June 14

by David Lins  |  06/14/2020  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

I experience anxiety anytime I open my mouth these days. The avalanche of statistics, articles, video, and opinions on virtually any topic can leave anyone feeling woefully unprepared to speak out with any modicum of conviction.

But there are some things I know...

Today is the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. It is the day we celebrate our Lord sharing himself with every single human who chooses to accept that it is his Body and Blood.

This is key, because once again, Jesus sets the standard.

We are all God’s children. As his children, we all have dignity, we all deserve respect, and we all are worthy of love. If we look in the mirror and find any fault or sin, we must first ask God to heal us and then do the hard work of accepting how he chooses to heal us. In these ways, we are all the same.

Yet, we must also acknowledge our unique natures. We all have a story and an outlook uniquely formed by who we are, how we've been raised, what we’ve experienced, and how we've been treated by others. This uniqueness informs our actions and reactions. It doesn't excuse them, but explains them. And the more we truly get to know and understand one another, the more difficult it becomes to hate.

Let the Eucharist remind us to treat one another as we would treat Jesus. And to love one another as Jesus would. At the Eucharistic table, both statements become realities.

Questions? Comments? Email David at dlins@oloj.org.

BACK TO LIST BACK