In our midst

THE STORY is told about a father who just finished laying fresh cement on his driveway when a group of children suddenly ran on it, leaving their footprints all over. In anger and frustration, he started shouting angry words. On hearing this, his friendly neighbor chided him, saying, "My friend I thought you loved children." "Oh, yes I do," he said, "but in the abstract, not in the concrete!"

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Today is the feast of "Corpus Christi," the Body and Blood of Christ. In concrete, we have in the Eucharist Christ's real and abiding presence. Jesus promised to be with us till the end of time, and we have in the Eucharist a visible sign and an effective means of His presence in our midst. This feast should remind us one thing: Christ is present among us, but do we feel His presence in us? Do we really appreciate the Eucharist? Do we love Him, so to say, in the concrete? Today is Sunday. In concrete, have you gone to Mass?

Did you receive Him today in communion? Do you at least intend to go to Mass and receive His Body and Blood?

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In today's Gospel (Lk. 9, 11-17), Jesus feeds the crowd in the multiplication of the bread. Prior to the miracle, He was speaking of the Kingdom of God, and He was curing those who needed healing. Food, word and healing. These elements are present in every Mass that is celebrated and in every tabernacle, 24 hours a day, and yet many of us are hungry and starving. Why? Because we do not avail ourselves of this tremendous source of strength and power. Many of us are "low bat," and yet we do not recharge our batteries. Many of us are running on empty, and yet we do not refill our tanks. Need food? Need guidance? Need healing? Try the Eucharist.

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For busy people, time spent with the Eucharist is just "wasted" time. There are more important things to do, right? Wrong! For those with a "materialistic mentality," and even for those who have an "activistic frame of mind," prayer, attending Mass and spending time before the Blessed Sacrament do not make sense because they claim that they should be busy transforming the world, right? Wrong again. Learn from the parable: Jesus could have spoken to the crowd "till kingdom come," or He could have gone on healing "till doomsday," but He stopped all this because the people were hungry and needed nourishment. He too, often left the crowd to be immersed in prayer. May the Lord transform our materialistic minds into Eucharistic minds.

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Father Ezeogu, SSp, shares the story about a group of Russians and Americans on a joint expedition. During a meal, an American bit into a hard Russian black bread and broke a tooth. "Lousy communist bread," he growled. In response, a Russian countered, "It's not lousy communist bread. It's rotten capitalist tooth!" Father Ezeogu goes on to say that if we do not experience the transforming power of the Eucharist, it is probably not on account of a "lousy Eucharist, but on account of our rotten faith." If we want real transformation in ourselves and in the world, we must learn to "waste" time in and with the Eucharist.

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I was in Medjugorje recently, and I witnessed the transforming effect of prayer, particularly the Eucharist, in the lives of so many people. Medjugorje town is prayer town. The whole town is centered on the church schedule. In every corner, there are confessions going on, there are pilgrims meditating and praying, and there is that prayerful atmosphere everywhere. Even the taxi drivers and the storeowners are on the prayer mode as they go about their daily chores. No big words in Medjugorje. Just silence and listening. No big debates and planning sessions. Just letting go and letting be. Medjugorje is a testament that, indeed, a lot of things are wrought by prayer far more than we can imagine or hope for. Tired of the rat race and exhausted with the worldly tread mill? Try prayer. Try the Eucharist. It works. But you must work it out.

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This is a long shot, but I would like to suggest that the Eucharist be exposed at the Batasan for an hour and let the canvassers together with the lawyers of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Fernando Poe Jr. just sit still, keep quiet, pray and listen. They, particularly the lawyers, know what the real score is. In their hearts (they have hearts!), they know the truth, the raw truth, not the truth according to them or according to their clients. Before the Eucharistic Lord, perhaps, they will have an opening of heart and mind, and see that what matters for this country to get moving is not whether GMA or FPJ won, but that the truth won, and that whoever was really chosen by the people last May 11 will be the president of our country for the next six years. There. It's a long shot but I took it anyway. In the name of the Eucharistic Lord, let go, and let be. Amen!

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A moment with the Lord

Lord, You are always with us, in us and for us. May we also be always with You, in You and for You. Amen.