Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ) cycle C

LUKE 9:11b-17
SOMETIMES A PERSON IS SO OVERWEIGHT THAT HE IS IN DANGER OF DEATH. SURGERY CAN MAKE THE STOMACH VERY SMALL, AND WEIGHT LOSS FOLLOWS, AND A LIFE IS SAVED. BUT SOMETIMES THINGS GO HORRIBLY WRONG. I HAVE A PATIENT LIKE THAT. SHE HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO EAT WITHOUT SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAIN AND FREQUENT VOMITING IN THE FOUR YEARS SINCE SHE HAD HER OPERATION. SHE IS FED INTRAVENOUSLY, BUT SHE IS ALWAYS DESPERATELY HUNGRY, AND THERE IS NOTHING SHE CAN DO TO SATISFY THAT HUNGER.
EVERY HUMAN BEING EXPERIENCES HUNGER. SOME OF OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS HAVE BEEN SO HUNGRY THAT THEIR BODIES SWELL UP AND THEY CAN'T WALK, AND ALL THEY CAN THINK ABOUT UNTIL THEY FINALLY SLIP INTO A COMA IS EATING SOMETHING. BUT OUR HUNGER IS NOTHING LIKE THAT; WE LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPER AFTER A LONG DAY AT WORK; OR WE DELIBERATELY SKIP BREAKFAST AND LUNCH SO THAT WE WILL HAVE MORE CAPACITY WHEN WE GO TO THAT SPECIAL HOLIDAY MEAL. WE SHARE HUNGER AND THIRST WITH ALL THE CREATURES THAT WALK OR SWIM OR FLY; THE BODY SIGNALS THAT IT NEEDS SOMETHING, SOME FUEL TO BURN, SOME CHEMICALS TO BUILD UP TISSUES, AND WE GO LOOK FOR SOMETHING TO EAT OR DRINK. IF WE IGNORE OUR HUNGER, IT GETS WORSE AND WORSE UNTIL WE FINALLY GIVE IN. BUT FOR HUMAN BEINGS, EATING AND DRINKING CAN MEAN MORE THAN JUST FILLING UP, SO WE HAVE DISORDERS OF HUNGER: PEOPLE WHO ARE ANOREXIC, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE SO OBESE THAT THEY RISK THEIR LIVES.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER HUNGERS. IF WE SATISFY OUR PHYSICAL HUNGER, WE MAY LONG FOR ANSWERS, FOR UNDERSTANDING. WE HAVE INTELLECTUAL HUNGER. ONE OF MY OLD PROFESSORS IS STILL DOING RESEARCH ABOUT BREAST CANCER AT 86, AFTER TWO HEART OPERATIONS AND REPAIR OF AN ABDOMINAL ANEURYSM. HE WENT TO WORK EVERY DAY FOR A MONTH WEARING A PUMP WHICH PUSHED ANTIBIOTICS INTO HIS BLOOD STREAM TO COMBAT AN INFECTION HE HAD ACQUIRED. MOST OF US AREN'T THAT HUNGRY FOR KNOWLEDGE, BUT WE READ NOVELS OR WATCH TV OR MOVIES PARTLY BECAUSE WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, OR WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND A CHARACTER BETTER. THE EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF THE INTERNET WAS NEVER EXPECTED. IT'S INVENTORS SAW IT AS A CONVENIENT WAY FOR MILITARY TEAMS TO COORDINATE WITH EACH OTHER. BUT NOW WE CAN THINK OF A QUESTION AND GOOGLE AN ANSWER, AND WE DO; THAT'S WHY GOOGLE IS ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST COMPANIES IN THE WORLD.
OR WE MAY EXPERIENCE STILL ANOTHER KIND OF HUNGER, THE HUNGER FOR ANOTHER PERSON. WHEN MY WIFE IS AWAY, I MISS HER PRESENCE. EVEN THOUGH WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH PHONES AND EMAILS, WE ALL WOULD RATHER BE IN THE SAME ROOM WITH A FRIEND. AND PEOPLE WHO CAN'T SATISFY THIS KIND OF HUNGER ARE USUALLY DEPRESSED; AND BABIES THAT CAN'T SATISFY THIS HUNGER GET SICK AND CAN DEVELOP ABNORMALLY. AND THAT ECCENTRIC LADY WHO LIVES WITH TWENTY CATS, OR THAT LONELY MAN WHO SITS IN A BAR EVERY NIGHT, MAYBE THEY ARE TRYING TO SATISFY THAT UNIVERSAL HUNGER.
SO WHY GO ON AND ON ABOUT HUNGER? ALL HUNGER DEMANDS SATISFACTION; BECAUSE WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS, WE SOMETIMES SATISFY OUR HUNGERS IN PERVERSE WAYS – WE CONSUME TOO MUCH, WE FIND SUBSTITUTES, WE BECOME ADDICTED. ALL HUNGER, WHEN SATISFIED, COMES BACK SOONER OR LATER. WE ARE ALL LIKE THE SAMARITAN WOMAN WHO BEGGED JESUS FOR THE WATER THAT WOULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR HER NEVER TO HAVE TO GO TO THE WELL AGAIN.
