Dear Friends,
In this Feast of Corpus Christi, I wanted to share this reflection which a friend shared with me.
For me, this says it all:
The Eucharist should not display who has managed to look acceptable. It should reveal Christ feeding the hungry into holiness. You do not have to choose between reverence and mercy. You do not have to choose between moral seriousness and belonging. You do not have to amputate your honesty, your grief, your questions, your past, your complexity, or your longing in order to come near to God.
Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, You gave Yourself to a room full of fragile people. You fed those who would fail You, deny You, misunderstand You, and run from You. Teach us to receive the Eucharist with reverence, but not with fear that drives us away from Your mercy. Heal Your Church where we have turned Your table into a place of shame.
Forgive us for the times we have guarded holiness by wounding the people You were trying to reach. Give us courage to repent of selective judgment, hidden pride, and the sins we have learned to excuse because they look respectable. Feed the ones who feel unworthy.
Strengthen the ones who are tired. Confront the ones who receive You while ignoring the poor, the vulnerable, and the excluded. Make our communion real. Let Your body and blood form us into people of mercy, justice, truth, and courage. Bring us near, Lord, and make us whole. Amen.
Peace and every good,
Father Liam