27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B (Respect Life Sunday) – Homily

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27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Genesis 2:18-24
Hebrews 2:9-11
Mark 10:2-16
October 4, 2015

The Lord God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone.”

God created the Garden of Eden and everything in it, including man.  God knew what He had created was good.  He knew the “man” was not meant to be alone.  God had given Adam life itself so He knew Adam better Adam knew himself.

For Adam to find fulfillment and all he was meant to be, God created Eve.  When Adam saw Eve, he knew that she was the bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh.  This is not simply a physical reference to the fact the story says the Eve was created from Adam’s rib.  It goes deeper than that.

No, it is about a spiritual connection.  In Eve, Adam finds fulfillment and becomes a better person for having known Eve.  In coming together as male and female, complimenting one another, their spiritual togetherness is manifested physically.

People talk about divorce and the reasons for it.  Right now, I would like to talk together about why a couple should come together.  Some will talk about making each other “happy”.  I like to think of it as realizing we become better for having the person with us.

Happiness is often seen as what makes us happy today.  We need to look beyond that.  When we looking at someone you might be dating, are you interested in their body or what they can do?  The person is so much more.  What we can do does not define who we are.

Do we see the person we are dating as a means for pleasure and when they no longer make us happy we leave them or do we share our beliefs with them?  Are we willing to make sacrifices for them?  It is when we are willing to make sacrifice that the love of a couple becomes a sign of God’s love (Jesus’ death on the Cross).

It is when we look beyond the physical that we can see the gift that life is, to understand that we are not defined by what we can do but rather by who we are inside and what we believe.

Only then, do we understand that every life is worth living.

If we only see a person for what they can do, then it might seem appropriate that when a person can no longer “do” stuff, that it is time to end their life.  There are people who think people should be able, when faced with a terminal diagnosis, to choose to end their life.

People who think this way talk about ‘dying with dignity.’  They talk in terms of ending suffering and pain.  I can relate in wanting to avoid the pain and suffering but I don’t get how this is ‘dying with dignity.’  Ending one’s life in this way says to me that when the person becomes severely ill and cannot no longer do work, that they are no longer worth having around.

I believe the best way to show dignity for the person is by showing we value them for who they are and not just what they can do.  In desiring to have them remain with us, we are saying they are still important to us.

When facing end of life decisions, when is it killing and when it is turning it over to God?

We would like clear answers.  We want the decisions to be black and white but when people are involved, often the decisions are not clear.

I think about my mother’s final days in this world.  She had had emphysema for around ten years.  It slowly worsened and she could do less and less.  She couldn’t even walk very far, needing a power chair to get around.  Even in her declining health she was still “mom”.  I kept doing what I could for her.

In her final weeks, they found lung cancer and began treatment but it was too late.  Barely four weeks after they found the cancer and began treatment, she was placed on a ventilator while we waited to see if the treatment would work.  When the treatment couldn’t do enough, it became time to make a decision about the ventilator.

My brothers and I made the decision to withdraw the ventilator (fortunately, mom had said she didn’t want to remain on the machines in such circumstances).  In her case, she became unresponsive.  Were we killing her by pulling the ventilator?  No.  We were allowing the natural cycle of life to take its course.  The ventilator was artificial means.

We did not act to end her life.  We were handing it over to God to make the choice.  Nothing was done to hasten her death.  No medicines were given to end her life.  We just let nature take its course.

Sometimes when people ask about making end of life decisions I ask are they “giving up” or “letting go”.  By “giving up” I mean are we sick and tired of the pain and suffering and want to make it end or are they “letting go” and placing it in God’s hands.

“Giving up” means saying my life is not worth anything now.  “Letting go” means appreciating all the time we have had in this world but realizing we won’t live forever.

How do you look at other people?  How do you look at yourself?  Do you see a physical body or do you see the real person?  Do you see their soul?

Every life is worth living.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Numbers 11:25-29
James 5:1-6
Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
September 27, 2015

Moses said, “Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets!  Would that the Lord might bestow his spirit on them all!”

