5

THE INSTITUTION
OF THE EUCHARIST

Eucharist means “Thank You.”

The Mass is a Thanksgiving meal.
When we celebrate Thanksgiving we don't have to be told that this is a time to say, "Thank You God."
If you don't do anything else when you come to Mass, at least say, "Thank You God."
Sometimes thanksgiving erupts out of our heart:
when we are given a surprise gift,
when someone compliments us,
when someone notices all we are doing for them or others,
when we escape a near accident.

Hopefully, saying “Thank you”
is one of our everyday speeches.

Thank you!

And then there are the times
we find ourselves saying in prayer,
“Thank You, God. Thank You.”

We also say that we escape a near accident.

We say that when we see a brand new baby.

Some people say, “Thank You God”
at the beginning and end of each day.

On the night before Jesus died,
he had a last supper with his disciples.
He took bread, gave thanks,
and handed it to his disciples saying,
This is my body.
I am giving it to you.
Then he took a cup of wine
and also handed it to his disciples and said,
“This is my blood.
I’m pouring it out for you.
Do this in memory of me.”

The Mass is entering that sacred moment.
The Mass is entering this sacred memory.
The Mass ends with the follower of Jesus
being sent to go out and give his body and blood to others.
The Mass ends with the message,
as Mother Teresa of Calcutta put it,
“Let the people eat you up.”

And some of them will say,”Thank you.”

And some of them will say,
“Thank You, God,
for bringing this person into my life.”

God is keeping all of creation going.

God just didn’t create billions of years ago.
God is creating right now.

The carpenter made the chair 5 years ago.

God created this universe and whatever else is created 5 billion or whatever billion years ago – and is still creating it.

Sometimes on a starry, starry night people sense this looking out into the galaxies or seeing a rose in bloom or a bird in flight or a child on a parent’s shoulders.

Thank you!

But sometimes we miss God.

Sometimes we ignore the Creator

Sometimes we forget a carpenter designed this chair.

So God in time decided to be amongst us
in a different way of connecting.
God came as a baby.

Jesus, the Son of God,
walked amongst us as a Baby,
a Carpenter, a Healer, a Preacher,
a Crucified One.
And he also connects with us through Words, Bread, Wine, and Companions.

Jesus keeps coming to us in a meal.

Some miss the connection.
Some get it and say, “Thank You!”