Give Them Some Food Yourselves
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
“Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, Jesus said the blessing over them, broke them and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.” Luke 9:16
We do it so often, we could take it for granted. Yet, the mystery of the Eucharist, our participation in, reception of, and being sent to live as Christ’s Body and Blood is a gift beyond measure. In the desert with the crowd and on the night of the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, said a prayer of blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to those who hungered for physical and spiritual nourishment. Scripture scholars and theologians often remind us that we are to repeat Jesus’ actions of taking, blessing, breaking, and giving—with our lives, resources, and gifts—so that others may know the love of Christ. As Eucharistic people. we are meant to be changed, to become more like the One whom we receive.
Notice that Jesus sent his disciples to give the crowd the food they needed. Jesus could have done this alone. We could say he didn’t need the disciples to participate in the feeding of the great crowd. But Jesus did not act alone then, and Christ relies on us now, to feed those who hunger and thirst physically, spiritually, and emotionally. When we grow weary and want nothing more than to satisfy our selfish and self-centered impulses, it is good for us to remember who we are and whose we are. It is crucial that we hear in the depths of our hearts, “Give them some food yourselves,” and be ready to do so. On this solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, let us celebrate Christ’s living presence with and for us and recognize our call to share that presence with others.
Readings for the Week
Monday: 2 Kgs 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18; Ps 60:3-5, 12-13; Mt 7:1-5
Tuesday: 2 Kgs 19:9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36; Ps 48:2-4, 10-11; Mt 7:6, 12-14
Wednesday: 2 Kgs 22:8-13; 23:1-3; Ps 119:33-37, 40; Mt 7:15-20
Thursday:
Vigil: Jer 1:4-10; Ps 71:1-6, 15, 17; 1 Pt 1:8-12; Lk 1:5-17
Day: Is 49:1-6; Ps 139:1-3, 13-15; Acts 13:22-26; Lk 1:57-66, 80
Friday: Ez 34:11-16; Ps 23:1-6; Rom 5:5b-11; Lk 15:3-7
Saturday: Lam 2:2, 10-14, 18-19; Ps 74:1b-7, 20-21; Lk 2:41-51
Sunday: 1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-21; Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-11; Gal 5:1, 13-18; Lk 9:51-62
Saints & Special Observances
Sunday: The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ; Father’s Day; Juneteenth
Monday: Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Tuesday: St. Aloysius Gonzaga; Summer begins
Wednesday: St. Paulinus of Nola; Ss. John Fisher and Thomas More
Thursday: The Nativity of St. John the Baptist
Friday: The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Saturday: The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary