Two Weeks Later

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Well, I have been at St. Michael’s for two weeks now.  I have felt very welcomed by the parishioners and that has been great.  The staff has also been great.  I realize now that I had forgotten what it was like to be in a new place.  When I go to work on something in the office, I frequently have to start by finding someone who knows about the parish history of whatever I am about to work on.  As the new guy I need to be told where the hospital and nursing homes are.  While I have nine years of experience working in three different parishes as a priest, there are things like these that are unique to each parish.  That’s why getting to know both the staff and the parishioners is so important.  They are the ones who know these things.

Yet, perhaps the greatest challenge for me comes from simply getting to know people.  It is very important to me that I get to know the parishioners by name.  However, it takes a lot for me to know names and faces, especially figuring who is Anna vs. Ann or Anne, and Diane vs. Diana.  In meeting new people I am also aware of my introverted side.  I can be social yet meeting new people takes a lot of energy for me.  Again, the people have been understanding.  It also helps that it is summer and that things are a little slower so I can pace myself.

Please continue to pray for St. Michael’s as well as all the parishes who just received new leadership and for the priests in those new assignments.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily

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15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Deuteronomy 30:10-14
Psalm  69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37
Colossians 1:15-20
Luke 10:25-37

Our first reading comes from the Book of Deuteronomy.  Deuteronomy is written as Moses farewell discourse to the Israelites just before he dies and they cross over towards the Promised Land.

In it, Moses reminds them to “heed the voice of the Lord” and to turn to the Lord with all their heart and all their soul.

These words do not go unheard.  Works like this are found in our gospel today when the question arises, “What must I do to inherit entire life?”  The answer is “You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

I want to stress that with each part listed, it says “all”.

In coming here today for Mass we show a desire to have God be part of our lives.  Do we make Him part of “all” of our life or do we just give Him an hour on Sunday?

Coming here for Sunday Mass is one of the most important things we can do in our lives.  Coming here, we admit we need God in our lives.  We need grace.  We need strength.  In coming here for Mass, we give God an in.

We begin Mass with the Sign of the Cross, knowing how important the Cross is to us.  We admit we are weak and we sin in the Penitential Rite.  We receive direction from God in the readings and the homily.  We receive strength from the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus.  We receive much in coming here for Mass.

What we receive at Mass opens up for us what God has already planted in our hearts, faith.  So, as Moses said we “only need to carry it out.”

What do we do to live out our faith?

Do you ever pray, like before meals to thank God for the food?  The other day I was in a restaurant with some people.  I was in my collar and said, ‘I know some people feel self-conscious praying in a restaurant.  When I’m wearing my collar I feel self-conscious when I don’t pray in a restaurant.’

How about caring about other people?  Do you love “your neighbor as yourself?”

Since I just got here, I have been happy to hear people ministries we have to help people like the Poor Fund, the Giving Tree and the support we give to the Community Food Closet.  These are important things we do as a parish.

We are also fortunate to have Catholic Charities active in our county with an office right here in Newark.

What do we do as individuals?  Some of you might be among those who support our parish efforts.  You might be someone who volunteers for other organizations in our community.

Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan, “a man fell victim to robbers…leaving him half-dead.”   Would you have stopped to help?  First, came a priest.  He didn’t stop.  He didn’t want to become unclean.  Then came a Levite, (who worked in the Temple).  He didn’t stop either.  Then came the Samaritan man who would have been despised by the Jews.  He was the one who stopped and helped.  He helped the man that day and he also helped provide for the future.

Every time I hear this story of the Good Samaritan I remember an experience I had ten to twelve years ago.  I was in seminary in Washington, DC at the time.  I liked to take a walk each day.  Walking in our nation’s capital, it is not uncommon to see a poor person.  I had little money and I couldn’t help them all.  So, I didn’t help every poor person I saw.  That was ok.

The troubling experience came one day when I started out on my walk and not far from the seminary, I encountered a man who looked disheveled and in need sleeping in the middle of the sidewalk.  This was on Michigan Ave, a very busy road with people driving and walking by and no one was stopping.  As I walked past, I looked to see if he seemed injured or ill, which he didn’t.  So, I kept on walking, not something I am proud of.  It stayed in my head enough that on my return trip I made a point to go the same way with the resolve to do something.  When I got to the place, he was gone.

This experience has stayed in my memory.  We may not be able to help everyone but do we do something?  Maybe it is by supporting our parish efforts like the Poor Fund or Giving Tree.  Maybe we support Catholic Charities or the Community Food Closet.  If we love God, we need to love our neighbor.

First Sunday at St. Michael’s Homily (14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C)

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14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Isaiah 66:10-14c
Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20
Galatians 6:14-18
Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

As I thought about what to say for first weekend I here.  I’m sure you have questions about me.  I could boast about good things I have done but I won’t.  Have I done some good in previous parishes?  I’d like to think so but only because God has helped me.  As Paul says the only thing we should boast about is Jesus and the Cross.

It is because of what God has done for me in the past, that I trust God going forward.  It is because my trust in God that I am willing to come here.  Two months ago I knew almost nothing about St. Michael’s.  I have to admit I don’t like the “unknown” so coming to a new place that I don’t know much about can be challenging.

I did know that Fr. Felix had passed away suddenly.  That has left you grieving as a parish.  It also means you have been in a temporary situation with Pat Albrecht serving as Temporary Pastoral Administrator.  There is also Fr. Anthony who came to celebrate the Sacraments for you.  It can be very challenging to lead any parish but especially “temporarily” following the death of the pastor.

So, I would like to thank Pat Albrecht for her work and ministry and Fr. Anthony for his service.

Now, with my arrival, the temporary situation is over.  However, that doesn’t mean we forget the past, especially Fr. Felix.  I need to take time to get to know you and the parish.  It will take time but it is necessary to take the time for me to know the joys and the needs of the parish.

So, there is still transition going on.  There can still be grieving the past and Fr. Felix.  There can be uncertainty about the future.  What are we to do?

Trust!

We can trust in God.  This is Jesus’ point in today’s gospel.  He sent the 72 out on a mission.  He told them to go out with no money bag, no sack, or sandals.  The point here isn’t to be poor.  The point is to trust in God to provide.

Trust can take time to build.  We trust God knowing the good things He has done for us, individually and as a people.  The Bible is full of stories of what God has done for his people.  We need to share these stories and stories from our own lives with others who don’t know about Jesus.  We must shout joyfully about the tremendous deeds God has done for us.

I try to incorporate my own experiences into my homilies and I hope you will tell others what you experience.  It might a family neighbor, a neighbor, or a general acquaintance.  Are we willing to help them know about Jesus?

What else should you know about me?

When I preside at the sacraments, especially Mass, I try to do so in a way that shows people the Grace which God offers.  I know there can be days when I come to church feeling down and leave feel better.  That’s grace.

I also treasure the opportunity to hear confessions.  This is not because I like hearing bad things, not in the least.  What I do enjoy is helping people experience God’s forgiveness.  If you come to confession to me, I do my best to show God’s love.  I want you to feel forgiven.  I also try to help you understand your sins so you can better resist temptation.

So, here we are.  I’m the new guy.  We might all be wondering where we go from here.  I don’t have any detailed plans for the future.  Here is what my plan is right now:

  • Celebrate the Sacraments in a way that reveals God’s love and mercy.
  • Listen
  • Get to know St. Michael’s and its parishioners.
  • Trust

Right now, you don’t know me but I have you have some trust in me as one sent to you by God.  In turn, I am trusting that each of you desires to know and do God’s will.  We will get to know each other better and come to a deeper trust.  For now, we trust and pray that God leads us in continuing to ensure that our parish be a welcoming and grace filled parish to all who come here.

Final Sunday Homily at Immaculate (13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C)

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13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
1 Kings 19:16b: 19-21
Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
Galatians 5:1, 13-18
Luke 9:51-52
June 26, 2016

Elijah was a great prophet serving in a time when the kings and many people were turning from the Lord.  Through many challenges Elijah kept doing what God asked of him.

While Elijah was a good prophet, he was never meant to be a prophet forever.  He was human just like us so his time on Earth was limited.

God knew this and God always had a plan for what would come next after Elijah.  It was God’s plan that Elisha should be Elijah’s successor and so God directed Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor.

Elisha accepted the call but not without first wanting to say goodbye to his family.

Turning to the gospel, one person told Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go” to which Jesus tells him that “the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head” signifying that it is not easy to follow Jesus.