What are we called to be in this world?  Are we all called to be prophets? It depends on how you mean “prophet”.  We are not all called to be full-time prophets like Elijah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah but we are all called to share our faith but we do in different ways.

One of the great thing about our faith is that it shows us that we don’t have to do everything for ourselves.  In faith, God reveals to us that we are given different gifts to work together.  We are not supposed to do it all ourselves.

When faced with a new task, many will ask, “What’s in it for me?”  This is the wrong question.  We should be asking ourselves questions like “does this help grow the Kingdom of God” or “is this what God is calling me to” or “Has God given me the gifts to do this.”

We are not created to be a bunch of individuals, each seeking our own wealth or interest.  We are called to be concerned for others, to give others a ‘cup of water’ to drink.

To me, what of the great gifts of our Catholic faith is that we are not a bunch of individuals who happen to come together to sing and hear scriptures.  We are united in what we do and what we believe.

In every Eucharistic Prayer there is a point where we pray for the unity of our church, including an explicit reference to unity with Francis our Pope and Salvatore our Bishop.

In the Eucharistic Prayers, we ask God to transform the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus.  In the Eucharistic Prayers, we also ask God to transform us into one body, one spirit in Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul speaks of the different gifts we have been given to use together as one body.  All the parts need to work together to accomplish its purpose.  Our purpose is not to build up ourselves but to build up God’s Kingdom.  We are called to work together as a parish, as a diocese, and as a church united across the world.

With the crowds that have travelled this week to see Pope Francis this week, I see a desire in the people to be part of something larger than ourselves.

The coming together has been wonderful but it is something we should seek every day.  Obviously, we aren’t going to see the Pope every day.  What we can do is always be mindful of our brothers and sisters in faith, remembering that we are all one body.  We are called to help all God’s children, whether they know they are God’s children or not.

As a parish, we do this with our Food Pantry, our thanksgiving and Christmas programs for those who are poor.  We do it with the items we collect for Catholic Charities.  These are ways we address people’s physical needs but we must also help them in their spiritual needs.

We do this with our celebration of Mass.  We do this with our Family Based Religious Education and youth ministry programs.  We do it with our Adult Faith Enrichment series, the CD’s, and my presentations.  All of this is to help each person grow in faith.

We do not do this alone.  We are part of a diocese, specifically the Diocese of Rochester.  We are united under Salvatore our Bishop who leads us in our mission.  The diocese supports us in our own endeavors with things like free technical support on our computers and administrative support to handle the business end of things.  They support us in our faith formation programs, especially right now with redesigning our sacramental preparation program.  All this support comes with a cost.

Of course, it is that time of year when we start our annual Catholic Ministries Appeal.  If we think of the appeal as the diocese billing us for their services we have missed the point (of everything I just said).  The appeal is not about the money.  The purpose of the appeal is to provide support for the mission we are all called to.

Many of you probably have already received your letter from the bishop.  I received mine on Thursday and made my contribution online.

Our goal this year is $58,542 and I will say this will be very difficult to meet.  I raised my contribution $30 more from last year.  What can you contribute?  Some people give $10, some people give several hundred dollars.  Every dollar is important and makes a difference towards our mission.  The theme this year is We Are All One Body.  May we always seek to be united in our mission as one body.

The Pope is in Town

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The following is taken from a column I wrote for the local Knights of Columbus Chapter.

Well, not exactly.  The Pope didn’t come to Tompkins County but he did come to Cuba, Washington, DC, New York City, and as I write this he is in Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families.

From a U.S. perspective, a visit to Cuba by the Pope might have seemed impossible.  It was a communist regime but things are changing.  Surprised?  We shouldn’t be.  As a people of faith who acknowledge our sins, change is our hope.  We commit the same sins over and over but we keep confessing and praying for the grace to change and we can.

When Pope Francis arrived in the U.S., he was greeted as he got off the plane by President Obama.  When foreign leaders come to the U.S. it is common for them to meet with the President but few are greeted at the airport.  In DC, Pope Francis became the first Pope to address Congress.  In New York City, he addressed the United Nations.  Now, in Philadelphia he will address the World Meeting of Families.

