“This is My Body”

“It’s all in the details” was my father’s mantra. He was methodical in his preparations. From him we learned that nothing significant in our lives happens without preparation. We spend years in school before we begin a profession. We spend months preparing for a wedding; years preparing for profession of vows in a religious congregation. We spend hours pouring over specs as we build a house. Big events take careful preparation. In our gospel today [Mark 14:12-16, 22-26], Jesus sends two disciples ahead to make preparations for a supper. Such careful preparation means something important is about to happen.  And so it does, Jesus gives himself, body and blood, the Eucharist, to us as food. Truly the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. This is the mystery we celebrate this Sunday.

This feast offers us an opportunity to reflect on the times when we are called to be what we receive-when we become the Body and Blood of Christ for each other. By our participation in the Eucharist, we accept the new relationship of divine self gift and personal presence. Even more, we become that presence for the world, called to that same self-giving.