This weekend we celebrate “Corpus Christi Sunday”… the “Body and Blood of Jesus.” The Church tells us that this celebration of the Eucharist was established for three purposes: to offer God our thanks for Christ’s abiding presence with us in the Eucharist and to honor Jesus’ presence in our lives…to remind us, the people of God, of the devotion we should have to the Eucharist…and to teach us to appreciate and make use of the great gift of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. For sure, we can tend to take the reception of the Eucharist for granted. If we choose, we can receive the Eucharist every day of our lives! What a gift we have in this opportunity!!! I spoke recently with Bishop Manny (native son of St. Michael’s) about his “jungle diocese” in Brazil. Catholics there deem themselves fortunate when they are given the opportunity to receive the Eucharist every few months. These people must experience what I would call a sense of “starvation” when it comes to the Eucharist. Unlike many of us who have daily access to the Eucharist, they really long for the Lord in the Eucharist. Starvation -- even for a limited time -- convinces us of how dependent we are on food. Physical hunger has debilitating effects on our physical well-being. Think about the experience of “spiritual hunger.” This happens when our relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist is put on hold. We are moving toward a time, I believe, when the Eucharist will not be available to us as often as we would like. And we can complain when a Mass time isn’t “convenient” for us!!! Just as a meal is the perfect relief from physical hunger, union with Jesus and the community of believers at the liturgy is the perfect relief for our spiritual ills. When we receive the Eucharist, we become Christ-bearers as Mary was, with the duty of conveying Christ to others at home and in the workplace, as love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion. This week, think about what a great gift the Eucharist is in your life and…never take this gift for granted…approach this gift at the liturgy with reverence. This is the Lord that you are approaching!!! One of the seminarians who gives tours of St. Peter’s told of an interesting incident. He was leading a group of Japanese tourists who knew absolutely nothing of our faith. With particular care he explained the great masterpieces of art, sculpture and architecture. He finally concluded at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel trying his best to explain quickly what it was. As the group dispersed, an elderly man, who had been particularly attentive stayed behind, and said, “ Pardon me. Would you explain again this ‘Blessed Sacrament? ’ The student did, after which the man exclaimed, “ Ah, if this is so, what is in this chapel is a greater work of art than anything else in this basilica. ” What/Who we celebrate today…Corpus Christi…is intended to make us value and appreciate the wonder and worth of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Do you have the appreciation you should for this gift of Jesus? GOSPEL HOMEWORK FOR THE WEEK: Think about the gift of the Eucharist in your life.