At my first mass almost thirty years ago, at the consecration when I genuflected, my first thought was “what I have just done?”    I still stand in awe of the power of God that changes ordinary bread and wine into the living presence of the Lord Jesus.

At every Eucharist, we are in the Upper Room to receive the greatest gift ever.  At every Mass, we are on Calvary as recipients of the grace of salvation that flowed from the side of Christ when the soldier pierced his side and blood and water flowed.   St John Chrysostom tells that this blood and water is the reality of Baptism and Eucharist and it is from there, the Church, you and I, were born.  It from the side of Christ crucified that we see the mission of the Church.

We are to go and bring Jesus to others. In the Gospel: Who feeds the crowd?  Jesus? No!  He says to the disciples “Give them some food yourselves.”  The Jesus we adore; the Jesus we receive in the Blessed Sacrament, cannot be left in this Church.  We are to be living tabernacles.  We are challenged to reverence Him in all people and to bring all people His Love and Grace to the hungry of the world.

Jesus says to each of us here today:  Give them, give the world, some food yourselves.  We cannot keep him locked away or see our reception of Holy Communion as a me and Jesus event.  We receive Him to grow in grace in order to accomplish the mission entrusted to us.  Spending time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a wonderful way to grow in our love of Jesus, but it also needs to lead us to action.  I encourage you to come here on Monday at 7 or go to St John/St Joseph on Tuesday at 6:30 and be refreshed by our Eucharistic Lord.  Bring someone who doesn’t come to church a lot; invite them to just be with Jesus.

Another opportunity to bring Jesus to others is to serve as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion here at Mass or by bringing Holy Communion to the homebound or both.  What a better way to do what Jesus asked the disciples to do.  Don’t worry about worthiness; who is?  Even I don’t feel worthy of the place I stand……remember the prayer before we receive: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” .

I have asked two Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to share with us what it means for them to be an Extraordinary Minister of Communion.  If you feel the Lord is calling you to this ministry there are a couple of Extraordinary Ministers in the back of the Church who will take your name or answer any questions.

Is the Lord telling you today:  Give them something to eat.?