“It’s all in the details” was my father’s mantra. He was methodical in his preparations. From him we learned that nothing significant in our lives happens without preparation. We spend years in school before we begin a profession. We spend months preparing for a wedding; years preparing for profession of vows in a religious congregation. We spend hours pouring over specs as we build a house. Big events take careful preparation. In our gospel today [Mark 14:12-16, 22-26], Jesus sends two disciples ahead to make preparations for a supper. Such careful preparation means something important is about to happen. And so it does, Jesus gives himself, body and blood, the Eucharist, to us as food. Truly the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. This is the mystery we celebrate this Sunday.
This feast offers us an opportunity to reflect on the times when we are called to be what we receive-when we become the Body and Blood of Christ for each other. By our participation in the Eucharist, we accept the new relationship of divine self gift and personal presence. Even more, we become that presence for the world, called to that same self-giving.
Thank you for the wonderful reflections posted. All make me stop and take time to smell the roses and enjoy each day that God has given to me as a gift. In response what do I do with that gift? I am called to serve God’s people just as Paul or any of the other apostles were. Sometimes I may moan about what my day consists of, when doing errands for my 99 year old mother, caring for my grandchildren or serving another funeral at my parish as bereavment minister. If I take time to reflect on each days duties and think of what St. Angela may have done in her day, this may make my days duties a lot lighter and I will feel refreshed as I serve God’s people as an associate of the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown.
I am an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist in my parish. Thank you for this reflection. Daily there are occasions when I am called to be Eucharist for another. I am a care-giver for my 91 year old mother who has some dementia; I check-in with my 94 year old uncle and pay his bills; I am a mother to a teen-age boy who is learning to drive and I am a wife. Daily, it is self-giving.