The World Meeting of Families is a Catholic event and Pope Francis has been stressing the importance of family.  So, of course, he will speak there but why the U.N. and Congress?  I see two reasons for this.  The first lies in the fact that the Vatican is its own country and the Pope is the ruler.  So, when he addressed the U.N. he officially does it as a leader.  When he addressed Congress, he was introduced as the Pope of the Holy See, a strange title to us but perhaps appropriate.

The second reason the Pope spoke at the U.N. and Congress is the respect he has as a man of values and as a man of God.  Countless thousands came to see the Pope in America.  Our society is in moral decline but I think the fact that the Pope draws so many people and was invited to address the U.N. and Congress shows people long for something more.  So we have hope!

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
James 3:16-4:3
Mark 9:30-37
September 20, 2015

In our first reading from the Book of Wisdom, we hear how the people are upset with the just one, calling him obnoxious.  Why are they upset with him?  Simply because he is against their doings, reproaches their transgressions for not following what they have been taught.

Did you notice that they never deny what he has said about their transgressions?  They do not claim to be innocent.  I would almost take what they say to be an admission of guilt.  Otherwise why would they care what he says.

So they make plans to get rid of him under the guise of a test.  They say if he is right then God would rescue him.  I wonder if they would have changed if God had rescued him in the way they were talking about.  They were motivated by their own selfish ambitions, seeking to have things their way.  I wonder if they just don’t get what God has been teaching for centuries or if they don’t care.

Do we care what God has to say?  Our presence here would suggest we do. So then the question becomes do we know what God has taught us and do we know why?

Let’s look at it in the context of today’s gospel.  Jesus tells them for the second time about his coming passion.  They heard the words for themselves and so they knew what Jesus said but it says they did not understand.

They didn’t understand because it didn’t make sense to them.  How could the Christ be killed?  What does “rising” mean?  It also says they were afraid to question him.  Why?

Remember what happened when Jesus told them the first time about his passion?  Peter got rebuked.  So now they are afraid to ask out of fear for receiving the same response.

When we don’t understand, we can ask questions.  Peter didn’t get rebuked for asking questions.  Peter got rebuked because he told Jesus he was wrong, that Peter would never allow such a thing to happen.

We are supposed to ask questions, to seek understanding.  It’s an important part of how we grow in faith.  We need to ask questions about how our faith applies in the situations we encounter in our lives.  We need to always seek to learn more.  That’s why I preach.  That’s why I offer my talks occasionally.  That’s why we offer the CD’s in back.  That’s why Pat Meyer is doing a series on the Fifth Commandment, Thou shall not kill, starting next week.

Learning is important.  It’s that time of year when we resume our faith formation programs but it’s not just for children.  We all need to learn.  In the United States, today is Catechetical Sunday, to show we recognize the importance of our faith formation activities.

The theme this year is “Safeguarding the Dignity of Every Human Life.”  Pat’s series will be a big step in this.  We might know that the Catholic values life from the womb to death but do we know why?

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Isaiah 50:5-9a
James 2:14-18
Mark 8:27-35
September 13 2015

Jesus asks His disciples “Who do people say that I am?”  Jesus has been performing miracles and teaching.  He knows people are talking about Him.  This is what He wants because when we talk about Jesus we can come to a deeper understanding of who He is.

The disciples say others think Jesus is John the Baptist.  John was known for proclaiming the way of the Lord.  Scriptures tell us that Elijah was taken up to Heaven without dying so some expected him to return.  Could Jesus be him?

Jesus then asks His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?”

How would you answer the question?  Do you say Jesus is your friend, brother, healer, teacher, prophet, or comforter?  What does it mean to say Jesus is any of this?

Jesus certainly teaches us how to live but do we listen?  Scriptures tell of many miracle cures that Jesus did to heal people.  He also healed people by driving out demons.  Do we let Jesus drive out our demons or do we hold onto our vices?

