Corpus Christi
In our Gospel story this Sunday we hear the story of the feeding of the five thousand. The reading and the feast itself are filled with the richness of faith. Jesus fills us with nourishing food spiritual and physical. Then we are sent out to proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom to all around us, in doing this we provide food for others. the Word of God and the Eucharist continue to live in our communities and in the world. The Eucharist is the sign and the sacrament of thanksgiving. When we see the Eucharistic Bread, we believe that it is Jesus who is there before us such is our faith in the Blessed Sacrament. The Church tells us that the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” (CCC 1324) Remember, the crowd in our gospel story was first taught, healed and then fed. Their hungers were both spiritual and physical.
Now it is our turn, to find ways to address the physical and spiritual needs of the hungry we have noticed along the way. These needs can seem overwhelming. But, as with the bread and fish in the gospel story we take what the Lord has given us and give it freely to others. He will do the rest and all will be satisfied. The eucharistic meal is also a promise: one day we will sit at the heavenly banquet where there will be no more hunger, no more illness and our satisfaction in God will be complete. This weekends feast celebrates the enduring sign of Christ’s presence with us in the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist. It is the Church’s act of homage and thanksgiving to Christ, who by instituting the Holy Eucharist gave us the members of the Church the body of Christ our greatest treasure.
At the Last Supper, Jesus dramatically acted out his care and concern for, his bonding and union with, his followers. He got down on his knees like a slave, went round the group, and washed their feet, one by one. It’s interesting that St John, in his gospel of the Last Supper, does not mention the action of Jesus with the bread and wine. Instead, he tells us of the action of Jesus with a basin of water and a towel. In this way, John tells us the meaning of both actions of Jesus. It is all about belonging to one another in the same community of Christ, the community of faith, hope, and love, the community which is the Church. It is all about bonding and union with one another. It is all about humbly serving one another. The Eucharist is our sacrament of communion, not only with Christ and God, but also with all those called into the Christian community. So as we come to the eucharistic feast this weekend let us remember exactly what we are doing in a sacred union of mind and heart with Jesus the son of god who is the bread of life who leads all of us to salvation.
Fullerton T 