No Love, No Eucharist - OLGC Parish Plymouth

NO LOVE,NO EUCHARIST
Weekof the Year,Monday(B)
Twenty-fourth
. 1 Corinthians
11:17-26,33
. L u k e7 : 1 - 1 0
Sometimeago I reada rivetingreportfroma priestin Calcutta.He had beeninvitedto
at theirHouseof the Dying.Whenthe
offerMassfor MotherTeresaand hercommunity
time came for Holy Communion,he felt deeply how honoredhe was to be giving
to this small,intensewomanclothedin sari and sandals.Suddenlyhe
Communion
it when he saw the way she lookedat the
abandonedthat line of thinking-abandoned
Host.lt was then he realizedthatthe genuinewonderof the momentwas
consecrated
to a livingsaint,but that he was holdingin his
not that he was givingHolyCommunion
handthe bodyof Christ.
But thatwas onlypartof the story.The priestwent on to tell of MotherTeresa's
powerfulfaith.MotherTeresa,he said,believesin two kindsof "realpresence."
Withthe
of breadand wine;and
eyesof faithshe seesthe livingChristunderthe appearances
withthe eyesof faithshe alsoseesthe samelivingChristin the peopleshe servesso
tenderly,so lovingly."MotherTeresa,"he wrote,"is a believer.Christis alwaystherefor
peopleshe ministers
to. She reverences
them
her in eachof the brokenand miserable
Eucharist."
as she doesthe consecrated
In that contextlet me beginwith St. Paul and his CorinthianChristians,move
brisklyto MotherTeresaand herbrokenpeople,andendwithyou andme.'
I
First,Paul. Paul is angry.When the Christiansof Corinthcornetogetherin a
privatehometo celebratethe Eucharist,
to his way of thinkingthere is no Eucharist.
Eventhoughthe ritualwordsare uttered,thereis no Eucharist.
Why?Becausethereis
no love.Thereis only division.The wealthiercomeearly,eat theirown supper,leave
nothingfor the poor who have beenworkingall day. "One goes hungryand another
becomesdrunk"(1 Cor 11:21).Becausethe Eucharistic
foodis the Lord,you violateits
sacred character,you violate the Lord's presence,by selfish individualism,by
disregarding
the poor.No Eucharist
becauseno communityl
Canonlawyersmay shout"But it's valid,"theologians
mightecho their protest.
in our preciousvalidity;he is concerned
But Paulis not interested
for a Eucharist
that is
fruitful,a Eucharistthat is a sharingin God'sgrace.But...nolove,no grace.No grace,
no Eucharist.
tl
Second,MotherTeresa.Nota theologian,
but a womanwithincredible
insight,
unbelievable
abilityto breakthroughthe tortuousstammerings
of us theologians
and
livethe wondrousrealitieswe struggleto express.To her,onesentencesaidit all:"This
is my bodythat is [broken]for you"(v. 24).Teresahad grasped,had beengraspedby,
the Eucharisticrealitythat makessenseof her life. The body of Christthat is the
Eucharistis not a privateparty,a me-and-Jesus
two-step.The bodyof Christthat is the
Eucharistmakesthe Bodyof Christthatis the Church.lt is brokennotto satisfyisolated
individuals
butto buildcommunity.
lt is brokenparticularly
for thosewho arethemselves
3
broken,who sharemoreof Jesus'crucifixion
thanof his resurrection.
uncommonly
That
it.
bodyis brokenand givenevenfor thosewho havenotthejoy of receiving
Teresa graspedand lived the two facets of Eucharisticbelief that Catholic
stressestoday,has actuallyalwaysstressed.(1) Christis reallypresentin
spirituality
what lookslike bread,feelslikebread,tasteslike breadbut is not bread,is simplyand
trulyChristJesusour Lord.(2) The sameChristis reallypresentin everyman,woman,
and childno matterhow inhuman;for eachhas beenshapedin the imageof Christ,a
likenessto Christthat evensin cannotutterlydestroy.The 50,000bodiesTeresaand
her sistersbroughtintotheirhometo die withdignity-eachwas carriedin becausehe
or shewas Christ,a Christcrucified.
Itl
Third,what of you and me? Eachdaywe are privileged
to transmutewheatand
for ourselves;
notevensimplyfor
wineintothe risenChrist.Notsimplyor evenprimarily
ThisBread,Jesussaid,is given"forthe lifeof the world"(Jn 6:33,51).
our parishioners.
Each Eucharisticrecessionalis not an end but a beginning.lt is a movementfrom
churchto world,fromaltarto people,fromChristcrucifiedon Calvaryto Christcrucified
on the highwaysand bywaysof ourworld.
For us andfor our people,for thosewhostrugglefor biblicaljustice,who agonize
for brokenbrothersand wastedsisters,the Eucharistshouldbe
overour responsibility
The peril is
But our Eucharistis a perilousexperience.
the heart of our spirituality.
twofold,comes from two quarters.On the one hand, the Eucharistis the prime
sacramentof unity,and yet it dividesus. Not preciselythe way it dividedthe early
fromthe
Corinthiancommunity.Butjust as effectively:
from the musicto the ministers,
4
exchangeof peaceto Communionin the hand,from the agendaand the baggagewe
bringwith us. On the otherhand,the Eucharistshouldpropelour peopleto the poorof
who shareourfaith;all thosewho are in pain.lt
everydimension.Notonlythe suffering
shouldopenour eyesas it doesthe eyesof Teresa:to see in everyhumanthe imageof
Christ,the Christof Calvarythereal presenceof Christin thosewho laborand are
But does it? Howcan it whenonly 30 percentof AmericanCatholics
heavy-burdened.
are nourishedby Christ'swordandfleshat leasttwicea month?Howcan it whenuntold
thousandswho are so nourishedclosetheirearswhen"thepoor"are preached,when
money?
the veryword"justice"conjuresup lazywelfarefolklivingoff our hard-earned
This is not a jeremiadagainstour people.The longerI live,the moreconvincedI
am that"thebuckstops. . . here."AfterGod,the initiativerestswithus. Paulwas clear,
unambiguous:
"[God]has given us the ministryof reconciliation,
entrustingihe
for Christ,sinceGod is making
to us. So we are ambassadors
ministryof reconciliation
summons
all
Notindeedexclusively;
baptism
Hisappealthroughus.. ." (2 Cor5:18-20).
For
way throughour ordination.
Still,in a sharp,singular
to be reconcilers.
Christians
gracesus powerfully
to movethe mindsandheartsof menand
to be leaders,
ordination
women,to organizethe charismsof our peopleso that each parishis a force for
God,withoneanother,withthe earth.
reconciliation-with
The Wordof Godandthe fleshof Christ.
throughthe Eucharist.
How?Especially
ls there any power on earth more dynamicthan these?Weak we may be, fearful,
than Paul.But,like
but no weaker,no morefearful,no morediscouraged
discouraged;
me"(Phil4:13).I caneven
Paul,"l cando allthingsthrough[theLord]whostrengthens
preachwithfire in my belly!
Yes,but onlyif I applyPaulto my ownministry:no love,no Eucharist.