Monday, August 4, 2025

 

Memorial of Saint John Vianney, priest

(Numbers 11:4b-15; Matthew 14:13-21)

Today’s gospel underscores both the humanity and the divinity of Jesus.  More poignantly, it anticipates the establishment of the Eucharist as food for the journey.

Jesus, like most humans would be, is appalled by the news of John’s cruel murder.  The latter served as Jesus’ mentor.  He was a just man who in no way deserved such a horrible death.  Although burdened with grief, Jesus attends to the needs of the people who seek his help.  When his disciples suggest that he send the people away to find food, he multiplies the bread available so that the disciples can feed the people themselves.

Jesus’ motions are typically Eucharistic.  He takes the five loaves at hand, looks to heaven, blesses and breaks bread, and gives the resulting plethora to his disciples for distribution.  We rightly understand the story as anticipating the Eucharist. At Mass Jesus through the words and actions of the priest consecrates bread and wine to be distributed by the priest to us at the altar.  The Eucharistic food will allow us to travel securely through life to our heavenly homeland.

Friday, May 9, 2025

 

Friday of the Third Week of Easter

(Acts 9:1-20; John 6:52-59)

People have searched for the perfect food.  They want a natural source of all the necessary protein, carbohydrates, fat, and nutrients.  Eating this food, they would never worry about balancing their diet.  Nutritionists, however, say that no such food exists.  Of course, there are eatables that are very healthy, but no single food can sustain a person indefinitely.  So, what is Jesus talking about in today’s gospel?  He says, “Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life?” What does he mean by this?

The passage marks a turn in the “Bread of Life” discourse.  Jesus is no longer referring to receiving him by heeding his teaching as what gives life.  Rather, he is pointing to the Eucharist.  It is the bread transformed into his Body and the wine made into his Blood that give eternal life.  Two additional points need to be made.  First, Jesus is not saying that the Eucharist will sustain natural life.  Rather, they provide life in God’s company for eternity.  Second, eating his Body and drinking his Blood is tantamount to receiving him and heeding his teaching.  Anyone who does not believe in Jesus or has not followed his teaching does not benefit from the Eucharist but puts him or herself in peril.  It will bring that person condemnation, not life.

The Eucharist on a spiritual plane is like a balanced diet on a natural plane.  As we eat healthy food to keep us alive, we need the Eucharist to enjoy life with God forever. 

Wednesday, April23, 2025

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

(Acts 3:1-10; Luke 24:13-35)

Surely of all the accounts of resurrection appearances the one proclaimed today has most captured people’s attention.  Movements are named after the “the Road to Emmaus.”  More than the others, it coincides with the Christian’s personal experience of the risen Christ in the Eucharist.

Catholics attend mass on Sunday just as the two disciples walk to Emmaus on the first Easter.  They hear readings from Scripture, but how exactly the Word pertains to Christ, “mighty in deed and word,” is not always clear.  So, Jesus in the person of the priest explains the relationship between the two.  Then the priest, again substituting for Christ, breaks bread with the people.  As they eat the Bread, they realize that they are communing with the risen Christ.  Finally, they go to tell others of Christ by their own “deeds and words.”

The “Road to Emmaus” summons both people and priests to greater fidelity.  Catholics need to attend Mass anticipating encountering Christ in both Word and Sacrament.  Meanwhile, priests should recognize their awesome responsibility of representing Christ.  As we carry out these summonses, Christ will renew our lives in his glory.

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Ordinary Time

(Genesis 6:5-8.7:1-5.10; Mark 8:14-21)

The Eucharist, served to us daily and especially on Sundays, is our life’s blood.  That is, it nurtures eternal life in us.  Yet it is often overlooked.  Many do not heed the obligation to attend Sunday mass.  Today’s gospel may be understood as Jesus warning his disciples about such neglect.

He tells them, “…guard against the leaven of the Pharisees.” That is, they are not to be puffed up and blinded by pride so that they fail to recognize that Jesus is their Savior.  They have just witnessed him twice feed thousands of people with a few loaves of bread.  Certainly he, the one loaf, is enough food to sustain them forever.

We have this one loaf, Jesus, in the Eucharist.  We too must be careful not to become puffed up by the leaven of fame, fortune, or the glory of the world today.  Rather, we are to see our hope in the one whose body we eat and whose blood we drink in the Eucharist.

Monday, September 12, 2022

 Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 11:17-26.33; Luke 7:1-10)

Both readings today involve the Eucharist.  In the first, St. Paul addresses a scandal in the Corinthian community.  Evidently, the wealthy members were bringing to the weekly Passover supper rich foods which they shared among themselves.  The poor members ate nothing but the Eucharistic bread and drank nothing but the wine turned into the Blood of Christ.  By calling attention to the words of institution at the Last Supper, Paul is saying that the Corinthian Eucharist is fraudulent.  At that supper Jesus shared himself completely.  If his followers do not share with one another at the meal done in remembrance of him, they are betraying Jesus’ memory and mandate.

