From the Pastor – June 14, 2020

Today is the FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI, THE BODY & BLOOD OF CHRIST! Today celebrates thegift of the Eucharist to us. This was the gift Jesus gave the apostles and all of us at the Last Supper. But theEucharist is more than what we receive. It is who we are as God’s people, the Body of Christ. As such, we arecalled to live in a right relationship with our God and with each other, building up the Body of Christ by the waywe live our lives.  But the Body of Christ is hurting these days. This is not just from COVID-19, which has affected us all in oneway or another. It is also hurting because of the death of George Floyd and the apparent underlying racism. Butthere is also the issue of the protests that resulted in looting, destruction, and fires. There is nothing wrong withprotesting, but when it leads to all this destruction, something is wrong. It is easy to become filled with anger andrage over events, especially the loss of human life, but it should never lead to the disrespect of individuals orproperty, especially those people and businesses that support the community.  Yes, the Body of Christ is hurting. We must stand for something different, to show that as the Body of Christ wehave a way to live as brother and sister in the Lord. We do not have to talk about it because the way we behavetoward each other and the attitudes we have all reflect our faith in the God who calls us as his own. Jesus offeredus a different way to encounter one another, in the hope that as he made a difference for us, we can do the samefor one another. Violence and destruction do not change the world but caring for and loving one another do. Thisis not as difficult as it seems.  The readings today remind us that we are one because we share the one bread and the one cup in the Lord. TheEucharist nurtures us, sustains us, satisfies our hunger, and quenches our thirst. The Lord sends us forth to be hisBody for each other, so that we can return and be nourished over and over. When we can gather again as acommunity, we will be able to experience this from another perspective. Until then, let us not lose our perspectiveon the seriousness of the Lord’s call to goodness, holiness, and unity. These are critical issues for all of us, andthey will help in healing the suffering Body of Christ. If each of us can bring a little bit of light, life, and love tothe people we meet, even in these difficult days, then that will go a long way in helping others experience the giftthat Jesus is to all of us. We are the Body of Christ!  Cardinal Tobin has released a statement about the death of George Floyd and its effects on our society and all ofus. It is posted in today’s bulletin on the parish website. HAPPY CORPUS CHRISTI !!!~ Fr. Joe