We hear others who say they are ready to follow Jesus but they want to do other things first.  Now, in any good discernment about God’s will we need to consider two things.  First, what is God’s will and, secondly, when does God want us to do it.  When God says now, He means now.

That’s where I am at now.  God has told me to go to St. Michael’s.  This has not been easy for me.  It was not in my plan to do this but I cannot emphasize enough how much I believe this is what God wants me to do.

God has given each of us the freedom to say no.  I could have said no but didn’t.  I believe the best use of my freedom is to do what God asks of me.  If I desire to take my refuge in the Lord, then I need to go where He leads me.

Many people here have told me they wish I wasn’t leaving and I appreciate that.  I imagine there are some who are happy I am leaving.  There were those who disagreed with Jesus.  James and John asked Jesus if they should “call down fire from heaven to consume” those who didn’t welcome Jesus.  Jesus rebuked James and John for suggesting such a thing.  Each person is free to choose their own path, knowing there can be consequences to our choices.

I would imagine there are some people who wish I was staying just because they don’t like change.  You know what you have with me.  A new priest comes as an unknown.

I would also imagine that these people felt the same way when I arrived four years ago.  Over the four years, you have come to know me.

I suspect there are people who can accept that God is calling me to another parish but then wonder ‘what about Immaculate.’

Again, God has a plan.  I truly believe God would not call me to another parish without first already knowing who would succeed me.  Just like Elisha succeeded Elijah, Fr. Chumo will succeed me.  As I leave on Tuesday, he will arrive the same day.

Will Fr. Chumo be exactly like me?  No.  He isn’t supposed to be.  He is supposed to be who God calls him to be.  He won’t do things exactly the way I did.  He isn’t supposed.  We are One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, so we do a lot the same in each church but we are unique individuals.

As I leave, I want to ask something of you.  When I arrived you were very welcoming to me.  Please do the same for Fr. Chumo.

If you want to show appreciation for what I have done here I believe the best way you can show such appreciation after I leave is to keep coming here for Mass and that you keep giving to Immaculate with your time, talent, and treasure.  What I have done here has never been to get you to like me.  It has been to lead you to Christ.

The last four years have not been about me.  It’s about Jesus.  When I leave on Tuesday, Jesus will still be here.

Spanning the Diocese

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As I prepare to move to my new assignment at St. Michael’s in Newark next week, I have thought about the various places I have served.  Next Thursday, June 30th, I will celebrate my ninth anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood.  In those nine years, I have served in three different parishes that included four (Chemung, Yates, Ontario, and Tompkins) of the twelve countries in our diocese.  During my first assignment as a priest, I also did coverage in other churches (that adds the counties of Tioga, Steuben, and Schuyler Counties as well as a special Mass at a conference in Livingston County and a Mass in Fairport (Monroe County) where I did my pastoral year).  All total I have presided at Mass in twenty-six different churches including a monastery in nine different counties.  If you add in my first parish summer assignment in the seminary at St. Mary’s in Auburn that adds Cayuga County.  You could also include Seneca County where I served as a chaplain at a boy scout camp while doing my pre-theology studies.  This was not an assignment from the diocese but I did minster there.

That leaves one county I have not ministered in the Diocese of Rochester – Wayne County.

Would you like to guess what county Newark is in?

Since I will arrive at St. Michael’s on June 28th, this means that by the time I celebrate my ninth anniversary on Thursday, June 30th, I would have ministered in some way (albeit some of them a single Mass) in all twelve counties of our diocese.  I would have never expected this.

As I have said Mass in different churches, there have been connections from the past (see my article “It’s a Small World” from 2012).  Even as I go to St. Michael’s, I already know that the son of one of the couples here at Immaculate belongs to St. Michael’s (and he has the same name as his dad).  I also know that just like Immaculate, the Mercy Associates are present at St. Michael’s.

Most of all, I know it is the same faith with the same Mass and teachings that have been part of my ministry in my various assignments.  The faces in the pews may be different.  There will be different needs and expectations but it will be the same God that I serve and follow as I lead St. Michael’s as their new pastor.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

My Final Newsletter Column at Immaculate

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We are just about to mail our June 2016 parish newsletter.  As I prepare to leave the parish, below is the last column I wrote for the Immaculate Conception newsletter.

Final Thoughts

Four years ago, on June 26, 2012, I became the pastor here.  In a few days, June 28th, I will move on to St. Michael’s parish in Newark, NY and Fr. Augustine Chumo will become your new pastor.

In the last four years a lot has been accomplished.  In terms of our properties, we have completed reconstructed our church parking lot, replaced the old “greenhouse” entrance, replaced a failing wall in the office basement, painted the cemetery office building, and done some major roof repairs at the school as well as several repairs within the school.  We will be replacing the main boiler at the school over the summer (contact our Principal, Don Mills, if you would like to contribute towards the boiler costs).

We’ve continued and grown our evangelization ministry providing more opportunities for our adults to learn about our faith (for example we have the CD rack in back of church).  We developed a strategic plan for the school that has turned the decline in enrollment around and led to a balanced budget for the school.  Thanks to your generosity in our Increased Giving Appeal and the hard work of our Finance Council and staff, our church finances are in much better shape.

One of the most important things I have witnessed in my time here is the people who hadn’t been to church in a long time return.  For example, I know of at least one person at each Mass who started coming to church after the death of a loved one whose funeral we did.

As I think about all the wonderful things that have been accomplished, I have had an important part to play but it would not have been possible without the help of our volunteer parishioners.  The generous gift of your time, talent, and treasure is so important to help our parish grown to be all that God wants it to be.

As I think about the last four years and the future of Immaculate Conception, I would like to make a couple of requests:

  • First, when I arrived I received a very warm welcome from the parish. I ask you do the same for Fr. Chumo.  Be open to getting to know him as who he is.  He won’t be exactly like me.  He won’t do everything exactly the way I did.  Give him the same chance you gave me and pray for him always.
  • We have many good volunteers here. Some have been actively volunteering in the parish for years.  Some have just started volunteer since I came.  Our volunteers have given generously given of your time, talent, and treasure.  I ask that you continue to do so under Fr. Chumo to the best of your ability.  Some of you might not be able to do as much as you used to.  Others might be able to give more.  Some of you may have never volunteered but feel called to do so now.  I just ask you to do the best you can.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily

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11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13
Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11
Galatians 2:16, 19-21
Luke 7:36-8:3
June 12, 2016

This Pharisee does a good thing.  He invites Jesus to dine with him.

Then comes a woman who is identified as a sinful woman.  We are not told what her sins are and it really doesn’t matter.

The Pharisee is astonished that Jesus associates with the sinful woman.  In those days, good Jews didn’t associate with sinners.  So, he figures Jesus must not be a prophet because if He were, He would never associate with her.

The thing is, at this moment it is the sinful woman who is doing what is expected.  According to the customs of the time, when a guest arrived at your house, the host was to offer water for them to wash.  The host offered a kiss and an anointing (not the Sacrament of the Sick) as a sign of welcoming.

The Pharisee did not of this but the sinful woman did.

The Pharisee saw himself as ‘chosen’ but did not do what was expected of him and saw no need to change.

The woman had committed sins and, knowing her sins made her unworthy, she comes to Jesus not to ask for something but in complete humility to serve Jesus.  What did Jesus do?  Did He cast her away?  No.  Jesus forgives her.

The Bible has stories that include various sinners.  For instance, David was considered a great king and yet he was a sinner.  There was King Saul before him who turned from the Lord’s ways.  David was forgiven but not Saul.  Why?

When David’s sin was pointed out to him through Nathan the prophet, David admitted his sin and repented.  Saul didn’t repent.  Saul knowingly and willingly defied God’s instruction.  David repented and remained as king.

Are we willing to admit our sins to God?  Are we willing to admit our sins to a priest?

I ask both questions deliberately.  Some people say they confess to God directly.  Maybe they do, maybe they don’t.  I don’t know.  It shouldn’t be that hard to confess our sins to God because He already knows what we have done.  Yet, are we really open with God in praying about our sins or do we just figure He knows what our sins are and leave it at that.  In doing so, we never really name our sins.

What about confessing our sins to a priest?

This can be much harder.  First of all, if we see the priest as just another human being, we can say why we should confess to him.  We might not see any value in it.  Plus, we don’t like to admit our faults.  We might be afraid of what the priest will think of us.  What could we possibly gain by telling a priest about our sins?

Yet, people can feel great relief from confessing.  It can feel like a burden is lifted (because it is).  This can happen in two ways.  First, on the human level, we can express a great relief in letting out something we have been carrying inside ourselves.

Secondly, on the spiritual level, in confessing we are saying to God, I am not perfect.  God I need your forgiveness, I need your mercy to do better.  The grace we receive is a wonderful thing.

I already spoke about confessing our sins directly to God.  Confessing through a priest makes explicit what we desire in our hearts.

In each of the sacraments there are things we use.  In baptism, it is water and oils.  In the Eucharist, it is bread and wine.  For the sick, Confirmation, and ordination, we use oils.

In confessing, the “thing” we bring to the sacrament is the words we say that explicitly admits our sins.  Then God works through the words of absolution spoken by the priest to shower his forgiveness upon us.

It is the humility we show with a contrite heart that opens us to God’s mercy to walk in the light of Christ.

Following God’s Will

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If you are a regular reader of my blog, by now you know that on June 28th, I will end my assignment as pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Ithaca and move to Newark, NY where I will become the pastor of St. Michael’s Church.

This has not been an easy decision for me.  I had never been a pastor before coming to Immaculate and it has been challenging to oversee a parish with a church, school. two cemeteries, a gift shop, food pantry, and various ministries.  God has led me through these four years to accomplish many tasks with the help of dedicated parishioners and the staff.

In recent months, I was praying to God for guidance on how to shift from tasks that I had been dealing with that have improved and shift to working on other items that need the pastor’s assistance.  I feel like I wasn’t getting much guidance until one day I heard God say, “You have done what I wanted you to at Immaculate and now I have something else for you.”  He didn’t tell me what I was supposed to do next but I have such a deep feeling of peace and grace that I had to listen.  That is when I submitted my resignation (effective June 28th).

The most difficult part here for me was not knowing where I was going but I submitted my resignation so the diocese could begin looking for my replacement.  I did this for the good of the parish.

Since I did not know where I would be going, I felt lost.  A priest friend of mine suggested I use a discernment prayer by Thomas Merton.  So I googled it and found it at http://service.cua.edu/longtermservice/prayersfordiscernment.cfm (it is the third prayer listed there).  It was a great prayer and really expressed what I was feeling so I used it everyday for a couple of weeks (and still do some).

On that webpage you will find a couple of other discernment prayers.  The first one has also been a great help for me.  I truly believe God has a plan for each one of us.  When we feel lost, we need to ask God to reveal his plan for us.  Even when we think we are on the right track, we still need to ask God if we are doing the right thing.

As I go to St. Michael’s, I don’t know what God’s plan is except that I truly believe this is where I am supposed to go.  While I would really like to know the whole plan now, I trust that God will reveal each step of the plan at the proper time and I just need to make sure I’m listening to God and not running off on my own ideas.

I encourage you to look at the prayers at the link above and see if they help you to open yourself to God’s will.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

 

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily

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Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
1 Kings 17:17-24
Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13
Galatians 1:11-19
Luke 7:11-17
June 5, 2016

In our first reading Elijah restores the widow’s son to earthly life.  Jesus does the same for another widow in today’s gospel.

Why?

Certainly, the first answer that might come to find is to help the women.  They are both widows and without male children surviving in those days and so they would have had no status or means to take care of themselves.

If this was the only reason for restoring the men’s earthly lives, then one might ask why God didn’t do this for every widow who lost an only son.

Is there some other benefit that comes from the miracle?

In Elijah’s case, the story ends with the woman identifying Elijah as a “man of God” because of the miracle.  Likewise, when Jesus does the miracle, the people say, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.”  The miracles show the power of God at work in Elijah and, even more so, Jesus.

More specifically, it shows that God has power even over death.  In these stories, the sons are simply resuscitated to earthly life but we know this to be a precursor of things to come, when Jesus will take those who have died in this world and raise them up in the resurrection to eternal life.

When our families and friends are sick, we can and should pray for them to get better.

When death comes, while we may miss them greatly, we do expect God to return them to life in this world but we do pray that they receive eternal life in Heaven.

Here I think we should reflect on how we respond when a loved one dies.  Each culture and religion can have its own customs.  For us, the immediate reaction is often sadness yet with some joy of the person going to Heaven.  We generally have calling hours, a funeral service, and a burial.

