Many of you have probably heard me say “You are what you eat” in reference to the Eucharist. It is an important reminder for us as we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Jesus, “We are what we eat.” When we receive the Eucharist, it is not just a pious expression of faith; we are consuming the Bread of Life, the living Body and Blood of our crucified and Risen Lord.
As people of faith, we believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist and the Eucharist is meant to transform us, to heal us, and to raise us up. The placement of this feast on our liturgical calendar is not by accident. Over roughly a 110-day period, beginning on Ash Wednesday, we focused on the events that lead to the liberating death of Jesus and the transforming resurrection. It comes immediately after the Easter Season because the Eucharist unites the life, the death and resurrection of Jesus into one.
When we receive the Eucharist, we are saying yes to the life of Jesus, to all that he stood for and believed in. We are receiving the broken body of our crucified Lord. We are receiving the living body of our Risen Lord. The Eucharist unites us with Jesus and is meant to transform and fill us with the same fire of love that motivated Jesus. Remember, you are what you eat!
The Eucharist is an awesome gift that God has given to us. The next time you receive the Body and Blood of Christ, remember, you are what you eat! We are called to be Christ to one another, we are called to give sight to the blind, to heal the broken hearted, to welcome the stranger, to love the lost and rejected, to forgive those who’ve wronged us. We are called to bring Christ’s love to the world around us. We are called to be transformed in God’s love. My friends, never forget when it comes the Eucharist, we are what we eat! We are called to be Christ to one another in a world that hungers for peace, justice, and faithful love.
May God bless you and your loved ones today, tomorrow, and forever more.