Father Thomas Welbers' Homily

When we think of the Eucharist in the Gospels, we usually think of the Last Supper, and the words Jesus used in giving his friends the bread-become-his-body and the cup of wine-become-his-blood. And then, perhaps we also think of the section in chapter 6 of John’s Gospel in which Jesus speaks about the necessity of eating his body and drinking his blood. Rarely do many of us consider this story we just heard as primarily teaching us about the Eucharist. Yet, the Church’s tradition has always seen this event as unfolding for the first disciples the meaning of the Eucharist, that the risen Jesus is primarily revealed to us, his friends, in the Eucharist. It is in breaking and sharing the Eucharistic bread that the risen Jesus becomes alive and active in our midst – to the extent that we allow him – just as he did for the disciples in Emmaus that first Easter evening.

The last major writing of our late Holy Father on the Eucharist was entitled “Stay with us, Lord,” echoing the words of the two friends of Jesus we just heard. “Stay with us, Lord, for it is almost evening.” This was the Apostolic Letter by which he designated a special “Year of the Eucharist,” from last October, 2004, to next October, 2005.

The Holy Father notes that the image of the disciples on the way to Emmaus is an appropriate image of the Church – and that means all of us – especially today. We are fearful and uncertain, just as they were. We have had so many of our hopes and dreams threatened, or even dashed to pieces. We look for comfort and security in all the wrong places – in materialism and power, in pleasure and escapism. And we know that, whatever our good intentions, we are besieged on all sides by forces that we do not understand and cannot control. We can identify with the dispirited disciples on that road to Emmaus.

The Holy Father reminds us that amid our questions and our difficulties, and even our bitter disappointments, Jesus, even if we don’t recognize him, continues to walk at our side, leading us through these very experiences into a deeper understand of the mysteries of God. Understanding comes through hearing and reflecting on the Word that sets our hearts on fire within us, and recognition of his presence comes through breaking and sharing the one bread, and partaking of the one cup, of the Eucharist.

John Paul II died at almost exactly the midpoint of this “Year of the Eucharist” – it is six months from last October, and six months until next October. Now that his funeral is over, and he is buried in the earth near the tomb of St. Peter, as he had requested, perhaps the most fitting way we could commemorate and keep alive his memory, especially during this extended nine days of mourning that begins today, is to return to his writings, and allow them to speak to us in a new voice.

There is no better place to begin than with this Apostolic Letter on the “Year of the Eucharist,” because in the course of it, the Holy Father relates how the Eucharist is at the center of all his other teachings and actions through his long life and pontificate and he reflects on the Eucharist as the “Mystery of Light,” illuminating our path in the darkness. I have put a link to this document on the home page of our website, and I urge you spend some time reading and reflecting on it during this coming week.

In addition, during this “Year of the Eucharist,” we at Our Lady of the Assumption are providing many opportunities for all of us to learn more about the Eucharist, reflect on it more deeply, and allow it to motivate and guide our lives in fulfilling the work of Christ. Now, in the time after Easter, a new bulletin insert each week can help us to understand the many various aspects of the Eucharist, all of which are important for our lives. This coming Friday, we are cosponsoring a wonderful program by ValLimar Jansen, on the life and celebration of the Eucharist. We have arranged this program in cooperation with Holy Name of Mary and St. Madeleine’s, and we believe you will be richly rewarded by spirit and insights. It is clearly our responsibility as a parish to provide your with high quality opportunities such as this to grow in your faith, centered on our celebration of the Eucharist, and I urge you to take the time to make full use of these occasions for growing and deepening your understanding of our faith.

A life of faith centered on the Eucharist, and lived with intelligence and understanding, as well as love and compassion, is certainly at the heart of the legacy of Pope John Paul II. Let us honor his memory by our own eagerness to never stop learning and growing in what we believe and live.

© 2005 Thomas Welbers