SOLEMN FEAST OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI)
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EUCHARIST AS
PARTNERSHIP
In the gospel today, Jesus
performs the unforgettable miracle of the multiplication of loaves. All the
gospels record this event because people have never seen anything like this in
their lives. Never before had one man produce a bounty from the tiny that he
had in his hands.
But quite interesting is the fact
that before Jesus fed the people, he said to his disciples: feed them
yourselves. The disciples were
asking Jesus to send away the people so they can forage somewhere else. Jesus
insisted that the disciples do something about the people’s hunger. In the end,
they produced 5 loaves and 2 fish – for the over 5,000 people gathered – just a
token really!
What was Jesus doing? He was
inviting the disciples to take part in the miracle. They were not to be passive
observers, not mere spectators, just clapping their hands and praising God for
the overflowing food. No, they
must join him in the miracle about to happen.
Jesus was not asking them about
the quantity of their participation. It was not: find 50% and I will produce
the 50%. He was not asking them to build a huge oven or start a big fire, and
he will cook fish and bake bread. In fact, Jesus was satisfied with anything
they could produce. The participation was not about quantity; nor was it about
their activity.
The Lord Jesus challenged the
disciples to participate in the miracle actively by putting their trust and
hope in him, to believe that he could do the impossible, to affirm that they
believed he is God’s answer to the hunger of the people. So it was not
necessary to send the people away. It was not even necessary to produce much.
Even a little trust and hope in Jesus can go a long way. And the rest is history.
Today, many people are spiritually
hungry. The Lord is willing to feed all in the Eucharist. But they go far to look for food that
perishes. They turn their backs on the Lord present at the altar. Others turn
towards the Lord but expect nothing to happen. They attend Mass but they pay
more attention to their watch or cell phone or to daydreams of what to do after
mass, programs on tv, where to eat, etc.
If we go to the Eucharist, we
must profit from being there. Jesus invites us to gain much by putting our
trust and hope in him. Yes, there are many distractions at Mass. But when your
heart is pinned on the Lord, miracles do happen. The Eucharist is partnership.
Give Jesus your 5 loaves and 2 fish. He will do the rest!
