Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ… June 19, 2022

By Sr. Joy Connealy ND

St. Augustine said, “become what you receive” and St. Paul in 1 Corinthians said, “now you are Christ’s Body and individually a part of it.”  The feast of the Body and Blood of Christ reminds us that we are to be the living presence of Jesus to all we meet.  We are nourished at the table and sent forth to proclaim Christ’s love for all.  We are to be nourishment for others.

A little girl reminded me of this one Sunday when I was attending Liturgy with family friends.  She was about five years old and must have really been touched by the priest’s message.  At the end of the celebration, she got up on the pew, raised her little arm and shouted for all to hear, “now let’s go do what he said!”  There was stunned silence, but everyone got the point.  We had a job to do after being nourished at the table – by the Word, by the community gathered and by the body and blood of Jesus.  It was a call to action.

I often think about her words when I leave Liturgy.  What is my call to action?

There are so many ways we can respond to the needs of our world – all of us have a role because Jesus is present in us giving all that we need to be signs of life, hope, unity and love.  We take the nourishment we receive from the community gathering, the Word proclaimed and the body and blood shared for our salvation.

Let’s do what Jesus asks of us!