casualties. Suddenly the crystal pulsed with energy, the force made everyone in the cell back up a step before the shaking began.

The cell walls cracked and the floor fractured as a violent tremor rumbled throughout the facility. The lights went out as the fixtures came loose from the ceiling, the glass in the observation room cracked and spiderwebbed from there before it shattered into the cell. Once the shaking stopped the observation room and cell was much darker, many of the lights were off, aside from the ambient emergency lights.

Hamilton and Clay got to their feet with some scrapes but nothing bad, unfortunately one of the researchers was less lucky.

"Man Down! Man Down!" One of the men shouted.

Hamilton and Clay immediately ran down to the cell to see one of the younger scientists impaled by pieces of glass through his back, a pool of blood slowly forming around his body. The group stood in silence for a moment before the room was filled by a new light. The Red Crystal began emitting a low crimson glow, followed by a low pulsing sound, the glow flickered in rhythm with the pulse...like a heartbeat. Dr. Hamilton and the remaining researcher noticed that blood had gotten on it, the next thing they noticed was the pulsing got faster and faster until it cracked. Everyone watched as a dark shape inside the crystal became larger and larger, the cracks got bigger as they began to run the length of the crystal.

Clay commanded everyone to leave just as the dark shape filled the crystal but before they could move, a great roar shattered the crystal, the force sending everyone to the floor. A stillness took over, dust hung in the air for but a moment, before the sound of heavy feet landing and claws clicking on the floor. A pair of wings flapped to clear the room, it was then everyone saw the remnants of crystal shards scattered around the room in a circle and what was standing in the center of it all. It was 9 ft in height standing on canine legs, horns protruded from it's brow curving downward then pointing forward just past it's chin, the body was ripped with muscle and deep scars decorated it's flesh, the face was human in shape but that's where it ended. A pair of massive leathery wings folded behind it's back as it's glowing red eyes focused on the men in the room. 

It's lips curled into a wicked smile, baring long pointed canines and sharpened teeth. Alongside the scars were branded symbols that began to glow with a crimson hue. He said something in a language no one understood before from his hand he summoned a wicked curved blade, red in color and covered in symbols, and with a swing he cleaved the second researcher in two.

"Open Fire!" Clay ordered.

The men started firing at the massive humanoid only for it to start attacking them, in one swing he bisected one man from his right shoulder to his groin, he kicked another through the open door and down the hallway, his kevlar body armor was shredded but not punctured but his ribs were definitely broken. Clay grabbed Dr. Hamilton before shutting the magnetic sealed door, but it was proving to be only an inconvenience for the creature as every blow against the heavy metal door made it creak and give.

"All Guardian Teams, we have a Code Black, I repeat, Code Black! Guardian Actual has sustained casualties, does anyone copy? Over." Clay shouted into his radio.

"Copy all Guardian Actual, Guardian 2 is enroute to meet you at Sector 3-2." One team leader responded.

"This is Guardian 3, on our way to assist." Another replied.

"Guardian 4 has linked up with Guardian 5, enroute." A third responded.

Dr. Hamilton helped seal the second door at the end of the hallway just as the being broke the door off its hinges. The team then ran to meet the other teams as they gathered on the 2nd Level, Dr. Hamilton even disabled the elevators after the other teams confirmed they used the stairs. Clay knew that'd only buy them a few minutes at best so he asked Guardian 2-1, his ID tag reading "Flint", for a sitrep. 

"The FAE is in place and armed, but during the last tremor, the timer was damaged. The only way to set it off is a direct detonation." Flint said.

"So one of us has to go down there and detonate it ourselves?" Clay asked.

"Yeah." Flint responded.

Clay looked down at his watch, 8:20 am, before he took a deep breath.

"I'm going down there, alone if I have to. I won't ask any of you to follow me." Clay said.

"Bullshit." Flint replied.

"What?" Clay asked in surprise.

"I said Bullshit. I'm going with you, me and my team will make that thing wish it crawled back into whatever hole it spawned from." Flint said, his team having similar looks as do the rest. Clay smirked before turning to Dr. Hamilton, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It was good knowing you doc. The last evac should be on it's way, make sure you take care of my team." Clay said.

"Not a problem...it was an honor to work with you, Mr. Wright." He responded, helping the wounded man with one more taking the lead. Guardian 5 decided to act as security, but the ten men each saluted the other teams who would stay, wishing them all luck before following after Dr. Hamilton.

Clay and Flint along with their teams headed for the stairs into Level 3, where everything suddenly became much darker. Along the halls were slashes from claws and a blade, bloody prints and trails went in multiple directions, and when Clay found the aftermath of his slaughtered squad mates he shuddered in fear. Their bodies were aged severely, wrinkled and bony, and their eyes were burned from their sockets, their expressions that of overwhelming terror.

"I smell your Fear...like little children. Children who are afraid of the Dark." a distorted, male voice spoke from the darkness but remained unseen as the squads looked everywhere.

"Move, Move!" Flint ordered, leading the way to the vent. They heard laughter now all around them before the voice spoke again.

"Yes. Run! Run if you like. There is Nowhere to hide!" It chuckled with glee.

They felt it all around them, the running of feet on the concrete floors and the whoosh of wings set everyone on edge since it kept hidden in the shadows. Guardian 4 was first to face its wrath, one second it appears from the darkness the next two men are dead. The team stayed to try and stall the creature as it appeared again, when it was shot at he roared before charging, cutting with his blade, swiping with his claws and goring with his horns. Flint showed the others a shortcut, through a hallway that had two blast doors on either end. 

