Friday 3rd Week of Easter

Gospel – John 6:52-58

The “Ring” of Truth

Chapel of Tears, Jerusalem

I wear 2 rings on my fingers.  One, of course, is my wedding ring, celebrating (as of yesterday) 50 years of marriage to Ginger.  And the other is a high school class ring.  But it’s not mine; it’s my Dad’s! His high school senior ring from 1939.  I never even knew he had a class ring until, unfortunately, the week after he passed away 20 years ago.  I found it as we were sorting through his jewelry, and I immediately put it on my finger and have worn it every day since.

It's a constant reminder to me of my dad, our relationship and all the memories I have of him.  It gives me a feeling that my dad is still here with me, guiding me and encouraging me. But in the end, this ring is not my dad.  It’s just a reminder, a symbol of our relationship, a holder of all my father/son memories of the past.  But it’s not the same as having him right here beside me.

I’m holding an unconsecrated host, simple unleavened bread, nothing more.  But in a few moments at Mass, it will be transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.  Not symbolically!  It’s not just a symbol, not just a memory, not just a reminder of the Last Supper.  It truly becomes Jesus’ Body and Blood.  It is real!

A couple of years ago, we had a group of French visitors to the St. Kateri Center.  We celebrated Mass with them.  And I will never forget the experience of ministering Holy Communion to them.  The quiet awe and reverence they showed!  The prayerful care they took as they took the Host in their hands.  There was no rush, no hurriedness to just get the Host and get back to their pew.  This was no assembly line or group racing to get their food.  It was meditative, prayerful, reverent, as if they were receiving Communion for the very first time!

My hope, my prayer, is that we always come with the same reverence, the same piety and hunger for the Eucharist that I saw in those French visitors.  And may we never ever take Holy Communion for granted.  May we always remember and BELIEVE that what we receive in the Eucharist is not some symbol or memory but truly the Body and Blood of Christ.

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