Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

To Be His Body

What a great feast we celebrate this weekend!  The readings are full of reverences to God’s love and care for each one of us.  We are reminded also that part of keeping Jesus present to us impels us to be his body now.  Pope Francis in his reflection on this feast in June 2020 asks us:  What would Jesus be doing today with his eyes, ears, heart, arms legs, and brain to show his love?

The Lord, offering himself to us in the simplicity of bread, also invites us not to waste our lives in chasing the myriad illusions that we think we cannot do without, yet that leave us empty within. The Eucharist satisfies our hunger for material things and kindles our desire to serve. It raises us from our comfortable and lazy lifestyle and reminds us that we are not only mouths to be fed, but also his hands, to be used to help feed others.

It is especially urgent now to take care of those who hunger for food and for dignity, of those without work and those who struggle to carry on. And this we must do in a real way, as real as the Bread that Jesus gives us. Genuine closeness is needed, as are true bonds of solidarity. In the Eucharist, Jesus draws close to us: let us not turn away from those around us!