Fr Xavier Writes 2nd June 2024
On this Sunday in our common worship, we celebrate the command given by Jesus 2,000 years ago ‘Do this in memory of me’. He took time to eat this meal with his disciples, so that they could share in, and be part of, his work. From the earliest days, the Church has taken the Lord at his word. By doing what Jesus himself did on that occasion, we experience repeatedly his real presence among us. With the gifts of bread and wine, we bring what we are, and what we have, as an offering to the Lord.
Corpus Christi is a festival for pondering with thanks on God’s hospitality to us, the supreme and final gift of his love. We remember with gratitude the promise he made - to be with his friends and followers as their food and nourishment in their pilgrimage through life. All of us are pilgrims, facing trials and sufferings of everyday happenings and so, what better companion can we have for support than the presence of Jesus? Holy Communion is a remedy for our daily faults; not reward for sanctity attained. We receive him because we want to change and to become like him.
The fruit of our gathering here should be a great increase in charity among the assembled faithful. Union with the Eucharist means drawing closer to our brothers and sisters, especially the weak and the poor of our community. This is the acid test of the sincerity of our belief. In our daily life, we are asked to forgive, to overlook weaknesses, to understand the failure of friends and not to close our hearts when we are hurt. For God to love us, we must try to be loving also.
