Fed by Love, Called to Give

06-22-2025Weekly ReflectionFr. Augus􀦞 ne Acheme, VC

On this solemn feast of Corpus Christi, we celebrate a mystery that is both divine and intensely human: Jesus gives Himself- Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity- not as an idea to admire, but as food to consume. In the Eucharist, God does not merely visit us; He becomes part of us.

In the Gospel, when the disciples suggest dismissing the crowd so they can find food, Jesus responds with something unexpected: “Give them some food yourselves” (Luke 9:13). It’s a moment that captures the heart of the Eucharist. Jesus blesses, breaks, and gives. He involves His disciples in the miracle. This is not just a story about physical hunger - it is about how God meets our deepest needs through self-giving love.

The multiplication of the loaves prefigures what happens at every Mass: we bring what little we haveour time, our attention, our brokenness - and Christ transforms it. In His hands, not even our smallness is wasted. As the people ate and were satisfied, we too are filled not just with bread, but with the life of Christ Himself. And like those twelve baskets of leftovers, there is always more than enough.

St. Paul reminds us, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes” (1 Cor 11:26). The Eucharist is not only communion - it is proclamation. We testify with every reception that we belong to a Savior who gave everything. And having received Him, we are sent to become what we have consumed: His hands, His heart, His body in the world.

Melchizedek, in the first reading, blesses Abram with bread and wine- signs of God’s generosity and peace. That ancient priesthood is fulfilled in Christ, our eternal High Priest, who offers not just gifts, but Himself.

St. Augustine once said, “Behold what you are, become what you receive.” The Eucharist is not just the summit of our faith; it is the source of our transformation. It feeds us so we can become nourishment for a world that hungers for love, mercy, and meaning.

Today, let us come to the altar not as spectators, but as participants. Let us bring our emptiness and receive the fullness of Christ. And having been fed by love, may we go forth to live love- broken and shared for the life of the world.