The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

We are hungry. We are fed. We are sent.

THEN, AFTER SINGING A HYMN, THEY WENT OUT

Lord, as we are fed by the Eucharist, empower us to be beacons of your light in the world. Let our every step resonate with the hymn of your love, transforming our lives into a living testament to your grace. In communion with you, we ask for strength and purpose to fulfill the mission you have entrusted to us.

Share a time when you went to help someone and you ended up being the one helped.

Fr. Dan Ohmann with the Tanzania people in the Refugee camp. (1995)

In 1995, amidst the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide Fr. Dan Ohmann M.M. had a profound and unexpected Easter. Spending a sleepless Holy Saturday, surrounded by the sounds of suffering, the priest empathized with the refugees’ dire living conditions. As dawn broke on Easter Sunday, he stood on a makeshift bench, sharing a heartfelt message of hope and resilience. Connecting the refugees’ suffering to the crucifixion on Good Friday, he encouraged them. The unexpected joy unfolded as a man in the crowd initiated an Easter song, and soon the entire woods resonated with alleluias. Spontaneously, the people danced and sang, creating a celebration of praise to God. Overwhelmed with gratitude, the priest felt an extraordinary closeness to the people and his faith. In the midst of misery, the spontaneous Easter celebration became a testament to the transformative power of faith and the joy that only Christ could bring even in the most challenging circumstances. Fr. Dan ended up pitching a tent on the edge of the camp and stayed a couple of years with them and then remained in Tanzania for over 50 years. (Spring Newsletter, Vocations – Blog)

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”‘ Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.” The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover. While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Mk 14:12-16, 22-26 

Knowing that he was to die and that the mission would fall upon the disciples, Jesus gathered them one last time to feed them. In preparation for that meal, he sent them out to seek the hospitality and generosity of others in finding a room. It is from this humility and vulnerability that they are able to be fed and then be sent. In the Eucharist, we must acknowledge our hunger and need, allow ourselves to be nourished by God, and only then are we able to mirror the selfless love of Jesus in reaching out to others who also need to be fed with God’s love. In our communion with Jesus and others we experience the interconnectedness God intends for all creation.

How does recognizing and accepting our own brokenness help us to become the bread of life for others?

Dorothy Day reminds us that, “We cannot love God unless we love each other, and to love we must know each other. We know him in the breaking of bread, and we are not alone any more. Heaven is a banquet and life is a banquet, too, even with a crust, where there is companionship.” Challenge yourself to have a meal with someone outside your comfort zone. Notice where there is unexpected mutual transformation.

Jesus, you feed us with the everlasting bread of your love. Let that love take root in our very core. Let it give us the strength we need to move beyond our hurt and fears. Nourished, let us be nourishment for others who also hunger for love and acceptance.