St James Catholic Church

     It’s a scientific fact that the human body cannot last long without food or drink. We need to eat and drink to survive. But what Jesus offers is food and drink of another sort. It is food and drink of eternal life. Today we celebrate the Body and Blood of Christ, which he gave as a sacrifice for our sins and continues to give each time we celebrate the Eucharist. We consume his Body and Blood so that we can be nourished in carrying out his mission in the world and sustained on our journey to eternal life.

     St. Paul tells the Corinthians that they receive more than sustenance and nourishment when they receive the Eucharist. They also participate in the offering of the Body and Blood of Christ from the beginning. This puts us into full communion with God and with each other. It also brings us into unity as the single body of Christ, which is the Church.

     Physical hunger is a simple fact of life. Whether we have plenty, live on a limited budget, or suffer from malnutrition, we experience the pangs of hunger whenever we have not eaten for a while. Spiritual hunger is a fact of life as well. Our spirits need sustenance and nourishment as much as our bodies do. We need friendship, intimacy, peace of mind, and love. Jesus satisfies this hunger and explains it in physical terms. The true food he provides is his very self, which gifts us an intimacy beyond any other gift, a communion of love with Christ in the Eucharist.

Love, Peace, Joy,

Fr. Bob