Corpus Christi
The story is told about a dog that was good at math. “What is 1 x 1?” it would be asked, and it would bark once. “What is 1 x 2?” It would bark twice. One night, a drunk stopped at the dog’s cage and asked: “What is one million x one million?” It started barking, and according to the story, the poor dog is still barking up to now, so weak and tired, yet still barking.
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In today’s Gospel (Lk. 9, 11b-17), we hear about the multiplication of the loaves and fish by Jesus for the 5,000 men who ate and were satisfied. We must believe, and keep on believing, that miracles do happen. In our poverty, in our littleness and sinfulness, we must not give up because we have a powerful, a generous, and a loving God.
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Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). The Eucharist should not just be a devotional or emotional experience. And so it is that there are people who are so Eucharistic, but end up still egoistic, unkind, and antagonistic. True devotion to the Eucharist is not so much about doing something for God as about really listening to God and allowing Him to do something through us.
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I am edified whenever I meet people who not only go to Mass regularly on Sundays but also go the “extra mile” on weekdays as well, whether for Mass or just for some moments before the Blessed Sacrament. It is in those moments of silence and adoration that they experience peace, comfort, and guidance. Try it. It works. It is a source of true peace which the world cannot give, or take away.
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In the silence before the Eucharistic Lord, let us listen to God’s Word, especially when we go through any forms of oppression, persecution or pain: “My son, when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials … Do not be upset in times of adversity … Hold fast to the Lord and never separate yourself from Him … Accept all that happens to you and be patient when you are humbled … For as gold is tested in the fire, so are those acceptable to God tested in the crucible of humiliation… Trust the Lord, and He will help you.” (Sirach 2:1, 2, 6)
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On the Feast of Corpus Christi, please pray for us, your priests. We thank you for your prayers and support for us. We ask for forgiveness for our failures, mistakes, and weaknesses. And we, on our part, continue to ask the Lord to bless you and lead you toward paths that lead to true happiness and peace.
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The Lord took the bread and the two fish, gave thanks to the Father, and gave them to His disciples, who in turn shared them with the people. This is what Eucharist is all about: thanksgiving and giving. Let us ask ourselves today: Is my life filled with thanksgiving, giving, and sharing?
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To build up the Body of Christ, we must all learn to deflate our pride. This is one solution whenever we encounter gridlock situations. As one body, we must learn to give in, to let go of our pride, and to let God. Otherwise, we will arrive at a stalemate and eventually come to a dead end. Humility is the key to any relationship problem. The problem, of course, is: Who will give in?! The rule of thumb: For the sake of the common good, we must be ready and willing to sacrifice.
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Another reminder, if we are to build up the Body of Christ, we have to deflate our greed! This goes well with deflating our pride. It is greed that makes us set up walls instead of bridges. It is greed that makes us stand on separate shores. Greed says: “Have it all!” But Humility says: “You can’t have it all.”
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“Nobody is indispensable.” People come and go, but institutions remain. We are all just passing through. Let’s all do our very best, but let us remember that we do it best when we do it together, when we give our due respect to one another as well as to the institutions that have been there before, and which will still be there long after we are gone from this world.
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A moment with the Lord:
May our love and service continue, and grow in the Body of Christ. Amen.