In the gospel the centurion leaves for Jesus the same words that we say before receiving Holy Communion.  He says, “Lord, …I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.” He is expressing the faith as we should have as we go to Communion.  Jesus is the Lord of whom we are not worthy.  Nevertheless, he comes to heal our souls so that we might enjoy the fullness of life.

With the liturgy in the vernacular celebrated with the priest facing the people, we can participate more fully in the mass.  Participation should make us more aware of the saving action taking place and therefore more able to benefit from it.  We are not worthy as our thoughtless actions sometimes show.  Nevertheless Christ comes to heal us of our imperfections.

Monday, August 2, 2021

 Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary time

(Numbers 11:4b-15; Matthew 14:13-21)

It has been noted how Eucharistic today’s gospel is.  Its description of Jesus “looking up to heaven” is part of the prayer of Consecration at Mass although Jesus does not make this gesture in the Last Supper accounts.  There are other connections to the Eucharist as well.

Jesus offers a blessing over the bread.  He is not blessing the bread but, as at Mass, blessing God, the provider of all that is good.  The bread Jesus gives for distribution satisfies the people physically.  Similarly, the bread at mass, transformed into the Body of Christ, meets the spiritual need of the people for grace to do God’s will.  The surplus of food in the gospel suggests the superabundance of Jesus’ ministry.  With the Eucharist as well, there is no limit to the range and the depth of the intentions that are fulfilled.

It is distressing to hear some Catholics speak of enjoying watching Mass on television in their pajamas during Covid.  The experience may have filled some spiritual need, but it could not have sufficed for full participation at Mass.  It probably indicates an eroded appreciation of the Mass in our time.  We must renew our faith in the Eucharist as the pinnacle of our encounter with the Lord.  It provides both context and means of achieving salvation.

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

 Memorial of Saint John Neumann, bishop

(I John 4:7-10; Mark 6:34-44)

The story of Jesus’ feeding of the is told in all four gospels.  It is also proclaimed at mass throughout the year.  The narrative is central to the Catholic understanding of the identity and mission of Jesus.  It shows Jesus as the bread of life who has come to bestow eternal life to believers in him.

In today’s first reading the author says that God shows His love for humans by sending us His Son.  It was not just a “once and for all” event.  Rather God sends His Son to us all the time in the Eucharist.  The Son Jesus Christ does not only become part of us.  Paradoxically, by eating His body and drinking his blood, we become more part of him.  We become more loving and truthful as we secure a place for ourselves in his body, the Church.

Today, especially the Church in the United States remembers St. John Neumann.  He immigrated to the United States from Bohemia.  Once here, he presided over the Eucharist thousands of times as a priest and then as a bishop.  Naturalized a citizen, he became the first saint of the United States.

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Wednesday of the First Week of Easter

(Acts 3:1-10; Lucas 24:13-35)

Today’s gospel is different from other accounts of Christ appearances after his resurrection.  Its length and its motion distinguish it from his appearances near his tomb, in the locked room, and even by the seashore.  Perhaps it is because of these differences that it has become the favorite appearance account among Christians.

In many ways the narrative resembles the Christian experience of the Eucharist.  It takes place on the first day of the week.  Jesus is present but cannot be seen by the travelers.  The Old Testament is explained in homiletic fashion.  Most of all, it ends with a blessing of bread and recognition of Christ’s physical presence.

Once in a while during Sunday mass we feel like the disciples on the road to Emmaus.  “Our hearts burn(ing) within us” perhaps because the homily is especially insightful or a hymn resonates with our lives.  Or maybe it is the presence of other people who have been nurtured by faith to a particular greatness.  In any case, we find in this gospel passage valuable instruction.  It teaches us how to experience the risen Lord every time we gather for Mass.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 18:1-8; John  16:16-20)

In speaking of going and returning in today’s gospel Jesus is referring to his death and resurrection.  His crucifixion will cause his disciples great anguish, but his resurrection will multiply their present joy.  We may, however, see the passage in a different light.

Jesus has hidden himself in the bread and wine of the Eucharist.  We cannot see his human features although we believe he is there.  We await his full revelation at the end of time when we will see him face to face.   Still at times we have a deeper experience of his presence.  Perhaps good friends make us feel that he is with us, or maybe it is a preacher’s insights into the Word of God.  In any case it is as if he has already restored to us the joy of his company.

