How do you respond to the needs of your neighbor? Do you value the Eucharist as much as you value Christ? - Daily Reflections December 4,2014

EUCHARISTIC CREATURES

 

Today’s saint is St. Francis Xavier, born in Spain, who, with St. Ignatius of Loyola, became one of the seven who founded the Society of Jesus. He preached for six months in Africa. On his way to Asia, he spent the rest of his life spreading the Word of God in India, Japan and the Philippines. Yes, he went to the Philippines. Was he welcomed hospitably? Did he get the chance to taste adobo, sinigang and sinampalukang manok? Anyway, other than these mouthwatering delicacies is the “food” St. Francis definitely introduced to our ancestors — the Eucharist.

       The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian life. In today’s Gospel, Jesus attended to the needs of the people. They saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. Then, He fed 4,000 men (not including women and children) with just seven loaves and a few fishes. All of them ate and were filled, and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. For Jesus wants a memorial (anamnesis) of His suffering, a sacrifice in the transformation (transubstantiation) of bread and wine into His Body and Blood through the Holy Spirit (epiclesis).

       In the Eucharist, Jesus heals. He heals our broken self, damaged past, and emotional anxieties. He restores our health and rejuvenates our strength. In the Eucharist, Jesus feeds. He feeds our hungry soul with His own Body and Blood; satiates our thirst through His life-giving Word. In the Eucharist, Jesus feasts with us — a banquet where everyone is welcome — for thanksgiving, for offering, for sacrifices and sharing.

       It is the moment when people commune with each other, build the Body of Christ as one Church, and commune with a communing God.

       Finally, our Gospel today challenges us as the First Reading says, “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.” Our constant contact with Christ in the Eucharist will transform us to be healers and feeders, to be Eucharistic creatures! Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How do you respond to the needs of your neighbor? Do you value the Eucharist as much as you value Christ?

 

Lord, help me to be as generous as You are.