Corpus Christi Sunday A

1.       The late Cardinal Hume, Archbishop of London visited Ethiopia in the 80 during the famine and food crisis. As he descended the helicopter a 10 year old boy dressed just in a pair of shorts, rushed up and grabbed the Cardinal’s hand. He never let go of the Cardinal’s hand for all the time he was there. Periodically he would touch his finger to his mouth, at other times he would rub the Cardinal’s hand to his cheek. But he would never loosen his grip on the hand. He signified the two basic needs of every person: the Need for food and the need for Love. The Cardinal never forgot that lesson taught to him by a starving 10 year old Ethiopian.

2.       As we celebrate the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ we remember these two basic needs of each of us. We are challenged not only to meet our needs but to help others less fortunate than we are to meet the same needs in themselves.

3.       Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy calls the People of Israel to remember. He asks them to remember how God took care of them always , but especially when they were as Slaves in Egypt and in their Exodus from the same land to the promised Land. He calls them to remember the providential care of God.by remembering they would be able to face their present crisesby remembering they would be able to face the futureby remembering they would not make the same mistakes as beforeby remembering they would realise that Man does not live by Bread aloneby remembering we today can realise that we are here for the long haul - not just for this life, but Eternal life.

4.       And so following the Command of Jesus in the Gospel, we are nourished by the Eucharist. However, in the four short lines of the Second Reading, the letter of Paul to the Corinthians we are called to prepare the ground for the reception of the Eucharist.  Four short sentences but it gives us the pure essence of the meaning of the Sacrament. We though many are one.The Corinthians were in the habit of quarrelling. There were a lot of divisions among them. Paul reminds them that if these divisions continue it will avail them to no good to come to the Eucharist.  This message is so relevant to a lively parish like Our Lady of Lourdes. We have almost 40 different groups working in this parish. Each group is made of highly intelligent people, with dynamic personalities. With such high voltage personalities, there are bound to be sparks. Hence the message of how to live together, work together, and keep our individualities in control for the Great Glory of God - is so relevant today.

          I rejoice in our differences, male and female, gay and straight, old and young, and the whole plethora of different races - what a beautiful harmony showing the beauty of God. But we can only to so because we are nourished on the Body and Blood of Christ. We can only do so because we are united in Christ who is the Head and Heart of our Church. We can only do so because we share in the cup of Blessing which the Blood of Christ.

5.       But the Eucharist goes further than the beautiful walls of this Church and its comforting and soothing place of worship. It goes into the Streets around and the 19 apartment buildings of St. James Town that house nearly 50,000 people. We cannot eat of the Bread and drink of the Cup if weknow of a brother who has not place to live

know of a sister who has no bread to eat

know of a child who has no clothes to wear.

6.       We get strength from the Eucharist. The Gospel tells us that Jesus lives because of the Father. We live because of Jesus. Others will live because of us, because we bother to share the Cup of Blessing which we bless !If God is our Father we have to be concerned with those who live a sub human standard of life right in our midst. We have to be concerned about those who have nothing to eat and no one to love as the young boy from Ethiopia.

          If we are meant to live and we are meant to share this life then we cannot have anything to do with War, with Arms, with Arms Productions, with Weapons of Mass Destruction. This means not just guns and bullets and rockets, but as Archbishop Oscar Romero said: the biggest Weapon of Mass Destruction is Poverty.

          We have to take a close look at those with whom we do Business. We cannot afford to be a part of a Business that

          puts people out of work

          that makes living conditions impossible

          that pays less than minimum wage

creates a situation where people have to take two jobs to live at the level of poverty

where nurses cannot afford to buy for themselves the tablets they give to patients

where hotel workers with a month’s wages cannot live in the very hotels they clean and maintain.

7.       The Eucharist makes us take a radical look at our way of life and our rules, our standards and our conditions of living.

As I walk up to the altar to receive the Body and Blood of Christ.

As I say the Words of Thomas: My Lord and My God

As I bless myself with the sign of the Cross.

I am one with my brother in the Street. I am one with the sister who has no clothes. I am one with the Child who has nothing to eat. I am called once more to Share int he Cup of Blessing which we Bless.