Jesus went to those most in need. He forgave the sinner, ate with the outcast, defended, and fed those who were poor and hungry. He worked for true justice, risked being unpopular, willingly accepted suffering and death, and always stayed connected with his Abba, Father. Jesus also consistently reminded folks that God’s compassion, love, and mercy trump everything, even the law. This is the Christ that the Eucharist calls us to be. As we look around our churches, our towns and cities, and our world, there are many people who need to see the face and body of Christ. Some of those most in need may be right within our families. But it is always in the poorest of the poor and those most vulnerable that we find the greatest need. There are many who cannot function on their own. When the gift of the Eucharistic Christ takes root in our hearts, we can more readily see the face of Christ in others.
Many people are vulnerable. Highest on that list are the homeless. They show us the face of Christ. Whatever the cause, to have no place to go and no place to call home takes a toll on the human spirit. For Jesus when there were hungry people, they were fed. God asks us to do the same … feed people. There are many who are hungry physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Gifted by the Eucharistic presence of Christ, we can bring them Christ. Who are the hungry around us and how can we feed them?
When someone is hurting, you comfort them. When someone is hungry, you feed them. When someone needs clothes, you provide them. When someone is cold, you warm them. When someone is in prison, you visit them. With over a million people who are homeless and over a quarter of them children, it is important to ask the question, “why?” and strategize for ways to lessen or alleviate the problem. Nevertheless, we are not off the hook for responding to the immediate needs that present themselves at our doors. Whether a person’s current station in life is self-imposed or the result of being victimized, they are sacred vessels. We cannot lock the door and send them away and still believe we bear the Eucharistic presence of Christ. It doesn’t work like that. ©LPi
Notes for this Weekend
Welcome
Welcome to our Eucharistic Celebration on this The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
We gather today at the table of the Lord, invited to share in this sacred meal in which Christ himself provides the food and drink for us to consume, the bread of life and the cup of eternal salvation. Saint Paul tells us that Jesus told his disciples to remember him each time they celebrated the Eucharist. So today, nearly two thousand years after the first time his followers did, we celebrate the Eucharist, remembering that Jesus Christ offered his body and blood to redeem us from sin, giving his earthly life to give us heavenly life.
The intentions of this Mass are for all those in our special intention basket and...
Please stand for our procession.
Universal Prayer
A. For the Church during the “Forward in Mission” Jubilee Year, that fed by Jesus in the Eucharist, we may feed the world in his name, let us pray to the Lord.
B. For all who suffer from hunger or malnutrition, that their need for nourishment may be satisfied by those who have the power to provide them sustenance and life, let us pray to the Lord.
C. For farmers and migrant workers, bakers and cooks, food plant workers and grocery clerks, and all who work to enable us to put food on our tables, let us pray to the Lord.
D. For fathers everywhere, that they may be blessed with the grace that enables them to nourish and cherish their families, let us pray to the Lord.
E. For all the prayers that we hold in the silence of our hearts; for all our intentions spoken and unspoken, let us pray to the Lord.
Announcements
1. Our First Communion registrations are now open. You can do this online or see our bulletin for a complete list of in-person dates for June. Our Youth Confirmation registrations will take place in July.
2. We will have a Memorial Mass for Father Greg on Monday, June 20, at 11 am. The celebrant of the Mass will be Cardinal Mahony.
3. We have envelopes inside the Church for those who would like to remember their father or father figures in their life. We will be praying for them during June.