We might call Jesus our friend or brother.  What does this mean for us?  How many of us have a brother or a friend that we never see or talk to?  We might forget about our friends.  Do we forget about Jesus?

All of these, friend, brother, healer, teacher, are valid and truthful statements of who Jesus is to us but none of them captures all that Jesus is to us.  What word can do Jesus justice?

Peter replies “You are the Christ.”

Jesus truly is the Christ.  The word Christ is a Greek word that is the same as the Hebrew word messiah.  It means anointed or chosen one.  People had long being waiting for a messiah to come to see them free.  They wanted freedom from the Romans.  Jesus brings us freedom from our sins.

It was an important step in faith for Peter to call Jesus the Christ.  Now Peter and the other disciples need to come to understand what it truly means to call Jesus the Christ.  So Jesus begins to tell them about how He will suffer, be rejected, killed, and rise.

Peter can’t accept this.  To him the suffering, rejection, and crucifixion would be defeat to the enemy.  We know better (or at least we proclaim to).  We know that the Crucifixion is not defeat but in fact a triumph where Jesus wins victory over our sins.

How do we look at the Cross and Jesus?  The way we do can say a lot about who Jesus is to us.  We can look at the Crucifix and be grateful for what Jesus did.  In fact that’s why, as Catholics, we have Crucifixes and not just Crosses in Church.  It is Jesus’ death that gives the Cross its power.

When we look at the Crucifix, we can see God’s love and that means His mercy.  How do we respond?

Do we respond by being glad that Jesus was willing to die for us?  We should be glad but what difference does it make to us?

Does it motivate us to live more like Jesus or do we use it as an escape goat, figuring we don’t need to worry about our sins because Jesus will always forgive us?

Or does it get us to respond with love?  Seeing God’s love for us should motivate us to love Him in return.  That means listening to what He teaches us, living as he teaches us.

If we truly believe that Jesus is the Christ, what difference does it make in our lives?  Our faith must make a difference.  James writes about the work we do as Christians.  The works we do show what Jesus means to us.  The works don’t make us Christians.  Our faith does but if we have faith we will do the works that Jesus asks of us.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Isaiah 35:4-7a
James 2:1-5
Mark 7:31-37
*Psalm 146, 6-7, 8-9, 9-10 (1b)
September 6, 2015

“Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!

What frightens us?  What comes to mind for you?  It might be being the victim of physical violence.  It might be the fear of someone no longer loving us.  It might be fear of not having what we need to survive.

There are honest, hardworking people who fear having enough money to buy food, clothing and pay the rent.  Do we care?  God does!

Our psalm today speaks of how God gives food to the hungry.  Someone might think, ‘oh, good, I don’t have to help them because God will take care of them.’  God does want to take care of the poor but He wants to do it through us.

There are ways in which we are a generous parish.  We have our Food Pantry that provides food for anywhere from 100 to 180 households each week.  It is completely staffed by dedicated volunteers.  A large amount of the food is donated but our food pantry relies on monetary donations to buy some of the food.

We are generous in supporting Catholic Charities with donating items for them to help the poor.  Our poor box in back goes to Catholic Charities.

For Thanksgiving and Christmas we offer assistance and gifts to a few families in need.

These are all good works.  Many of the beneficiaries are strangers to us but that doesn’t matter for as our psalm says, “The Lord protects strangers.”

The psalm also tells us that God “secures justice for the oppressed.”

What comes to mind when you hear the word “oppressed”?  Is it slavery or those who are suffer violence because of their faith or because they are “different”?

What about those who are not giving a “fair deal”?

They put in a good day’s work.  Some might even do more than a fair day’s work but they aren’t given a chance to get ahead in life.  It might be in low pay or being overlooked for promotions.  They are willing to work hard but keep getting looked over because they seem poor.  What does James say?  “Show no partiality”.

Monday is Labor Day, a day meant to celebrate the work (labor) we do.  It isn’t for boasting about the work we do but a day to be thankful for the work that everyone does.