Clay, Flint, and the rest of Guardian 2 made through but as Guardian 3 and his squad neared the door it suddenly closed. Guardian 3 banged on the door begging them to open the door, but no matter how hard they tried the door wouldn't budge. Suddenly the door on the other end closed, metal groaned as darkness filled that end along with low guttural breathing. The darkness was then illuminated by the being as his brands lit with crimson, his eyes glowing bright, and his blade ablaze with ungodly fire. The squad immediately fired at the being as he walked forward a swing of his blade felling one man after the next.

"HELP US!" Guardian 3 shouted desperately on his end of the door. The creature came closer as he slayed man after man, he used some telekinetic ability to pin one man to the ceiling, his tail stabbing through the man's vest and torso with no effort. He slowly came to Guardian 3 and silenced him by piercing his blade through him and the door. Everyone sprinted through the next corridor as the door was thrown off it's frame, locking the other doors as they went. Finally they came to the corridor where the bomb was set, thankfully it hadn't been tampered with.

Flint began setting the trigger, as his team covered the hallway, when Clay got a call on his radio;

"Guardian Actual this is Evac Team Jericho, we have your men aboard. What's your ETA? Over."

"Say again you have my men aboard including Guardian 5 and Dr. Hamilton? Over." Clay responded.

"Copy, we are waiting for you sir. Over." The pilot replied.

"Negative, do not wait for me. I am ordering you to leave now. Over." Clay said with a heavy heart. There was a silence on the end for a moment before the pilot responded.

"Wilco, good luck sir. Out."

Clay and Flint were interrupted by the sound of gunfire and death cries in the hallway nearby. Flint grabbed his carbine in one hand and gave the trigger to Clay.

"I'll buy you some time." He said heading to support his men. Clay went into the chamber and set the second charge, synched it to a deadman trigger, and armed it with a firm squeeze.

It was only then he noticed the gunfire had stopped and the only sound he heard was the door creaking open. Clay didn't hesitate spinning around, shouldering his carbine, and dumping a mag into the creature's torso. The tail stabbed at the barrel, knocking the gun from his grasp, immediately Clay pulled his 1911 firing all seven rounds at the beast, one even grazed its brow. The creature cocked its head and gave him a mocking smirk that made Clay's blood boil. He discarded his sidearm and from his left front shoulder unsheathed a combat knife, keeping a firm grip on the trigger as he took a fighting stance.

The beast responded by summoning a dagger of its own, an unsettled grin revealed its blood soaked teeth as it spoke.

"You are a warrior." 

"And I'll die one too." Clay said defiantly.

"You have earned the right to know my name, mortal. I am Arkal, General of the 17th Legion, Servant of the great Glasya-labolas and I will enjoy devouring your soul." The creature said before Clay charged him.

The creature dodged his attacks and in one thrust impaled Clay on his dagger. He lifted Clay to his eye level as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Any last words?" He asked with a wide grin.

Clay looked at his watch even with the blood on it he could see the 8:32 am, to which he returned the beast's smile with his own.

"When you see that goat faced bastard Satan...Tell him Clayton Wright sent you." He managed before releasing the trigger.

The explosion was so violent and forceful that on the outside the entire northern face of Mt. St. Helens collapsed in a massive landslide, releasing a large mix of lava and heated rock. The ash cloud towered until it reached into the atmosphere, thankfully the evac helicopter was far enough away to barely feel the force of the explosion. Back at the ruins of the facility there was only one survivor. Arkal stood unharmed in the ruins surrounded by lava and walked on heated stone. He heard a sound like thunder on the wind, looking skyward he spotted what looked like a falling star heading straight for him.

The star stopped above him, the light at first made him squint before it died down to reveal a figure draped in golden light. The male figure unfurled his large white feathered wings, revealing the grandest of gold and silver plate armor covered in holy symbols and engravings, he was not armed but he looked like he was familiar with the art of combat. The demon growled before he summoned his blades and pointed one at the angelic being.

"Camael! Face me and meet your death!" He roared.

The angel chuckled under his helm, his eyes glowing through the eye slits.

"You forget Arkal, I am no mere angel. I am the Archangel of Courage, you are not my executioner. I am Yours!" Camael's voice boomed, he turned his right palm skyward, a beam of light pierced the ash cloud and to his hand came an elegant and beautiful longsword bathed in glowing white flames.

The demon flew skyward to meet him only for the Archangel to teleport behind him, in one stroke sliced Arkal's wings from his back. The demon general fell towards the earth, but Camael displayed his superior speed by teleporting and slashing the demon. When Arkal landed he landed with only one arm, his legs and other arm were severed, his tail was cut at the tip and even one of his horns was cut clean from his head. Camael landed softly on the ground, his boot falls filled the demon with an emotion he hadn't felt in centuries. The same emotion his enemies felt when he dealt their killing blows, fear.

Camael stood over Arkal and without hesitation plunged his blade into the demon's chest. Arkal let out a primal roar as his body burned to ashes, the flesh burned revealing charred bones that turned to dust to be blown away on the wind. Camael, seeing his work was done, took back to the skies to return to his Realm. Knowing that this disaster, while a tragedy, would not claim more lives to fuel Arkal's brethren, or his master.