Enter the Mystery

On Wednesday and the last evening of our pilgrimage, we celebrated Eucharistic adoration and Benediction. A gentle time of being in the presence of Love. Here’s Father Ben Andrew’s home

 
H, I’m hungry!
What do you want for dinner?
I don't know. What have we got in?
Chicken, sausages?
We had chicken last night. Don't fancy sausages.
Well What do you want?
I don't know! I want something exciting!
Pizza?
Had  one last week.
Fish?
Its not Friday!
Curry or Chinese?
Too greasy. I don’t know I am tired! I am hungry I just want to eat.
Salad?!!
O Lord no not again!
Well what?
I don’t know… I’m just hungry!
 
Conversations like that happen all the time what are we going to eat, we talk about food  and what we are going eat at various occasions maybe as much as we talk about the weather. Food is a central theme throughout the scriptures, feasts, wedding banquets, breaks on the beach, picnics on mountain tops and lonely places. Here food is shared.

In our two readings this evening there is desire a long to feed, a searching  for food, scenes of crowds of people hungry searching for food. Who then they are fed.

“What is it,they asked?
Moses tells the people of Israel it is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.
 
In our gospel reading is one of those famous stories, here again another crowd is fed.

Here the disciples have returned from a mission. Jesus wants to find out what has happened, to hear from them about their experiences, that is why they had gone to a quiet place to be alone. But the crowd finds them, the disciples are excited they want to tell Jesus all that has happened, food is the last thing on their minds.

And now a huge crowd gathers around him and Jesus welcomes them and teaches them about the kingdom, about Gods love.

Because he could see that that that they needed to be cared for, they were like sheep without a shepherd. He could see that they were searching for something, and so he even healed those who were sick.
 
And now the day has gone on the crowds are hungry. In the excitement no one had though about bringing a picnic. Send them away the disciples say. But Jesus would not have any of it and he worked a great miracle to feed them. They knew they were like the Israelites of old, for here was a new Moses giving them the bread  in the wilderness. It was only after he had taught, healed and fed that they were then dismissed.

We are like the people in the wilderness, but we must first realise we are not a bunch of individuals without any common bond. We are the church we are God's people and we must be conscious of our unity each time we come together for it is Christ who draws us here.

He is in our midst, we all gathered around him. Without him we too are no better than sheep without a shepherd, here now and at every time gather at the Eucharist  he welcomes us, he teachers us , living words, words that can inspires us and challenges us.

If we are genuinely searching for God we will listen and he will hear him  speak to us. Jesus then heals us of our failings, he brings us comfort and he feeds us with the living bread, here before us on the altar is what we long for.
 
Here before us on the altar is what God offers to us the bread of life, the living bread, the food that sustains us throughout our earthly pilgrimage.

Here before us is Jesus who welcomes us, brings healing in our broken world, who knows are weaknesses. Each time we come to the Eucharist we join in Christs suffering and death, the one who was rich became poor for us.

And each and every time we come into the presence of the blessed sacrament we are drawn into life of thanksgiving love that is here for us to share. And where we are called to share that life with those who are sick and suffering, old and young, rich and poor, the lost and the suffering.
 
You may have come to this pilgrimage searching, feeling lost, hurt, searching, wondering, questioning, hungry.

So here is love. As we gather in this holy place where Christ is present, we can gaze on the food that leads us to heaven. The sacrament of the altar that gives us food for the journey.
 
Here for a while we can simply be in the presence of the one who loves us. As Pope John Paul II said of the Blessed Sacrament, “here Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love”.

Here now is the sacrament of love.
We have come to this place maybe filled with worries and concerns, with the many distractions of our lives where we worry about so many things that are really of no real importance.  Where we are constantly being asked for any answers and decisions. Hungary and searching for fulfilment. Here before us on the altar is love, love for each one of us.

For here we come into the presence of Jesus Christ the living bread. Here before us now God gladdens our hearts and indeed our whole being.

Here we can be fed, here we are close to our Lord who welcomes us, offers healing and strength. Who simply says to us “come, come to me you who are weary, I will refresh you. I will be with you and know that right now I am with you, you are loved.

Let us enjoy this time together in the presence of the Lord, in this the most holy sacrament of the altar, the sacrament of love. Amen