Third Sunday of EASTER ©
First Eucharist

INTRO:

When I was growing up, I was a human EATING MACHINE………… believe it or not ….. ALWAYS HUNGRY, ALWAYS EATING…….”sweets”… Oh my!!! My father would call me “PIE-FACE”.

But Dad would always say… YOU JIM ARE A “MYSTERY” to me????
YOU EAT AND EAT AND EAT…. And NEVER GAIN WEIGHT??? How can that be???

??Fast metabolism?? Whatever… the food was not making me gain weight???

Hmmmmm??????

I cannot really tell you how many times in the SCRIPTURES, there is a “nourishment” angle;
A feeding of the multitudes,
The breaking of bread,
Eating and becoming well-fed,
But, I know there to be plenty. Like today…

“CHILDREN, HAVE YOU CAUGHT ANYTHING TO EAT?”

Jesus knows THEY ARE HUNGRY!

By the seashore there is already a charcoal fire with fish on it!!!! And bread!!!!
“COME HAVE BREAKFAST”

Jesus provides for their NEEDS!
They have been at it all night
And
Just made a huge catch!

As Catholics we EAT…. We eat the consecrated unleavened bread and drink the consecrated grape wine.

The mystery and blessing of the EUCHARIST …… of HOLY COMMUNION is that it doesn’t help us GAIN WEIGHT, but, nourishes us to a higher way of living!

We are called to be “other Christ’s” in the world ….. A holy people that will inspire others to better living by our example!

Because we eat this bread and drink this cup YOU AND ME ARE EXPECTED TO BE DIFFERENT IN THIS WORLD, causing peace and love, mercy and forgiveness.

Many times, I confess, as a young teenager, I could be pretty selfish and ornery…. And my parents would say… “God love them” …
“Why can’t you be more like your brother?”

Well… in hindsight that was good advice….
“Why can’t we be more like our brother …?
Our brother JESUS CHRIST??”

And being nourished at this altar with HOLY COMMUNION can produce that in us.

CONCLUSION

We are called today to higher standard of living…. Of living like Jesus in our world today BECAUSE WE “eat” THIS BREAD AND DRINK THIS CUP!