Daily Thoughts - 06/02/2013

Daily Thoughts: There are many ways to look at the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ which we celebrate today. The most obvious is the gift of the Eucharist, a most cherished gift that offers us the spiritual nourishment we need to live this life of faith. The real presence of Christ in the form of bread and wine that in receiving it demands our lives, it demands that we bring this real presence to the world.

Another way to look at this feast is through the Gospel today. As Fr. James Martin, S.J. said in a tweet earlier today, “God can do a lot with what you think is a little.” Just think of what he did along the Sea of Galilee when his disciples said all they had were five loaves and two fish. As we have learned God makes possible the impossible while doing a lot with little; or as Teresa Whalen Lux put it, “God often takes something small and insignificant and turns it into the extraordinary.”

A final thought about today’s feast also comes from Gospel. In America Magazine’s reflection on today’s scriptures called The Word, John Martens says that, “The verb Jesus uses is in the imperative, the messianic equivalent of “Just do it!” “You feed them!”  In other words long before Nike there was Jesus who challenged all who followed him to, “Just do it!”

I have often in my preaching reflected on receiving the Eucharist as a moment when God, when Jesus says to us, “I demand your life! I have given you mine so now go and give it to the world.”  Our celebration of the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ today reminds us of just how blessed we are, of just what God can do and of our challenge each day as we life to trust in God and “Just do it!”

Daily Prayer:

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Prayer by St. Teresa of Avila

Runner’s Thought: As you run today remember with each plant of your foot you feel firmness under you. Feel that firmness as the presence of God.  Trust in that firmness. Know that God is running with you!

Sunday blessings to all! I sat today before the Blessed Sacrament in spirit with Pope Francis; he in Rome and I in our little chapel here in Pelham. I spent the hour from 11:00 am until noon in prayer was for all of you that God’s hope, love and peace will be with you and those you love always.

This morning before I spent my hour in prayer with the Pope I offer mass and prayed for a young man by the name of Jake. Jake is 10 years old and underwent brain surgery Friday night for an aneurysm that burst. I pray that he will be healed and returned to his mom, dad and 8 year old brother Luke! Please offer a prayer for him too!

Have a great Sunday and blessings upon your coming week! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul