Living Bread That Comes Down From Heaven

June 14, 2020

On this day we give thanks to God who has provided for us Living Bread  to eat.  We are in awe of this mystery in which those who eat of this Bread and drink of this Chalice have eternal life.  What a blessing; what a gift.  His Body is true food; His Blood is true drink.  We have waited a long time for this day as we open up the doors of the church.  We have been true to our hunger for this moment, this mystery, and this food from heaven.  As a community of faith, just because the doors of the church were locked, it did not deter our hunger, our passion or our desire.  The true doors to our hearts and souls have always been open.  This is what inspires me.  Faith has overcome this moment.

The challenge now is what it has always been: what do we do with the energy we receive from this Sacrament? What do we do with the Grace we receive in this Sacrament?  How does the truth of this food shape our lives?  In a store we read labels and expiration dates.  This food never expires.   We see labels, “best if used by.”   We read dates that say “sell by.”  I am sometimes confused by this.  Do they mean at midnight the day before?  Do they mean at noon of the day printed?  This food never expires. The ingredient in this food from Heaven is most powerfully sacrificial love.  What do we do with this true food?  Driving down I-88 the other day I saw a pickup truck.  At first glance it appeared to be a work vehicle that had some ladders attached to the back. It was in the right lane and as I passed it, I glanced over to the driver’s side door expecting to see the name of the company on it.  Instead there was a sign the size of the entire door which read “The Eucharist is Essential.”  It was not what I was expecting.  It was evangelization.  Everyone could read it and whether they agreed or not, whether they were a believer or a non-believer, it was out there for all to see.

We receive this Living Bread that comes down from Heaven.  We trust it and we believe in it. The question remains. How will we use its powerful Sacramental Grace to change the world?

Father John Ouper