Sunday, June 7, 2015

The Eucharist: A Way of Life

Today’s Gospel reading mentally takes us back a couple of months ago to Holy Thursday and the Last Supper. We’ve heard it before from each of the Gospel writers and our focus is on the institution of the Eucharist—the bread and wine becoming the Body and Blood of Christ. 

Eucharist is not something we do right before the priest dismisses us each Sunday. Eucharist is something we live. In Mark’s account today, the disciples ask Jesus, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” Today we would ask, “Where do you want us to go and celebrate Eucharist?” The meaning here is much deeper. We’re not talking about being “fed,” we’re talking about “feeding.” 

Eucharist stretches far beyond the Mass. Eucharist is how we interact with those that are hungry, homeless, naked, sick and imprisoned. Eucharist is the way we obey the two great commandments—love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. On this Feast of Corpus Christi (The Body of Christ), the message is this: Thank you, Jesus, for giving us your Body and Blood in the Eucharist. Now where do you want us to go and share it with others? 

Let’s discuss this as a family: 
1. What was one of your most favorite meal times together with your family? What made that meal together so special? 
2. What difference does the weekly celebration of Mass make in your life? 
3. What simple things do you do to “feed” others on a daily basis?