Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
You know what grinds my gears? When Jesus is locked in the tabernacle! For months now it has been heartbreaking to know we have a tabernacle full on the Eucharist while so many hunger for the grace and strength of the living Body and Blood of Christ. There was even one time I was praying in front of the tabernacle and I had to talk myself down from just taking the Eucharist door to door around Ames. But I had to tell myself, “Okay Kyle. Probably not prudent to take Communion door to door during a pandemic. Not to mention it is practically and theologically dubious, but that is for a different time. But it did not change the fact that I was bothered by our tabernacle being full of the Eucharist while so many hungered for this grace of this sacrament.
But perhaps what grinds my gears even more than when Jesus is left locked in that tabernacle (of wood) is when Jesus is locked in this tabernacle (of our hearts). Every day we encounter people who are hungering for Christ. They are hungry for his grace, his comfort, his justice, his peace and especially his love. And we so often leave the Jesus that we receive in the Eucharist locked in our hearts out of fear or laziness or feeling inadequate or (the one that I struggle with most) we think we are too busy.
Today we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christy; the most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. It is such a joy to be able to unlock the doors of that tabernacle and to take the Body of Christ we will celebrate at this altar and feed those who hunger for Christ. But we also need to remind ourselves that there are many out there who hunger for Christ. We may not see it on the outside. Heck, they may not even realize it. But the hunger for the peace, beauty and love of Christ is something we all long for. Let us not forget that this Eucharist we celebrate is not complete after communion is over. It is only complete when the world is set on fire with the love of Christ and all who are hungry for this love are satisfied.