` TODAY WE HEAR ABOUT JESUS WORKING A MIRACLE TO FEED HUNGRY PEOPLE. HE DID SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH WINE AT A WEDDING IN CANA. JESUS SATISFIED INTELLECTUAL HUNGER AS WELL; HE BRINGS TRUTHS ABOUT GOD AND HUMAN DESTINY TO PEOPLE WHO HAD NO HOPE. HIS TEACHING AMAZES THOSE WHO HEAR HIM, AND THEY SAY TO EACH OTHER, “HE TEACHES AS ONE WHO HAS AUTHORITY” AND HIS APOSTLES SAY, “WHERE ELSE CAN WE GO, YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE.” AND HE SATISFIES THE EMOTIONAL HUNGER OF PEOPLE; HE TOUCHES LEPERS, HEALS THE BLIND, EATS WITH SINNERS AND PROSTITUTES; IN THESE ACTIONS HE BRINGS PEOPLE INTO HIS CIRCLE; HE BECOMES THEIR FRIEND.
JESUS LIVED TO SATISFY OUR HUNGERS. AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, ALL HUNGERS ARE REALLY ONE HUNGER; WE HUNGER FOR GOD. AS SAINT AUGUSTINE SAID, “OUR HEARTS ARE RESTLESS UNTIL THEY REST IN THEE”. THE HUNGERS THAT I'VE MENTIONED – IF WE CAN SATISFY THEM AT ALL, WE CAN ONLY DO SO PARTIALLY, AND ONLY FOR A TIME. WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO ENTER INTO REST, TO BE COMPLETE, IS TO BECOME ONE WITH GOD, AND THEN ALL OUR HUNGERS WILL BE SATISFIED.
SO THE NIGHT BEFORE HE SUFFERED AND DIED, JESUS GAVE US HIS VERY BODY AND BLOOD. HE LEFT HIS CHURCH WITH THE POWER TO TAKE ORDINARY BREAD AND WINE, AND THROUGH A MIRACLE THAT WE UNFORTUNATELY TAKE FOR GRANTED, THE BREAD AND WINE BECOME HIS BODY AND BLOOD, AND WHEN WE RECEIVE JESUS IN THIS SACRAMENT, WE KNOW TWO THINGS:
IT IS A PLEDGE THAT GOD WILL SATISFY US, AND A DAY WILL CERTAINLY COME WHEN WE WILL NEVER EXPERIENCE HUNGER AGAIN.
IT IS AN INVITATION FOR YOU AND I TO GO OUT AND SATISFY HUNGER AS JESUS DID. JESUS WANTS TO ENLIST US IN THE TASK THAT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO HIM DURING HIS LIFE ON EARTH, AND WHEN WE SATISFY THE HUNGERS OF OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS, WE ARE IMITATING JESUS HIMSELF.
TODAY WE CELEBRATE THIS SACRAMENT. JESUS GIVES US HIS FLESH AND BLOOD FOR FOOD AND DRINK. IT ISN'T A SYMBOL, IT'S REAL. JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD, THE SECOND PERSON IN THE TRINITY, GOD HIMSELF. THE HOLY EUCHARIST IS NOT A SYMBOL OF A SPIRITUAL REALITY; WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS, WE HAVE BODIES, WE WOULDN'T BE HUMAN IF WE DIDN'T. WE HAVE MINDS AND EMOTIONS. AND WE HAVE A SPIRITUAL DIMENSION AS WELL. BUT GOD IS INTERESTED IN ALL OF YOU AND I. HE FULLY INTENDS TO RAISE US FROM THE DEAD AS HE DID JESUS. YOU AND I WON'T FLOAT AROUND LIKE GHOSTS. IN ETERNITY OUR BODIES WILL BE THERE. SO JESUS GIVES US HIS PHYSICAL BODY TO SATISFY OUR HUNGERS, BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE HUNGERS ARE.
ARE YOU HUNGRY YET? TODAY WHEN YOU COME TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION, THINK ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING. RECEIVE THE BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS CONSCIOUSLY, MINDFULLY. AND FOR A FEW MINUTES REST IN THE PROMISE THAT JESUS HAS GIVEN YOU; A DAY WILL COME WHEN YOUR BODY WILL NEVER HUNGER AGAIN; WHEN ALL YOUR QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED; WHEN YOU WILL NEVER LONG FOR THE PRESENCE OF SOMEONE YOU LOVE. BECAUSE YOUR REAL HUNGER, YOUR HUNGER FOR GOD, WILL FINALLY BE SATISFIED.