Such moments are to be cherished and recalled when we feel lonely or bored by poor preaching.  Jesus is always with us, especially in the Eucharist.  However, to experience his presence requires faith that is often enhanced by happy memory.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, religious

(Baruch 1:15-22; Luke 10:13-16)

One of the reasons that St. Francis of Assisi has been so popular through the centuries is that he is seen as a romantic.  It is said that Francis separated himself from his money-driven father by taking off his fine clothes and giving them back to his appalled father in the public square.  Even more charming is the story of his taming a vicious wolf by appealing to the wolf’s reason: if the wolf would stop ravaging the town, the townspeople would feed it every day.  The difficulty with such stories is that they are not always accurate.

A recent biography by a hard-nosed but still admiring historian dismisses a large amount of the legend surrounding Francis.  What he finds is a man like the rest of us groping to God through a troubled situation.  But Francis, of course, reached his object without the pains of purgatory.  Perhaps it was devotion to Christ that gave him the critical edge.  Francis loved the Lord because Jesus truly impoverishes himself not just in the incarnation and on the cross but in the Eucharist where he makes himself food for human edification.

We do well to emulate Francis of Assisi.  We need not go barefoot or eschew swatting flies.  But we should carefully contemplate the mystery that confronts us at Mass.  It is Jesus under the guise of bread and wine who calls us to humble ourselves so that we might strengthen others.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Wednesday of the Octave of Easter

(Acts 3:1-10; Luke 24:13-35)

We say Christ is present in the Eucharist in various ways.  He is present in the members of the congregation through Baptism, especially in the priest consecrated to lead the faithful.  He is also present in the passages of Scripture, which is the word of God.  Most importantly, Christ is present in the bread and wine when then are blessed and broken to be shared by all.  The disciples on the road to Emmaus discover this reality as they sit at table with their guest.

The resurrection appearance in today’s gospel is primarily an encounter with Christ in the Eucharist.  This is not to say that Cleopas and his unnamed companion did not visually see Christ.  Rather, it invites Catholics to recognize him every time they take part in the Eucharist.  For the grace to have full effect they should carefully participate by singing the hymns, listening to the readings, including their personal intentions among the many expressed, and entering mindfully into the Eucharistic prayers.

We often take advantage of Mass time as a retreat from the busyness of life.  It is time apart, in a usually comfortable space, giving a sense of approval.  But it avails us much more than respite.  The Eucharist enables us to deepen our relationship with Jesus.  He brings more than completion to our lives; he brings us an eternal destiny. 

Monday, September 13, 2010

Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor of the Church

(I Corinthians 11:17-26.33; Luke 7:1-10)

Last year in the Catholic Campaign for Human Development annual collection some people showed their disgust with the organization by placing messages of protest in the collection basket at Mass. Whether or not their protest is legitimate, we can ask if it is appropriate to publicly show division among the faithful at the Eucharist. Is it not expressing factions in a similarly offensive way that St. Paul criticizes in his First Letter to the Corinthians?

As theologians will remind us, the Eucharist is the primordial sacrament of reconciliation. Because the Lord becomes physically present in the elements of bread and wine, we should approach it humbly. Following Jesus’ recommendations in the gospels, we first seek reconciliation with those whom we find offensive and then come to thank him for giving us peace. It is not the time to express indignation.

We owe thanks to God for that division in the Corinthian church. Because of it, Paul gives us the earliest extant reflection on the Eucharist. The text reassures us that our Mass is not an invention of the early Church to conjure the spirit of Jesus. No, it is a true memorial established by the Lord to make his life-giving body and his sin-forgiving blood present to us.

Homilette for Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(Ephesians 2:12-22)

It is said that Jesus enjoyed eating and drinking so much that he chose to spend his last hours with his disciples doing just that. We must not trivialize the meaning of the Last Supper by talking of it as a “going-away party” among friends. It was that and much more. Jesus used it as the occasion to symbolize all that he did in the world. He transformed a meal – in this case the traditional Passover Supper – into the way he would be remembered forever. The reading from the Letter to the Ephesians today summarizes what that meal, which we know as the first Eucharist, means.

The Letter calls Jesus “our peace ... who broke down the dividing wall of enmity through his flesh.” Jesus becomes our peace at the Eucharist not primarily because we begin mass with the penitential rite, but because in the mass we re-member or reconstitute Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross at Calvary. He gives his flesh and blood to reconcile us to God and to one another. It is the latter peace that the Letter to the Ephesians underscores here, but it is only through reconciliation with God that our reconciliation with one another can take place. As the Second Eucharistic Prayer of Reconciliation puts it: “You gave him up to death so that we might turn again to you and find our way to one another.”

Homily for March 20, 2008

Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper

(I Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15)

Lent begins in the dead of winter. But the word does not mean “winter.” It means “springtime.” Lent takes us from winter to springtime, from slavishness to self-control, from and selfishness to consideration of others. Some say that we shouldn’t give up anything for Lent but concentrate our efforts on charitable works. But we need to do both -- deprive ourselves of comforts and attend to others’ needs -- so that we might become more sensitive human beings.

