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Gospel: Luke 9: 11-17
Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,
and he healed those who needed to be cured.
As the day was drawing to a close,
the Twelve approached him and said,
“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.”
He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.”
They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have,
unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.”
Now the men there numbered about five thousand.
Then he said to his disciples,
“Have them sit down in groups of about fifty.”
They did so and made them all sit down.
Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,
and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing over them, broke them,
and gave them 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 Gospel of the Lord.
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I converted to Catholicism during my second year in college.
I wasn’t raised with much religion – I was baptized a Christian, but only went to church a handful of times afterwards.
I remember soul searching as a teenager, though, asking some of life’s bigger questions:
“Is there a God? Why is there evil? Why are so many born into poverty and violence? If God exists, does he know me? Does he have a plan for my life?”
Back then, my aunt attended a non-denominational mega church, so I reached out to her and asked her to take me. That became my only experience of Christianity until I reached Seton Hall University.
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In college, I went to Mass for 100 Sundays, often sitting in the last pew, wondering what all of these Catholic gestures meant.
Why was there so much sitting, standing, kneeling, and responding? It seemed strange to me.
Then there was the Eucharist.
I remember clearly saying to myself, “That’s either Jesus or it is not. If it is, then I must have Him.”
But how would I know the difference?
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I started reading the bible from cover to cover.
All of the miracles Jesus performed – from the multiplication of the loaves to the raising of Lazarus – pointed towards this pivotal moment. If the Lord could turn water into wine, then why could he not turn wine into his Precious Blood?
After all, the focus of Jesus’ ministry was healing people. It only makes sense that on the last night of his life on earth, he’d want to give us the only thing he had left: his Body and Blood.
His presence in our lives would be forever assured.
John’s Gospel makes this clear.
In chapter 6, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life…whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
Dictionaries have been written over the centuries explaining why we believe this – why the Eucharist is the Promised Presence of Christ.
But instead of delving into theology, allow me to share why Eucharist is so meaningful to me. And, perhaps, why it may be so meaningful to you.
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Each morning at Mass as I approach the altar and place the host in my hand, Christ repeats those sacred words through me, “This is my Body…This is my Blood.”
While it is he offering himself for us, I take that moment as an invitation to offer myself for you, as well.
In the silence of my heart, I pray in union with the Lord, saying, “This is also my body, my heart, and my life given up for this community of faith.”
Every homily written, every Mass, every baptism, wedding, or funeral celebrated is my way of giving myself up for you.
It’s how I participate in Christ’s command, “Do this in memory of me.”
Strangely enough, giving myself away has only increased my sense of purpose, my inner peace, and overall happiness in life.
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Haven’t we all answered that command to some extent?
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Think about all of the tiny sacrifices we make for one another throughout the day, allowing us to say with the Lord, “This is my body, this is my blood, this is my time, my heart, my life given up for you.”
We answer that call for our family members.
I think of pregnant mothers who share their bodies with their unborn children; young parents who sacrifice sleep and sanity to raise their children; parents who never miss a sports game or school ceremony; others who care for elderly parents or a spouse.
We answer the call within our community.
Think of the volunteers who run our parish soup kitchen; those who stand at the door and greet; those who teach in our CCD program; those who serve on staff; and those who are helping to rebuild our parish ministries.
I think of the countless frontline medical workers, fire fighters, police officers, and members of our military who risk their lives every day for our safety.
The examples are endless, but the call is the same. In the words of Saint Augustine: “Become what you are: the Body of Christ.”
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In what ways do I answer the call to become like Christ, offering myself for others?
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On this Feast of Corpus Christi, may we all unite ourselves to Him, who first loved us and gave himself for us, but then concludes, “Do this in memory of me.”
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Image credits: (1) A Flower of God (2) The Lord’s Supper, Pinterest (3) Joanne Viola, Bread and Wine