We need to express our thanks.  This can be in words but it also needs to include a fair day’s wages for a fair day’s work.  This can’t be fixed in one massive increase but we have to start someplace.  We might also look to see what can be done to make the cost of living more reasonable.

The work itself is important.  We take a significant step in finding fulfillment in life when we work using the gifts God has given us to work.

How might Jesus be asking to you to help the oppressed, the hungry, the blind, and the stranger?

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8
James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
August 30, 2015

Some of the Pharisees, along with some of the scribes, have come to observe what Jesus and His disciples are doing.  They are shocked that His disciples eat with “unclean” hands.  As these Pharisees and scribes see it, the Law is clear in requiring purification rituals before eating.

To understand this, we need to understand the difference between “washing” our hands and “purification”.  Washing our hands before eating is a health concern so we don’t become sick or spread germs.  Purification is something we do as a spiritual exercise.

The Pharisees and the scribes have confused the two.  They have taken an Old Testament rule for priests to purify their hands before presiding at ritual and extended it to all people.  In effect they have added to what God has commanded.  Jesus tells them this is not the way it is meant to be.

Today there are people who feel the Catholic Church has added to what God has taught in the scriptures.  Without a doubt, the Catholic Church has a lot to say and offers many teachings on faith and morals.  However, it is not the intent of the Catholic Church to add to what God has taught us.

First of all, we believe that the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit.  So, when it offers a teaching, it flows from the Holy Spirit.  Furthermore, the purpose of Church teaching is to help us take what God revealed in the Bible 2,000 years ago and apply it to our lives today.  The world has changed, particularly with industrialization and technology but this does not make God’s teaching out of date.

Moses speaks to the people of how, if they follow God’s commandments, they will be seen as wise and intelligent.  The fact is that God’s commandments are good for us.

Let’s look at God’s Commandment, Thou shall not steal.  We don’t want people taking our stuff so we agree stealing is bad.  Stealing is not good for society as a whole.  If we always live in fear of someone stealing our stuff, then we won’t trust others.  How can society function if we can’t trust anyone?

I think everyone would agree on this much but the Church calls us to take the Commandment not to steal a step further.  For instance, not paying a person a proper wage for their work is not giving them their due and, hence, stealing.  Some would not agree.

While the Catholic Church is accused by some of adding to what God has taught, today there are people who want to subtract from what God has taught.  God says not to do this.

Some people want a very watered down faith.  They say if you just believe in Jesus it is enough.  Believing in Jesus is enough but to believe in Jesus means to live according to what He teaches.

Those who wish to subtract say it is outdated or we see things differently now.  For instance, there are explicit passages in the Bible that declare homosexual activity a sin but they want to say it is outdated.

Is everything in the Bible current Church teaching?  Well, you can read in the Old Testament about the animal sacrifices required by the scriptures.  We no longer offer animal sacrifices but this was not changed by psychology or other human thought.  It was changed by Jesus when He came to show us what true sacrifice is as He died on the Cross for us.

Today we have heard God’s Word.  As Paul writes it is not enough just to be hearers of the Word.  We must be doers of the Word.

Decide Today Whom You Will Serve

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This weekend, Immaculate Conception welcomes a missionary to speak out the work of their group’s ministry.  So, I will not be preaching this weekend but I do want to offer some reflection on the first reading and the gospel (21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B).

In the first reading, Joshua has gathered the people for a final speech.  He knows the people have not always followed the Lord and says to them,

If it does not please you to serve the Lord, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling.

We certainly don’t believe in the gods beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites but we still need to make a decision about which god we will serve.  Hopefully, this seems simple.  We believe in just one God right?  We should but is there anything more important to us than God?  Money, pride, prestige, sports, gadgets and toys, work…. If any of these things are more important to us than God, then they, in effect, become our god.

Being a person of faith isn’t always easy.  For instance, the people listening to Jesus’ Bread of Life Discourse  heard Jesus say that we must eat his flesh and drink his blood.  This doesn’t make sense.  It’s disgusting and it breaks specific rules in the Old Testament not to drink blood.  We know Jesus to be speaking of the Eucharist but those first crowds didn’t.

