FEAST OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST At our parish in Whittier we have Lexico Divina groups. Lexio divina is not biblical study, rather it is a reflection on the word of God. An opportunity to read the gospel and share our faith. So this week, as always, I had the opportunity to reflect on the gospel with different groups in the parish. Very good as always, but a question I had, why the story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes on the feast of the body and blood of Christ? I like the gospel, but I didn't understand why this gospel today. But something that happened in the reflection opened my eyes. As I said, people had the opportunity to share something that caught their attention from the reading. Each time, and it was always a woman, they shared the concern of having enough food. One told the story that she was about to eat with her husband when her son came in with his wife and two sons. As it was time to eat she invited them in, but at the same time she thought, "there isn’t enough food" But she fixed something by finding something in the refrigerator and if there was enough. Another lady in another group shared almost the same thing. Someone came over, they were eating, they invited them to the table, thinking that it was not enough. But there was. The second time I heard the story, a lightbulb lit up in my mind. That's why we have the loaves and fishes Gospel! Jesus is like the two ladies, the mothers of the community. Always with the desire to invite, and share. The two ladies were not going to send their guests without giving them something to eat. Just as Jesus was not going to send the 5 thousand to look for food in the town. No, Jesus was going to share what he had with the people. And he invited his disciples also to share what they had as well. Such is the love of Jesus. He will never send us away empty. If someone comes looking for something, Jesus is not going to say. "Go over there." No, Jesus is going to say, “Stay here.” But it is only a comparison. Jesus cares about our needs, as the gospel says he began by healing the sick. He wants us to have enough to eat. He wants there to be peace in the world, and in our homes. But Jesus is not only going to give us something today, he is going to give us something for eternal life. That is why Jesus gave us the Eucharist. He knows very well of our need and he is not going to leave us empty, he is not going to send us home empty, but first he will feed us. He gives us the bread of eternal life. He invites us to share in the Eucharist. One of the things that I like the most as a priest is to visit the homes. I like it because it gives me the opportunity to meet people in a different way and also to meet people who don't come to church. Another thing I like is that people almost always offer me something to eat. Like last night I went to visit a family and they gave me tamales. My favorite rajas con queso. It is important to eat because it expresses a union with the family. Sitting together at the table we are more united. In the Eucharist we do the same. We do not come here primarily to worship the Eucharist. We can sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament for hours, but we come here mainly to eat his body, and drink his blood. As Saint Paul says in the first reading of "Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he comes." Then let us approach the table of the Lord. Yes, like the centurion we are not worthy, but Jesus invites us. We approach like people who are hungry, with our hands outstretched. We take the bread of eternal life. We receive communion by making an act of faith. Jesus loves us, Jesus feeds us and to this we say Amen!