Sunday, June 19
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
“You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.”
Reflection
In today’s Gospel from Luke, we see the Twelve come to Jesus and ask him to “dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”
We can find much meaning in this scene from Luke. Jesus is present! The Twelve are present with Jesus, and the crowd has apparently journeyed from a long distance in order to hear Jesus and witness any miracles that might take place. This speaks of the intense belief and longing the people in the crowd have for Jesus and his healings.
The Twelve find themselves concerned for the crowd and Jesus tells the Twelve, “Give them some food yourselves.” Jesus, in this action, reminds us that he will institute the Eucharist for all who long to eat the food of eternal life, and that the Twelve, representing the Church, are to feed those who hunger through the action of Jesus. The Twelve are concerned with the earthly need to nourish the body. Jesus is concerned with the need to nourish the soul. The message to the Twelve is that they are to take responsibility not only for feeding their own faith life, but the faith life of others; those who long for nourishment from above.
We, as Church, continue this celebration of these words spoken by Jesus each time we break bread at the Eucharistic Feast, instituted by Christ. I wonder, at times, if we really contemplate the miracle that is taking place before our eyes on the table of the Altar. Do we as believers truly appreciate the sacrifice that Christ has made for us, and that the Eucharistic Food we consume is truly the Body and Blood of Christ? If we approach the Eucharist in a casual way, we lessen the effects the Eucharist can have on us.
Certainly, the Eucharist is still the Body and Blood of Christ, whether we acknowledge it or not, but the effects it can have on our life and belief in God depend, in part, on our belief and openness to Jesus’ salvific action within our lives.
Peace,
Fr. John Kurgan
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