THIS IS MY BODY, WHICH
WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 29th Monday in
Ordinary Time is, “This Is My Body, Which Will Be Given Up For You.”
These words are from the Canon of the Holy Mass - when
the priest takes the bread and says,
“Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body, which will be given up for you.”
I could also use the words, “Take this, all of you, and
drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and
eternal covenant, which will be pour out for you and for many for the
forgiveness of sins.”
ON THE ALTAR
High Altar - St. Peter's Rome
It’s a sacred moment when a priest stands there at an
altar and lifts the bread and lifts the wine and says those words.
Five - six - seven years ago - maybe more - I started to
end the baptismal ceremony in a new way. I say out loud, “This is the official end
of this baptism - but I’m looking for a way to connect the Sacrament of Baptism
with the Mass. So I’ve been asking parents - just the mom and dad - to place
their new baby on the altar - and repeat after me, ‘This is my body, this is my
blood, we’re giving our life for you.’”
So on this altar here - there have been a lot of babies -
just sitting there or laying there - while their parents say those words. Most
prefer St. Mary’s Church - so I’ve done this much more at St. Mary’s - downtown
Annapolis.
Pictures. Pictures. Pictures. That moment got tons and tons of pictures.
I noticed it’s a moving moment. I don’t know if it gets
parents to come to Mass more. I don’t know if there is an impact on the wider
family and friends of the baby or babies. But that’s what I do.
At first I got the thought, especially with the
photographic evidence, that someone from the Diocesan office would call and say
that I can’t do this.
Once someone said that some priest in some other state
did the same thing for their kid - I think without the words I use. Then they
showed me a picture of their baby at some altar.
Two weeks ago I did a baptism of a baby with India Indian
roots and they asked if they could put their baby on the floor at St. Mary’s
between the portable altar and the old altar. They said that was a custom from
back home. I asked them to repeat after me, “This is my body, this is my blood,
where giving our life for you.”
PARENTING
Isn’t this what life is all about - giving our lives for
others?
Isn’t life all about sacrifice?
Isn’t life all about handing over our lives for the good
of others?
Handing over is a key New Testament word - and there it
is near the end of today’s first reading. [Cf. Hebrews 4:20-25]
The true treasure in life is being generous with our
gifts and our life for others as today’s gospel puts it. [Cf. Luke 12: 13-21]
ST. ISAAC
JOGUES
Saint Isaac Jogues, S.J.
Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Isaac Jogues and
Saint John de Brebeuf and their companions.
They gave their lives for bringing our faith and Jesus
Christ to Native Americans.
I remember reading in an article a long time ago a
comment that went like this. Down
through the ages lots and lots and lots of young men and women gave their lives by letting go of all they
had and went on the foreign missions.
I heard that because I became a Redemptorist for that
very reason - to go to Brazil. Never got
there or my dream.
That article then said, “Never to be heard of again. But
looking back now they are the ones who build schools and hospitals and churches
and clinics that served all kinds of people - and they brought Jesus Christ and
faith to so many.
CONCLUSION
Where does that message take you?
What does that message get you to do what you’re doing
today - whether it’s volunteer work, or picking up the grandkids, or raising
the kids, or parenting - trying to give your kids or grandkids a good
education, the faith, family values and what have you.
Pinch yourself when the priest says. “This is my body,
this is my blood, we’re giving it for you.”
Then go in peace and do all this in memory of Jesus.
