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19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 12, 2018

John 6, 41-51

The bread of the Eucharist is more than a sign or reminder of God’s presence. It is a symbol, and symbols create what they signify. Our communion is not just a gift from God. It is not something we get. It is something we become. When the gift is accepted, it changes us and becomes a bond by which we become a people in covenant who care for those around them and for all who are children of God. You cannot put out your hand or open your mouth to receive the Body of Christ without receiving the whole body and all its members. The future and the life of every parish community is to be found in the strength of its relationships. For if the bond of our friendship in Christ is not reflected in our attentiveness to each other, then there is no communion here and we disgrace what it is we say we treasure. While being attentive to what you shall receive as you approach the minister of communion, you might also look around at your sisters and brothers, the dwelling place of Christ. See the beauty, the suffering, the young, the old, the tired, the lonely, and those filled with promise. In communion, we are all of these things, and the joy of this day is that when we lie down exhausted from trying, there will be a little cake or some water, a little nourishment always there from God to get us going again on our journey.

Fr. Tom Boyer