Reading I: Exodus 24:3-8
Reading II: Hebrews 9:11-15
GOSPEL: Mark 14:12-16, 22-26
Your Mom Was Right! You Are What You Eat!
When I was a kid, I loved macaroni and cheese. It was my favorite food. I could eat it four or five times a day. My mother would always say, “You eat macaroni and cheese so much that you’re going to turn into it”. I couldn’t get enough of that stuff!
This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). As strange as it may seem, using macaroni and cheese and my mother’s wisdom is a great way of thinking about this particular feast.
Becoming Christ
In the gospel, Jesus takes the bread and the cup, blesses them and gives them to those present saying, “This is my body and my blood which will be given for you (and for many).”
Maybe mom was right! The idea of receiving the Eucharist is that we become what we consume. The goal is that we become Jesus. When we receive the body of Christ, we start to think like Jesus, act like Jesus, and hopefully live like Jesus. In a real way we can become Jesus… in the world!
But it won’t just happen on its own. We are free to choose what we do in this life, so let me share three things we can choose to do in order to be more like Jesus.
Step 1: Participate Fully at Mass
(My assumption, of course, is that you already attend.) Jesus comes to us in four ways during the Mass. Through the scripture (the Word of God), the priest (who acts in the person of Jesus during the Mass), the community (the body of Christ), and of course the Eucharist. Christ becomes truly present through all of them. Pay attention to how Jesus utilizes all four of these means to speak to you.
Step 2: Pray Every Day
Spend five minutes in prayer every day. Try to develop a habit – make it part of your routine – by praying around the same time each day. Pray with the notion of God’s will over yours. Even Jesus struggled with questions like “why me?” and “how do I know if this is what God wants for me?” Jesus understood the power of prayer, so praying every day can help us better understand what God is asking us to do.
Step 3: Stand Up for What’s Right
Don’t simply go with the crowd, but rather, stand up and say “this is wrong” or “this is right,” as the situation dictates. I hesitate to say this, but I will anyway… ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”
So there we have three simple things that can help us be more like Jesus:
- Participate fully at Mass
- Pray every day
- Stand up for what’s right
If we incorporate these ideas into our lives, then the Christ we consume every Sunday will truly be present in our thoughts, words, and our actions. Our lives will be a testament to Jesus being the most powerful force in our lives.
I guess mom was right. What a great idea – you are what you eat!
Life Applications:
How often do you attend Mass? Why?
How often do you pray? Why?
How often do you stand up for what’s right? Why?
Original article by Deacon Jim Corder, 2003-2021.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.