Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

Many people feel most like family at a meal. At dinner time, sharing takes place and information is given. Announcements of achievements or up-and-coming events are offered. Arguments ensue over various positions, hopes and dreams expressed and, of course, celebrations of birthdays or anniversaries are noted. It is the family that has been and continues to be the staple of our society.

In a family you belong; you have a place. Therefore, attacks on the family contribute to the division we are currently experiencing. There is a sense of separation from one another. A lack of the importance to support the members. Family is often established by blood but there are those who are invited to family through adoption.

This last Sunday, we celebrated the great mystery of Corpus Christi, the “Body of Christ.” There is a sense of genius in the teachings given to us by Jesus. He gives us the mystery of the Body and Blood of our Lord as food for our journey through life.

We gather round the altar on Sunday, the table of the Lord. It is here – as family – that we are informed by the Word. It is here that we offer prayers for our concerns. It is here that our hopes and desires are supported. We celebrate the love that Jesus witnessed through His suffering death, resurrection, and ascension.

We are fed by our Lord with His very life. The bread, His Flesh, and the wine, His Blood, calls us to receive Him and share Him with the world in which we live. A family is joined together by blood, and it is the Lord’s blood offered for us that gives us life.

The Gospel of John 6:53 is very clear: “Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you.” This is a cherished teaching of the Catholic Church.

The Real Presence of Jesus announces that He is with us always and is willing to feed us so that we may become more like Him. There are alarming polls that state that many Catholics do not accept the real Presence of Jesus in the bread and wine consecrated at the altar. It’s important for us to understand that this mystery follows Jesus’ direction. It is so important that men and women have died defending this teaching through the centuries.

Being fed by Jesus reminds us that we are family, and the Holy Spirit witnesses His presence in the world. Whenever we are at Mass, whether attending Mass on Sundays, Holy Days of Obligation or during the week, remember – we are family receiving His gift of self and calling us to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.            

Note: This blog originally appeared as the June 21, 2022 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.