It can be a challenge to believe in the Real Presence because we cannot prove through science that the bread and wine are changed in any way.  Some of the crowd “returned to their former way of life” because they couldn’t understand what Jesus was getting at.  Even today, people drift away from the Catholic Church for lack of belief in the Real Presence.

I cannot prove through science how the bread and wine are changed into Jesus’ Body and Blood but I do very much believe it to be true.

There are other teachings of the Church that people struggle with.  Is there a teaching you struggle with?  Do you seek the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom to accept the teaching or is it easier to walk away?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Husbands, Wives, and Subordination

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This weekend (Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B) our second reading is Ephesians 5:21-32.  The passage speaks of marriage and how it is a symbol of Christ’s love for the Church.  This reading is among the suggested readings for weddings but it is seldom, if ever, used.

Why?  Because of one line in the passage, “Wives should be subordinate to their husbands.”  In today’s society this is not popular.  We speak of equality of husband and wife and “subordinate” doesn’t fit with equality.  If all the passage said was, “Wives should be subordinate to their husbands“, the objections would be understandable but that is not all the passage says.

In fact, if we look at the line before it says, “Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  If we see “subordinate” as always doing what the other person says, being “subordinate to one another” doesn’t make sense.  This should tell us that the passage is speaking of something besides “obedience.”

There are times in a marriage when one person needs to make a decision.  There should be dialogue whenever possible (realizing there are times when an immediate decision is needed so dialogue may not be possible) but when a decision is made it should always be made in consideration of the spouse’s needs and desires.  Here I see a different perspective of “subordination”.  It’s about being “subordinate” to the needs and desires of each other.

The other part of the passage that seems to be forgotten is the verse, “Husbands, love your wives.”  Maybe the husband needs to make a decision but it must be made out of love for his wife.  The same is true for anytime the wife might need to make a decision, it must be made with love for her husband.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

For further reading check out “The Sacrament of Marriage” and “Mutual Submission“.

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Proverbs 9:1-6
Ephesians 5:15-20
John 6:51-58
August 16, 2015

Our first reading comes from the Book of Proverbs where “wisdom” is personified as “Lady Wisdom.”  Today we hear Lady Wisdom inviting in the simple and those who lack understanding to come and eat at her table to forsake foolishness that they might live.

The food and wine she offers is wisdom.  What is wisdom?  Some might say the highly educated with doctorate degrees are the wise.  But does that make them wise?

Think of the gifts of the Holy Spirit; knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.  If wisdom is based on how much we know, then why are knowledge and wisdom separate gifts of the Spirit?

I think of knowledge as the things that we know that can be explicitly stated.  We can know historical dates and the Commandments but do we understand the significance of them?  And in wisdom we come to appreciate what they really mean for us.

It is good to gain all the knowledge we can.  For our faith this means reading the Bible and studying the teachings of our Church.  We also need to pray for the wisdom and understanding to appreciate what they mean for us.

Let’s take a look at Jesus’ words that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood.

We know that Jesus said these words because they are written down in the Bible.  We see the Bible as the inspired Word of God and so we trust in what it says.

So we know these words but do we understand what it means to say the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Jesus?

We do not know how the change happens except that it is by the Holy Spirit.  In faith we receive the wisdom to accept the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Does our response show our belief that the Eucharist really is Jesus?

For instance, our kneeling during the consecration shows our reverence that something profound is happening.

The way we receive Communion must speak of our belief in the Real Presence.  When we come forth for Communion do we do it in a free for all?  No, we come forth in reverent order.

Are we chewing gum or have we fasted recognizing the sacredness of what we are about to receive?

Do we come with our bodies limp like we don’t care or do we come forth standing reverent, bowing as we approach for Communion?  Do we want to pick the host out of the ciborium like a snack or do we make a throne in our hands, placing one hand over the other like St. Cyril described in the fourth century?

Do we come each week recognizing our need for the Eucharist?

When we leave church, do we live our lives like we believe in what Jesus has given us?