On Holy Thursday we receive a similar dual mandate. In the second reading, St. Paul’s tells us how Jesus instituted the Eucharist on the night before he died. He took bread and wine, gave thanks for both, said, “This is my body…This cup is the new covenant of my blood. Do this…in remembrance of me.” Because of Jesus’ command here we celebrate mass together this evening and every day with exception of tomorrow, Good Friday.

The washing of feet is the second of Jesus’ Holy Thursday commands. Interestingly, the foot-washing tradition appears only in the Gospel of John where Jesus does not offer bread and wine on the night before he dies. Does this gospel ignore the Eucharist? Not at all. Only John gives the “Eucharistic discourse,” Jesus’ longest reflection on eating his body and drinking his blood. We all remember its words: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life...”

At the last Supper in the Gospel of John instead of taking the bread, Jesus takes a towel and ties it around his waist. Instead of pouring wine in a cup, he pours water into a basin and begins to wash his disciples’ feet. Then he tells them something much like, “Do this in remembrance of me.” He says, “…as I have done for you, you should do for each other.” Of course, Jesus does not mean that one day a year the priest at mass should wash a few parishioners’ feet. Or even that all of us wash each other’s feet everyday. No, he means that we should serve one another.

How do we do that? Workers should do the best job possible for the sake of the company as well as clients. Employers should try to provide health care benefits and other essentials for human dignity. Retired people should not think of time as exclusively their own but dedicate some of it to God and neighbor. Parents should take care in providing the right mix of soft and tough love so that your children grow into caring and conscientious persons. Children should do their chores and study before watching television.

We’ve all heard the slogan, “You are what you eat.” It reminds us to limit our intake of calories and fats. But we Catholics take the slogan a giant step forward. When we eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood, we have his life within us. This life moves us from slavishness and selfishness to self-control and consideration of others. It enables us to fulfill Christ’s command to serve one another. It gives us eternal life.

Homily for Holy Thursday, April 5, 2007

HOLY THURSDAY

(John 13)

Lent begins in the dead of winter. But the word doesn’t mean “winter.” It means “springtime.” Lent should take us from winter to springtime, from slavishness and selfishness to self-control and consideration of others. Some say that we shouldn’t give up anything for Lent but rather concentrate our efforts on charitable works. But we need to do both: deprive ourselves of things we enjoy, things that can preoccupy us with our own comfort. And we should also attend to others’ needs so that we might become more sensitive human beings.

On Holy Thursday we receive a similar dual mandate. In the second reading, St. Paul’s tells us how Jesus instituted the Eucharist on the night before he died. He took bread and wine, gave thanks for both, said, “This my body…This cup is the new covenant of my blood. Do this…in remembrance of me.” For this reason in the Church we celebrate mass today and everyday with the one exception of tomorrow, Good Friday.

The washing of feet is the second of Jesus’ commands made on Holy Thursday. Interestingly, the foot-washing tradition appears only in the Gospel of John where Jesus does not offer the bread and wine on the night before he dies. Does this gospel then ignore the Eucharist? Not at all. In the Gospel of John Jesus gives a long discourse about the necessity of eating his body and drinking his blood. We all remember his words: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”

In the Gospel of John instead of taking the bread and the cup Jesus takes a towel and ties it around his waist. Instead of pouring wine in a cup, he pours water into a basin and begins to wash his disciples’ feet. Finally, he tells them something much like, “Do this in remembrance of me.” He says, “…as I have done for you, you should do for each other.” Of course, Jesus does not mean here that one day a year the priest at mass should wash a few parishioners’ feet. Or even that all of us wash each other’s feet everyday. No, he means that we should serve one another.

How do we do that? You workers should not let the desire to make more money prevent you from giving the best performance possible. You employers should try to provide health care benefits and other essentials for human dignity. You retired people should not just think of your time as your own but donate some to organizations helping others. You parents should take care in providing the right mix of discipline and supports so that the children grow into conscientious and caring persons.

At the end of last year a man traveling from Florida to Colorado was having car problems near Fort Worth, Texas. It was a rainy night when he met Willie Dancer, an African-American car repairman, at a convenience store. The repairman had the stranger’s car towed to his shop and drove the man to a motel. The next day he repaired the car which had a shredded belt and the stranger was on the road again by noon. His fee for tow, parts, and service – just $65. Why did Mr. Dancer do so much for so little? He explained, “Everybody should be helped when they are in need....It’s just the right thing to do.”

We’ve all heard the slogan: “you are what you eat.” It reminds us to watch the cals and the carbs. But we Catholics can take that slogan a big step forward. When we eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood, we have his life within us. This life moves us from slavishness and selfishness to self-control and consideration of others. It enables us to fulfill Christ’s command to serve one another. His life enables us to serve.