Most, if not all of us, have been to Dunkin’ Donuts – after all, there’s one right across the street.
You know the smell. The air is almost damp, soaked in the smell of fresh coffee brewing, bagels toasting, and a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich warming in the microwave.
And then there are the donuts.
On a stressful day, I’m sure many of us have been tempted to walk in, order a dozen Boston Crèmes, just sit in the corner and scarf them down as if no one is looking!
The good news is they taste delicious. The bad news? Stepping on the scale the next morning, only to see we’ve gained at least three pounds.
The truth is, those donuts don’t simply disappear; something of them remains in us. The scale tells us so!
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Think of the Eucharist like a “Divine Donut.” Every time we receive it, something of Jesus remains in us.
The only difference is, we don’t gain weight; we gain eternal life.
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In the Gospel today, Jesus tells us plainly, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven…whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day” (John 6:51, 54).
Again, just as that Boston Crème donut remains in us long after we eat it, so Jesus remains in us forever. We cannot be separated from him.
And herein lies the promise of our own resurrection. Jesus was raised from the dead; therefore, everyone who eats his flesh in the Eucharist shall rise again, too.
Now that’s good news if I’ve ever heard it!
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But the other side of the coin is this – just as Jesus nourishes us, so we must nourish one another. As Saint Paul says, “Be imitators of God” (Ephesians 5:1).
But how, concretely, do we do that? How can we nourish one another?
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Let’s consider our first reading.
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Elijah is down in the dumps.
He fears for his life, so much so that he runs into the desert alone and cries out to God, “This is enough, O LORD, take my life!” (1 Kings 19:4).
That’s not the best thing to ask God for – to take your life– but at least Elijah prays in his distress!
And look at how God answers him. God sends him an angel to feed him and to comfort him. Strengthened by this angel’s presence, Elijah is able to get up and continue on his journey.
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In the same way, God sends us to comfort those in need.
How many of us know someone who feels like Elijah, like the walls are closing in? Perhaps it’s someone who’s being bullied at school or at work, someone who’s enduring a painful divorce, financial stress, poor health, or an addiction.
Or maybe it’s someone who’s struggling with low self-esteem and just needs a friend.
Will we be that affirming voice, that listening ear, that needed hug to help them continue on their journeys?
Will we nourish them as Jesus nourishes us?
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Remember those Boston Crème donuts – every time we eat one, something of that donut remains in us. The scale tells us so.
In the same way, every time we receive the Eucharist, something of Jesus remains in us. We cannot be separated from him.
But just as Jesus nourishes us in the Eucharist and strengthens us on our journeys, so he asks us to nourish one another with love and concern.
Who, then, might we care for this week?