From Sunday’s Gospel: “Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them and they all drank from it.” Jesus, the perfect steward, gave thanks, just before He gave Himself to us completely for our salvation. He offered us the chance to drink from His cup. In the Eucharist we meet Christ personally and, if we listen to Him, we will know what drinking from His cup means for each of us. Often it means our own sacrifice – giving up some of our time, talent and treasure to do His work on earth. This is a holy exchange of gifts. Christ offers His ultimate gift, Himself, and we offer Him the gift of ourselves. Thus the holy exchange has begun.
The focus of today’s feast is the total self-giving of Jesus. The bishops of the USA remind us that “the glory and the boast of Christian stewards lie in mirroring, the stewardship of Jesus Christ, who gave and still gives all He has and is, in order to be faithful to God’s will and carry through to completion His redemptive stewardship of human beings and their world.”
And what do we Christians bring to the Eucharistic celebration and join there with Jesus’ offering?” The answer: “Our lives as Christian disciples; our individual contributions to the great work of restoring all things in Christ.
Pope John Paul II once wrote: “In the humble signs of bread and wine, changed into his body and blood, Christ walks beside us as our strength and our food for the journey, and he enables us to become, for everyone, witnesses of hope.” [Ecclesia de Eucharistia; 2003]
Christ's gift of the Eucharist is a great blessing. Christians are called to participate deeply and appreciate greatly this extraordinary gift. Can you see Mass as a holy exchange of gifts, Christ giving his all for us out of love for us and we giving back to him out of our love for Him who has given us so much?
Sharing God's gifts in love of God and neighbor is the life-giving spirit of a steward. At the end of each Mass we proclaim: Go in peace glorifying the Lord by your life. So we are challenged to go out and live as true Christian stewards giving glory to God by our deeds of good will.
The Scriptures for Today: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/061012.cfm
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