June 22, 2014
by Fr. Ron Calhoun
FEAST OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF THE LORD
JUNE 21/22, 2014
I have been acquainted with someone for many years who was in a car accident about 15 years ago. As a result she lives with a permanent disability that limits her activity and mobility. Years before her accident, she was a convert to Catholicism and became a daily communicant. For the last 15 years she has not been able to get to church and this remains a great loss in her life. Her hunger for the Eucharist is an ongoing ache which she has to live with each day.
Often we encounter this same hunger among shut in parishioners….people for whom the Eucharist and church were an important part of their lives. And even though they may receive communion at home, Eucharist extends beyond that. We feel connected, loved, and a real sense of belonging when we celebrate Mass together.
For this Bread of Life that we receive nourishes both body and spirit. This Gift God gives to us is the glue which binds together the Body of Christ, which is the church. There is a reason that the church Fathers at the time of the Second Vatican Council taught that without a community, a congregation; there can be no celebration of the Eucharist.
Today as we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, it is a good opportunity for us to stop and remember what a gift we have! WE so often rush around on a weekend, trying to get to church, fitting it in among all the other things we do. And for many it is the highlight of the weekend. Today’s feast calls us to sit back and to appreciate that the Eucharist IS the most important thing we do all week long.
May we walk away today once again nourished by the Lord, realizing how fortunate we are to have a God who cares for us so well!