June 9, 2007<\/p>\n
Corpus Christi<\/p>\n
Gen 14: 8-20; 1 Cor 11: 23-26; Luke 9: 11b-17<\/p>\n
Dc. Larry Brockman<\/p>\n
Blood!\u00c2\u00a0 For all of history, Blood has symbolized the presence of the life force.\u00c2\u00a0 Shedding ones blood for another is the ultimate sacrifice because it means that you shed your life force.\u00c2\u00a0 Jesus knew he was going to do just that- shed his blood the very next day.\u00c2\u00a0 So, when he presided over the Last Supper, he knew that His disciples would feel abandoned; because His presence among them, the thing that motivated them and unified them, would be ended.\u00c2\u00a0 That’s why He gave them an incredible gift- the gift of the Eucharist.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jesus said that when his Apostles offer bread and wine in remembrance of Him then that Bread and wine become His body and blood.\u00c2\u00a0 He left them, and us, the gift of His life force, because Jesus is present in that gift- present inside all of you as you take His Body and Blood.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Today’s second reading is the earliest written account of the Last Supper, even earlier than the Gospel accounts.\u00c2\u00a0 It is an account handed down to Paul by eyewitnesses at the event itself, during the decade of the actual events.\u00c2\u00a0 The early Christians understood that Remembrance meant more than just calling to mind.\u00c2\u00a0 It meant reliving the experience; savoring it for all that came out of it.\u00c2\u00a0 Perhaps that’s why nobody ever questioned the real presence for a thousand years in the Church, because the real presence in the Eucharist was such an integral part of their worship.\u00c2\u00a0 It was the center of early Christian worship; it was what Christianity was all about.\u00c2\u00a0 Indeed, just as the Eucharist was the center of the worship experience for the early Christian Church, It is the source and summit of our Catholic faith today.\u00c2\u00a0 So, we do well to reflect on what the gift of the Eucharist really means to us.<\/p>\n
First, it means that each one of us that receives the Eucharist is guaranteed that Christ dwells in us.\u00c2\u00a0 Wow! \u00c2\u00a0In the words of our pastor, Awesome!\u00c2\u00a0 Yes, indeed- when you receive the Eucharist, Christ is present in you; he is inside of you.\u00c2\u00a0 Take advantage of that opportunity!\u00c2\u00a0 But, don’t expect that you will feel that presence unless you work on it.\u00c2\u00a0 ust as with any other close or intimate relationship, it takes communications two ways; and it takes time.\u00c2\u00a0 That means you need to listen to Christ as well as talk to Him.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
God made all of you for his greater glory and for you to share in his everlasting life.\u00c2\u00a0 But, to do that, you have to be in communion with God.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 You have to travel on the same journey, in the footsteps of Christ.\u00c2\u00a0 When you receive the Eucharist, that is the optimum time and place for you to be in tune with how Christ wants you to walk in his footsteps; to do the will that the Father has for you, just as Christ did His Father’s will.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Listen to Him.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice may be in the form of a nagging feeling that something is wrong; if so, change it.\u00c2\u00a0 Or a sudden inspiration; if so, follow it.\u00c2\u00a0 Or even an appreciation of some gift God has given you- a talent, or even a limitation; if so, rejoice in it and embrace it.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Take the opportunity to experience the Eucharist as frequently as you can because intimacy is something that only develops over time.\u00c2\u00a0 And after time, you will feel His presence.\u00c2\u00a0 You will feel the intimacy.<\/p>\n
Second, the Eucharist is a community event, not an isolated experience.\u00c2\u00a0 The Eucharist is our heavenly spiritual food.\u00c2\u00a0 In the first reading, the bread and wine were offered to God as a blessing by the great priest of the Old Testament, Melchizedek.\u00c2\u00a0 But as Paul says, Jesus offered those same gifts, the bread and wine, as a new covenant.\u00c2\u00a0 One where we affirm our belief in the Priest’s blessing that Jesus is Lord, and has risen.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 And we proclaim this new covenant at Mass as a Community.\u00c2\u00a0 In the Gospel, we hear that 5000 were fed from a few loaves and fishes. Imagine that- really- 5000 people.\u00c2\u00a0 Yet the same miracle occurs here every week.\u00c2\u00a0 All of us here at Holy Family, and there’s about 5000 of us attending all 6 Masses, are fed by a few loaves of bread and a flask of wine.\u00c2\u00a0 And that food is so special; it is our spiritual food.\u00c2\u00a0 And just as all of you have an opportunity to commune with Christ individually, so we all have an opportunity to give Thanksgiving to God for this special gift; and give Glory to God- as a Community.\u00c2\u00a0 It is God’s will that all of us share in his Kingdom and Glory.\u00c2\u00a0 You won’t do that as an individual!\u00c2\u00a0 Religion is just not something that’s between you and God.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 No, to share in His Kingdom means sharing together.\u00c2\u00a0 The Kingdom is like your wonderful family celebrations at Christmas or Thanksgiving.\u00c2\u00a0 God wants all of you there, sharing together.\u00c2\u00a0 How else do you shed your differences and learn to get along together,than by learning to be a community.<\/p>\n
In a few moments, you will have the opportunity to receive the Body and Blood of Christ.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Accept that gift of the Life Force.\u00c2\u00a0 Listen to Jesus and give Glory to God as a community for your many blessings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
June 9, 2007 Corpus Christi Gen 14: 8-20; 1 Cor 11: 23-26; Luke 9: 11b-17 Dc. Larry Brockman Blood!\u00c2\u00a0 For all of history, Blood has symbolized the presence of the life force.\u00c2\u00a0 Shedding ones blood for another is the ultimate sacrifice because it means that you shed your life force.\u00c2\u00a0 Jesus knew he was going […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}