Daily Thoughts - 05/29/2016

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, “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!”

Have a great Sunday everyone!

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)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “There are no strangers at the starting line. Just fellow runners who haven’t met yet.” (Suzy Shapiro) So to in the spiritual life…

Daily Blessings: Sunday greetings and blessings to all! I hope your Sunday has started off well or is starting off well. It is a beautiful sunny day here in Pelham and the word is it will be a beautiful day throughout. It is the Feast of Corpus Christi and so we focus on the spiritual food which nourishes us and sustains us on our journey of faith through life. It is a time to remember how blessed and how loved we are by God. It is a day to give a little time to God so I hope you remember to give God a little time today!

I would like to send a shout out and a welcome to my newest great nephew, Michael! Welcome little buddy we are glad to have you with us. I would also like to send kudos and congrats to his Mom and Dad on a job well done and thanks to his big sister Natalie, for her wonder smile. Can’t wait to meet the little guy.

I pray for God’s blessings upon Michael, his family and all of you today and always. I hope you will be blessed especially today with the richness of family, friends, peace, rest and throughout this long weekend. May God truly be with you and those you love, keeping you safe as you enjoy the gifts of God’s creation. May you recognize the presence of God around you and within you today. May you remember that Christ has no body now on earth but yours! Have a great day and remember “Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.” (Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ) – Have a great Sunday and blessings upon your coming week! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul