There is a story of a lonely man who walked into a restaurant. He called a waiter and he said, "I want a whole roasted pig and a few kind words". The waiter took his order and walk into the kitchen, after a while came back with the whole roasted pig. Turned his back on the man heading towards the kitchen. The man called his attention saying, "I ordered a whole roasted pig and a few kind words, but you gave me just the roasted pig, how about the kind words?"
The waiter whispered to his ears, " be kind to yourself don't eat the whole roasted pig".
Food and drink are neccesary for the sustenance of our bodies. But if we don't watch the food we eat and the drink we take, it can kill us, not instantly but slowly and softly. Jesus in the gospel reading is offering us food. The food that Jesus gives is his flesh and blood. He said, "my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal".
Some of us may have doubts about the real presence of Christ in the body and blood we receive in the celebration of the Holy Mass. We have to remember that at the last supper when Jesus gathered his disciples in the upper room he clearly said, "this my body, this is my blood", he did not say, "this bread is a symbol of my body, this wine is the symbol of my blood".
It takes a deep faith in Jesus to accept that Christ is present in the body and blood in the form of bread and wine. If we see the gap between heaven and earth, its too wide and too deep. But because of the love of God for all of us, Jesus humbled himself took a form of bread and wine that we maybe able to partake of him in the celebration of the eucharist.
"Unless you eat of my flesh and drink of my blood, there is no life in you. If you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will remain in me and I in you and I will raise you up on the last day." Partaking in the body and blood of Christ is necessary for one's salvation. But why is it that when we come to celebrate the eucharist, we want to listen to the word of God but we don't want to receive his body and blood?
Some may say that, I need to go first to confession, or some might say I am not worthy. True. We need to clean our hearts first before we come and receive his body and blood. But as it is whether you a saint or a sinner, Jesus invites all of us to receive him. Before God all of us are unworthy to receive him. Nobody but nobody could say with his own merit that he is worthy to receive Christ. We are made worthy to receive him only because of his grace and of his love for us. That is why before the reception of the body and blood, we say pounding our breast, "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I will be healed".
My dear brothers and sisters, Jesus our Lord is inviting all of us to come share in his banquet. If we are in doubt of his real presence, we can always pray and say, "Lord, please heal my unbelief".
