THE
LIVES OF THE SAINTS
We are called
to see Jesus for who He is in the breaking of the bread just like the
disciples on the road to Emmaus. Pope John Paul II proclaimed October
2004 through October 2005 to be the Year Of The Eucharist. This is such
a wonderful time for all of us because it is an invitation for us to
deepen our relationship with Jesus through this most Blessed Sacrament.
It is a time for us to consider what the Eucharist truly means to us and
how it impacts our lives. It is also a time for us to examine how we, in
turn, become a People of the Eucharist. What role do we play in the Body
of Christ? Do we allow ourselves to bring Christ into the lives of those
around us? How are our families a reflection of the Church as the Body
of Christ?
The fact that
Jesus makes Himself present to us in the Eucharist speaks volumes about
the way He feels about us. It boggles my mind when I think about what we
mean to Him. He comes to us and abides in us in such a precious and
intimate way. Jesus is not just with us, He is in us. Jesus poured His
life out for us from the Cross so that we could share eternal life with
Him. He not only tells us He loves us, He proves it to us with this
ultimate sacrifice. Jesus doesn't just want to love us in the now, he
wants us to be with Him for eternity. Jesus truly is the Bridegroom, and
we His Church are His Bride.
Not only does
Jesus seek an intimate relationship with each of us, He also calls us to
share in His union with The Father. Jesus tells us to call the Father
Abba-Daddy. A servant or a slave does don't call their master Daddy.
Through the Blood of Christ, we became true Sons and Daughters of God.
This means we are not only a community, we are a family.
Jesus' love
for His Mother was evident, even on the Cross. He wanted to make sure
she would be cared for by one of His disciples. In that moment he was
also looking to our needs and gave us into the care of Mary. He knows
the importance of a Mother's love and he gives us a perfect Mother to
turn to. Mary is a constant for us, pointing the way to Her Son. She is
our role model and teacher. She carried the Word Incarnate and presented
the world the Body of Christ. Mary leads us to her Son. This is why Pope
John Paul 11 refers to Mary as Woman Of The Eucharist. At the wedding
feast at Cana
she told the servants to do whatever her Son asked of them. Those words
are recorded in Scripture not only to tell the story, but to speak
directly to us. Our dear Mother advises us too to listen to Her Son and
do whatever He asks of us. Jesus is asking us to draw near and be united
to Him through the Eucharist. He asks us to enter into this Family of
the Eucharist.
When we are
present during the sacrifice of the Mass, we are in the Presence of God.
We don't have to stand behind a curtain and keep our eyes downcast. We
are invited to the Feast and get to sit at the table with the Host. If
we open our hearts and try to push out the distractions, we will hear,
feel and understand this more deeply. It is a time to be real and
honest. We have to let our guard down and let Jesus in. I have felt
profound love, deep sadness, and real chastisement in front of the
Eucharist. I have seen myself with a bit more clarity when I open my
heart and listen for the Lord. When the Lord lets me see my needs and
failings more clearly, it is not to hurt me but to call me to be a
better version of myself. Despite my weakness and sinfulness, the Lord
still embraces me and wants me to feel loved and cherished. When I look
into the eyes of Christ I see a reflection of the person I hope to
become, healed of my brokenness.
It is before
the Eucharist that we receive healing. We can come to Mass with all our
pain, frustrations and disappointments. We can bring our burdens and
leave them at the foot of the Cross. When we put those burdens down we
can spend time focused on the Presence of God. A few years ago I was
diagnosed with cancer. After the initial shock and upset, I basically
thought I was handling it well. I suppose I did, except for when I was
at Mass.
During the consecration I would feel a need to cry that was unstoppable.
It was my soul pouring itself out to the Lord. One Sunday when I went up
to receive Communion, I still had tears in my eyes. The EM I went up to
looked deeply into my face with compassion and held the Host to the palm
of my hand for a moment. I know I was looking into the face of Jesus at
that moment. After that, I had a deep sense of peace and I knew I was in
the Lord's hands, no matter what the outcome of my illness would be.
When I came back to church after my surgery, I was greeted with such
warmth and actual happiness that I was going to be all right. To see
that happiness in someone's eyes over my news made me feel the
immeasurable love of Christ. Jesus made His presence known to me
through the people who are the Body of Christ.
We are not just
meant to receive the Body of Christ, we are meant to be the Body of
Christ. Despite the fact that we are all sinful and broken, we can be
Christ to this world through love and faith in action. Because we are
called to be a community, we mesh together our gifts and fill in all the
gaps and imperfections with love. This is the Living Church. This is the
Church as Family. Our family in the Church is just like the one at home.
We come together to celebrate, to commemorate and to mourn. We mark time
and milestones together. We grow up and grow old together. We help each
other along this journey. Our bond is by blood- the Blood of Christ.
No matter what
our own family situation is, the key to living the Eucharist is Love. It
is not always easy to love but it is a conscious choice we can make. We
have to recognize our own weaknesses and accept the fact that others are
flawed too. Our families are not and will not be perfect but that's OK
because we will just fill in the gaps with love. Just as Jesus accepts us
and loves us despite our weaknesses, we must strive to make our family
members feel loved and cherished. We must respect each other, even when we
disagree. This is no small thing. It is so easy to become indignant and
judgmental. It is also easy for us to be impatient and unloving towards
OURSELVES. We can focus on our mistakes and drown in guilt over bad
moments as a parent, child or spouse. We have to remember we can forgive
ourselves because Jesus forgives us. We can love ourselves because Jesus
has proclaimed us lovable. That means that even if your parents had hearts
too small to love you, you are worthy in the eyes of the Lord.
Our best moments
at living the Eucharist are often done when going about our daily lives. .
Stopping to read Green Eggs and Ham for the 118th time even though you
really need to get the laundry done. Visiting someone who is lonely.
Cooking a meal for a friend who just lost their parent. Giving someone a
piece of your mind about something that bothers you without being cruel or
nasty. Making room for a disagreeable relative you rather not include at
the Thanksgiving table. Sometimes it comes in stronger or harder moments
like discussing morality with a teenager who is sighing and rolling their
eyes. Caring for or visiting someone who is very sick or dying. Letting
that person talk about dying even though it breaks your heart to hear it.
You are Eucharist when you tell your child that you love them and will be
their for them at a time when they have REALLY messed up. Those words can
make the difference in whether they face the consequences with courage and
faith or anger and despair. Sometimes we have great suffering in our
families. We have to remember that Christ is present with us in that
suffering and we will get through it with His love and grace. Sometimes we
have to be separated from family because being with them can be harmful
and toxic to us. Christ is by our side then too. We need to pray for them
and ask the Lord to help us forgive them.
Our families can
also be a great source of comfort and joy to us. Sometimes we can plainly
see the face of God in our loved ones.
My husband is a
reflection of God's love when after all these years he still wants to make
me smile. Despite all the imperfections in me, he chooses to see the good
in me.
When my adult
sons say Love You Mom on the phone, even if someone else can hear them,
that means the world to me. It heals me and lets me forgive myself a
little for all my failings as a Mom. It's that love again, filling in the
gaps.
I feel such a sense of
gratitude that we here have been blessed with the profound gift of the
Eucharist. I pray that we all give ourselves to this great Love with full
abandon. May we be like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus - our
hearts burning as we hear our Lord's voice and our eyes opened to
recognize him in the Breaking of The Bread.
Witness talk “A Family of the
Eucharist” given by Marianna Kump
July 27 at the occasion of Evening
Prayer on the Lawn
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