We might think of these are three completely separate “events” but that is not how our church looks at it.

We might think of calling hours as just a time to offer our “condolences.”  This does, and should happen, at calling hours but if that was all calling hours are, couldn’t people just stop by the house or call anytime?  Looking at calling hours with a little more depth, they are a time to come together to share memories and to console one another.  It can be a time to pray.  Our Catholic funeral rites actually include a prayer ritual for the calling hours.  It includes a bible reading and prayers.  It might only last a few minutes but it is time to ask for God’s consolation upon the family and friends.  If you look at the ritual, it can also be a good time for someone to offer “words of remembrance” (sometimes considered a eulogy).

Then there is the Funeral Mass.  Often, this is seen as all about the person.  As such people think it is when people (sometimes several) would offer words of remembrance.  Certainly, the funeral must include the person for who they are but it is not a time just to reminisce or put the person on a pedestal.  The funeral is to offer our prayers that our loved one be welcomed into Heaven and to give thanks for the gift of eternal life.  It is a time of faith.

Then we go to the cemetery to inter our loved one.  As with the calling hours and the funeral service, there is a set ritual for burial prayers.  In fact, if you think about it, when burial comes immediately after the Mass, there is no final blessing in the church because the funeral isn’t over.  The funeral ends with the burial and so the final blessing happens at the graveside.

So, while the funeral Mass is the pinnacle of the services, we need to appreciate and understand that not everything has to happen at the funeral Mass.  We have opportunities to share memories at the calling hours (or a reception afterwards).  In church, we remember the person for the faith we profess.

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Year C – Homily

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The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Year C
Genesis 14:18-20
Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Luke 9:11b-17
May 29, 2016

In the few verses in our first reading we hear how Melchizedek “brought out bread and wine”.  To understand why he did this, we need to look at passage leading up to this story.

Melchizedek was king of Salem.  Along with some other local rulers, including Abram’s (who would become Abraham) nephew Lot, he had been defeated by a common enemy.  Abraham came to the rescue and set them all free.

Melchizedek wanted to thank Abraham for this as well as thank God because he knew it was by God’s power that Abraham had defeated the enemy.

In those days the customary way to offer this thanksgiving would have been to offer a sacrifice.  Normally this would involve the sacrifice of an animal.  Melchizedek did not offer an animal sacrifice.  He brought bread and wine, which we know to be a precursor of things to come.

Turning to our gospel, we hear of Jesus doing something miraculous with ordinary bread.  Jesus had been speaking to the crowds about the kingdom of God and healing many.

The Twelve were concerned about the people having food to eat.  The people there numbered over 5,000 and they only had five loaves and two fish.  The logical thing to do would be to send them away to find food for themselves.

Jesus knows He can do something more.  He takes the ordinary bread, blessed it, and broke it, feeding them all enough that they were satisfied.  There was twelve wicker baskets full left over, more than they had started with!

Jesus can do amazing things.  Through the power of God, Jesus gives us the nourishment we need.

In this story, we explicitly hear how Jesus satisfied their physical hunger but that is not all He had done.  Before He feed them with bread, He had been speaking to them about God, feeding them spiritually.

The Feeding of the Five Thousand is a precursor to Jesus does at the Last Supper.  Once again, He sets about feeding the people with ordinary bread but this time it does not remain ordinary bread.

As Jesus is offering the blessing He proclaims this is my body.  By Jesus’ words the bread and wine are changed into his Body and Blood to feed us spiritually.

This change happens each time we celebrate the Eucharist as we ask the Holy Spirit to come down the gifts.

It does not remain as ordinary bread and wine.  This is hard to accept for some because it still looks and taste like bread and wine.

It is the Eucharist that stands at the pinnacle of what it means for us to be Catholic.  It is the Eucharist that draws us back over and over.  We show we believe by coming back over and over to keep receiving the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is prime but it is in the Holy Scriptures that we hear of the Eucharist and learn what it means to believe.  So, every time we celebrate the Eucharist, we also share God’s Word from the Bible to help us in our faith.

In believing in the Eucharist, we are drawn here, realizing how much we need Jesus.  When we know we need Jesus we keep coming back week after week for what we receive truly is the Body and Blood of Christ.