~ by kaka Lucas, 19th June 2022

Since I came to this parish, I have been treated so well that I am getting glued here. The cook makes breakfast and lunch and she makes sure we have dinner. On Saturdays, she makes a big pot of soup to feed the whole city. Red peas soup with pig’s tail has turned out to be my favorite Saturday soup. For Jamaica, and other English speaking islands like Trinidad, Barbados, Antigua – just to mention a few, soup is traditionally served on Saturdays and when enculturated, as I am to Caribbean culture, we call it “Saturday Soup”. The joke of it is that, even after eating the meals that our loving cook makes, I am always hungry for more. One day she had to ask me “Breda do you need worm medicine? Yah get fat man! Look at your fluffy cheeks.” Ms. Madge – she is the best cook I have met in my few years on this earth.

In our world today, more than ever, people are hungry; Not so much a hunger for soup, or any other kind of food as I am always hungering for. People are not only hungry for material things, but they are hungry for love. We are hungry for peace as our society gets more and more violent. Our young generation is yearning for peace and love, among many other things, which often times, leads them to depression and mischievous behaviors.

When we lose our sense of purpose and meaning, we scatter. We lose our balance. That is why, in our world today people are suffering from loneliness, anxiety and even anger and violence. Mother Theresa wasn’t wrong in saying, “In the West there is a loneliness, which I call the leprosy for the West. In many ways, it is worse than our poor in Calcutta.” She also said it differently in these words, “The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.” Where do you as an individual fall?

Because of this void/emptiness, the society through social media, has embarked in filling in the empty space with anything and everything. (Who cares?). Many people have gone ahead spending so much time and energy trying to fill that void and emptiness. And most of the times, we look to the wrong places, the wrong people and the wrong surroundings. At the end of the day, we realize that no amount of material things will be able to satisfy our hunger. No soup or chicken can fill the empty belly of our souls. No nature, place or beauty can make us feel whole or even satisfy our hunger.

This is when Jesus comes in and says, “I am the bread of life. He who eats this bread will never hunger again.” Which interpreted means that, when we have found God, we do not have to look for anything else. God is enough! It is this reason that Saint Augustine said,” Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.” When we have found this bread, we will never be hungry again. When we eat this bread, we will have life within. This precious cup that we drink will help us never to thirst for anything created.

Below is part of my reflection on the readings during the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus (CORPUS CHRISTI, 19TH JUNE, 2022)

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:25-26).

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord, marking the commemoration of the real presence of the Lord in the Eucharist. The Eucharist teaches us that we find God Himself, present as God and as Human, contained in the form of bread and wine. Jesus gave His life for our salvation and commanded us to celebrate the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in His memory.

In the first reading, we have the account of the encounter between Abraham and Melchizedek, the High priest of Salem and the high priest of God, most high. Abraham gave an offering to God through Melchizedek, a tenth of all his property as a thanksgiving for a victory that he had won. Melchizedek offered bread and wine, the full significance of which came into light at the last supper.

In the second reading, St. Paul gives us the account of what happened during the last supper when the Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist by offering bread and wine and commanding his disciples to always do this in his remembrance.
In the gospel, we have the multiplication of loaves where Jesus generously fed over five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes.

Something we can all learn from these readings is that the Eucharist is offered and shared in a community as a fulfillment of the final mission of Jesus to save the world. It is a sacrifice; it is a meal; it is a memorial meal and it is done in the community and celebrated by the church. The sacrifice and offering did not end at the last supper. The following day he offered Himself on the cross. The Eucharist is a celebration or a ‘big’ thanksgiving for the very sacrifice Jesus made for our salvation. His real presence couldn’t be just a memorial but fully Him in these humble servings of bread and wine – ordinary food that many of us can afford.

If it is Jesus in this bread that we receive, then it is a reminder that we come to him intentionally and fully aware it is God we are receiving. Therefore, we are to be ready to have him within us. Prepare your very self, your soul, your mind and body. How will you have him? Take Him respectfully and adorably. Have a reason to take Him and do not forget to be grateful to Him for accepting to come to you. Remember, He can say no. But because He loves you, He humbles Himself and comes to you in whatever state of grace you are. Remember He is God, He is Jesus, He is Real!