We are the body and blood of Christ

Our current Holy Father is a master at explaining complex realities in simple terms.  Borrowing on his words, shared with the gathered community in prayer last Thursday for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, I've developed this reflection to be shared with the parishioners, including the recent confirmandi and with certain adaptations, with the children who will celebrate the Sacrament of First Communion today.

I do

Two weeks ago, eighty young people in North Bay celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation.  I was able to be present for one of the three liturgical celebrations, during which the youth were Confirmed.  After the homily had been spoken, Bishop Plouffe, who was presiding over that celebration, asked the young people to stand and to profess their faith.  On that occasion, the profession was done in a question and answer format.  The Bishop posed a number of questions and the confirmandi were asked to respond I do to each of them.  I’m not sure whether the fact that the Bishop was using a microphone had any effect, or whether the candidates were suddenly struck mute by nerves, but what I heard from my place in the church was his voice asking questions, and then a barely audible mumble which might have been I do or uh huh or some other response – I couldn’t be sure.  I decided then and there that this weekend’s reflection would be entitled I DO.  Let’s all try that phrase together: I DO.

The young people from Saint Peter’s parish who celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation will be present at the 11:00am Mass this weekend.  This will give us a chance to congratulate each one of them for having made this most recent step in their faith journey, and it will also give us another opportunity to encourage them to speak their I DO once again, not with scared, timid voices, but with ever growing conviction.

The Church celebrates today the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of the Lord.  This feast allows us to reflect together on the answer to another couple of questions: in what do we believe?  to what do we answer I do?  To answer these questions, let us look at the gospel we have heard today, especially at the words of Jesus, addressed to the disciples: Give them some food yourselves (Lk 9:13).

When Jesus spoke these words, who did he want the disciples to feed?  The answer to this question can be found in the beginning of today’s gospel: the crowds had gathered to listen to Jesus as he spoke about the Kingdom.  They had brought their sick friends to him too, asking him to heal them.  He had responded throughout the day by welcoming those who had come, by speaking with them, by caring for them, by demonstrating for them the mercy of God.  The words Jesus spoke were welcomed by those who heard them because what he said made sense to them.  The fact that he genuinely cared for each person who was there, and that he healed their wounds was cause for celebration; it convinced them that he was not like others who had made promises, he was actually wiling to act on his words.

Today, we are the crowd spoken of in the gospel.  We too want to follow Jesus, to listen to his words, to believe that he genuinely cares for us, to enter into communion with him in the Eucharist.  Ask yourself a few questions: how do I follow Jesus?  Do I take time to listen to his words … to listen for his voice? How does Jesus care for me?  What does it mean to be one with him, in communion with him?  How can the Eucharist help me to be more committed to my faith?

Why did Jesus instruct the disciples to feed the crowds?  There were two reasons.  First, the multitude of people who had followed Jesus all day long now found themselves in a deserted place, far away from the shops.  Second, the hour was growing late, daylight was fading and darkness was close at hand.  The disciples’ solution was to suggest that Jesus dismiss the crowds, so that they would have time to go into the villages to find food for themselves – in short, the disciples wanted the people to take care of themselves.  How often do we choose this response?  When we are tired, when others ask for our help, are we sometimes ... too often concerned about our own welfare … would we too prefer to send people away?  But Jesus proposes a different answer: Give them some food yourselves (Lk 9:13).

Our response to this invitation might very well be the same as the disciples.  We might find it difficult to understand how we can feed a crowd.  The disciples only had five loaves of bread and two fish (Lk 9:13) and they didn’t have enough money to buy food for everyone else.  Jesus didn’t let this dissuade him though.  He instructed the disciples to seat the crowds in communities of fifty, and then he raised his eyes to heaven, said a prayer, broke the bread, and gave it to the disciples. Then he asked them to share the fish and bread with the crowds.

Today, we are gathered around the same table, at the Eucharistic sacrifice.  Jesus gives us his body and his blood.  He gathers us here, a group of individuals, each with our own histories, and creates a community of believers.  He feeds us with his word and with the gifts of his body and blood in the Eucharist, and having been nourished, he invites us to lend our talents and gifts to strengthen the faith of the community.  Our faith is strengthened when it’s lived in community.  Some of us are good readers, and can led our voices to proclaim the Word of God; others can lend a helping hand to assist with the distribution of communion, either here in the church or visiting with those who are shut in and can no longer come to the Church to pray with this community; some can assist with welcoming strangers and friends who come through our doors; there are many ways that we can help to strengthen the community of faith.

Don’t be afraid to share the gifts that have been entrusted to you, even if you might think that you can’t do much.  Even five loaves and two fish are enough to feed a multitude when they are offered first to Jesus, when he transforms them.  If our meagre talents are shared, they become a treasure, because the power of God, the power of love, enters into our poverty and transforms it.

Dear friends, have the courage to accept the Lord’s invitation to participate in the Eucharist.  Allow yourselves to be transformed by Christ, guided by Christ, drawn outside of yourself by Christ so that you can lovingly offer your simple gifts in service to his people.  Then, you will be able to profess your faith with renewed strength, and the world will reverberate with your I do.