Lk. 9: 11b-17
“From the Eucharist comes strength to live the Christian life and zeal to share that life with others.” (St. John Paul II)
I was blessed to celebrate the Holy Eucharist for the members of a religious’ congregation whom I admire a lot for their heroic witness of being disciples of Jesus. While we were having breakfast, I got the opportunity to interact with one of the sisters over there. I had some doubts concerning their rules and practises of piety. She clarified everything to me. I knew for sure that being a member of that religious congregation demanded a lot of sacrifices. I asked her to share her vocation story and how she found meaning in being a member of this congregation. She shared with me that she joined immediately after her nursing studies. After the initial years of formation, she was sent to a destitute centre wherein they looked after sick people who were left abandoned on the street or at home. It was a really tough mission. On one of those initial days, she had to witness the deaths of nineteen people on the same day. She had to dress their wounds and get their mortal remains ready for the funeral. She felt helpless and unable to carry on with her service that day. She met the superior and expressed her helplessness. She found it difficult to clean their bed sores. The superior told her: “Don’t worry, you can take some rest today.” I asked her if she found it so difficult to adjust in such a situation, then how did she manage to survive? Then she told me that the mother also told her that ‘our vocation is to look after the wounded body of Christ.’ That touched her deeply. She dedicated her life to this cause by being the Eucharist for them. She has lived the spirituality of the Eucharist with great joy and fidelity for the past 50 years.
Today we celebrate the solemnity of the most holy body and blood of Christ. There is nothing in this whole universe that is the greatest expression of unconditional love other than the Holy Eucharist. In the second reading, we see St. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, reminding them of the institution of the Holy Eucharist. St. Paul shares with them the institution narrative and Jesus’ words about celebrating the Holy Eucharist in remembrance of him. Whenever we celebrate the Holy Eucharist and make his memory alive, we become the Holy Eucharist for others.
In the gospel passage, we see an account of the multiplication of bread. When the disciples express their difficulty providing bread for such a large multitude, Jesus tells them to provide food. The disciples gave to the Lord whatever they had. Jesus gives thanks and multiplies it. The disciples serve the bread to the crowd. In fact, this miracle of Jesus is the only miracle recorded in all the gospel accounts. It depicts the prefiguration of the Holy Eucharist. When we offer to the Lord what we have and are ready to serve others; we become the Holy Eucharist that quenches the physical and spiritual thirst of those who are entrusted to our care, like Jesus.
In the first reading, we see Melchizedek, the king of Salem, coming to meet Abraham. He brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God most high, he blessed Abraham. To bless someone, we should be a blessing. We see that when Abraham receives his blessing, he becomes a blessing. We see God promise to Abraham that he would be a blessing and we see this blessing would be fulfilled through this event. The moment we bless others and become a blessing to others, we become Eucharist by giving hope to the lives of others.
As we celebrate the solemnity of the most precious body and blood of Christ, let us recall to our mind the great sacrifice and memory of Jesus, not once a week but every day of our life by receiving his most precious body and blood every day of our life. Let us come out of our narrow selfishness and be ready to share whatever we have with others. Then the Lord multiplies our generosity and transforms us as the Eucharist. Finally, let us grow into the mindset of Christ so that we may bless and be a blessing by being a Eucharistic presence.
“From the Eucharist comes strength to live the Christian life and zeal to share that life with others.” (St. John Paul II)
I was blessed to celebrate the Holy Eucharist for the members of a religious’ congregation whom I admire a lot for their heroic witness of being disciples of Jesus. While we were having breakfast, I got the opportunity to interact with one of the sisters over there. I had some doubts concerning their rules and practises of piety. She clarified everything to me. I knew for sure that being a member of that religious congregation demanded a lot of sacrifices. I asked her to share her vocation story and how she found meaning in being a member of this congregation. She shared with me that she joined immediately after her nursing studies. After the initial years of formation, she was sent to a destitute centre wherein they looked after sick people who were left abandoned on the street or at home. It was a really tough mission. On one of those initial days, she had to witness the deaths of nineteen people on the same day. She had to dress their wounds and get their mortal remains ready for the funeral. She felt helpless and unable to carry on with her service that day. She met the superior and expressed her helplessness. She found it difficult to clean their bed sores. The superior told her: “Don’t worry, you can take some rest today.” I asked her if she found it so difficult to adjust in such a situation, then how did she manage to survive? Then she told me that the mother also told her that ‘our vocation is to look after the wounded body of Christ.’ That touched her deeply. She dedicated her life to this cause by being the Eucharist for them. She has lived the spirituality of the Eucharist with great joy and fidelity for the past 50 years.
Today we celebrate the solemnity of the most holy body and blood of Christ. There is nothing in this whole universe that is the greatest expression of unconditional love other than the Holy Eucharist. In the second reading, we see St. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, reminding them of the institution of the Holy Eucharist. St. Paul shares with them the institution narrative and Jesus’ words about celebrating the Holy Eucharist in remembrance of him. Whenever we celebrate the Holy Eucharist and make his memory alive, we become the Holy Eucharist for others.
In the gospel passage, we see an account of the multiplication of bread. When the disciples express their difficulty providing bread for such a large multitude, Jesus tells them to provide food. The disciples gave to the Lord whatever they had. Jesus gives thanks and multiplies it. The disciples serve the bread to the crowd. In fact, this miracle of Jesus is the only miracle recorded in all the gospel accounts. It depicts the prefiguration of the Holy Eucharist. When we offer to the Lord what we have and are ready to serve others; we become the Holy Eucharist that quenches the physical and spiritual thirst of those who are entrusted to our care, like Jesus.
In the first reading, we see Melchizedek, the king of Salem, coming to meet Abraham. He brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God most high, he blessed Abraham. To bless someone, we should be a blessing. We see that when Abraham receives his blessing, he becomes a blessing. We see God promise to Abraham that he would be a blessing and we see this blessing would be fulfilled through this event. The moment we bless others and become a blessing to others, we become Eucharist by giving hope to the lives of others.
As we celebrate the solemnity of the most precious body and blood of Christ, let us recall to our mind the great sacrifice and memory of Jesus, not once a week but every day of our life by receiving his most precious body and blood every day of our life. Let us come out of our narrow selfishness and be ready to share whatever we have with others. Then the Lord multiplies our generosity and transforms us as the Eucharist. Finally, let us grow into the mindset of Christ so that we may bless and be a blessing by being a Eucharistic presence.