Corpus Christi

Today's feast Corpus Christi calls to mind that the gift of Jesus for the world. Jesus doesn't give us parts of himself, but the words, “body, blood, soul and divinity,” means that he gives himself entirely. I remember attending a conference, and the speaker was Jesse Romero. He talked about how sometimes our senses can deceive us.  As we grow older, our sight is weakened, and we can't see as clearly, or we can become of hard of hearing as we age.  So we have to depend upon other senses. In the Eucharist, although for us, it still looks like bread and wine, it still tastes like bread and wine, but we don't depend upon those senses, but rather, we depend upon the sense of hearing. As we hear the words of Jesus: “Take and eat, this is my body. Take and drink, this is my blood. Do this in memory of me.” We trust in the words of Jesus, that he is truly present at the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

The Eucharist, not only has a vertical dimension, our connection with God, but it also has a horizontal dimension, our relationship with others. The Sacrament of Eucharist empowers us, not to be greedy and selfish, but to share.  How often it makes us feel blessed and happy when we share our resources with others. The Gospel account of Jesus feeding of the 5000, has good insights. The Lord, being all powerful, could've fed the people alone, but it didn't happen that way. Rather, he asked the disciples to feed the people. The disciples expressed their concern and worry: “Dismiss the crowd, so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions, for we are in a deserted place here.” But the Lord responded: “Give them some food yourselves.” All they had were five loaves and two fish.  Now, it doesn't say here in the Gospel of Luke, but in the Gospel of Mark, there was a little boy who offered his share, and he presented to the disciples the five loaves and two fish. We don't know exactly the backstory of the little kid, but it could be lunch and dinner that his Mom packed for him. But with all that he had, he shared them with Jesus. The Lord arranged the people to sit in groups of 50. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, broke them and gave it to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.”  The disciples learned a valuable lesson from the young boy.  Following Christ means that we practice sharing.

It begs the question: “Why don't we want to share?” What keeps us from sharing? Perhaps for some of us, we're not in the habit of doing so, and practice makes perfect. For some of us, there's a fear that when we share, it may not be enough for us and our family. For some of us, we want to leave it all behind for the next generation, which is a good thing to do. For some of us, our resources are finite and limited, and we only have a little to spare. There may be obstacles to keep us from sharing. But the Lord asks us to trust him, and to share with him, so that he can multiply it. How often at gatherings at the parish, people bring and share food, and there's always plenty of leftovers.

What I've been doing during Mass when the offerings are presented, I would pray quietly to the Lord, and I would say: “Lord, here are the loaves and fishes we present to you. We ask that you multiply them so that it may feed the people, and may there also be plenty of leftovers.”

Christ can perform great miracles, but the greater miracle is in the hearts of his followers. The Eucharist empowers to share.