Scriptures: Acts of the Apostles 3:13-5, 17-19; 1 John 2: 1-5; Luke 24: 35-48
This morning our First Communion children and parents gathered for what is called “Jesus day.”
In this morning’s Gospel from Saint Luke we hear how the two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way and how Jesus was made known to them in the “breaking of the bread.”
And as they talked, Jesus appears to the two disciples who were startled to see Jesus, thinking he was a ghost. And then Jesus says something unexpected, he says, “have you anything here to eat?”
And we all eat don’t we? Often with other people. Who do you eat with? (Family, friends, classmates, neighbors, fellow parishioners, to name a few.)
Why do we eat with family friends and others? It is the place where we get to know people; where relationships are built and strengthened; where we are strengthened and supported for the life we live every day.
And how often do we eat? Every day, of course.
How often do we eat with others? Our families, our friends with God with Jesus.
If we want to grow as a person – we have to eat but we also have to eat with others, we need to get to know other people; yes our families, yes our friends, but even the strangers among us, even the people we don’t like.
In today’s world, family activities like eating together, seems to be something left for holidays. But we need to eat together as a family more often!
(Can we do this 2 or 3 times a week? Maybe we have to schedule it!)
The same is true for the family of Jesus that we belong to. We are all brothers and sisters in the Lord by baptism, we need to come together at least once a week to eat and talk… We Catholics call this the vigil mass of Saturday or the Masses of Sunday.
We need to come to know Jesus more and more and more. Jesus who speaks to us in the Scriptures of Mass, we need to get to know Jesus in the “breaking of the bread” (the Eucharist, Holy Communion) just like the disciples did some 2000 years ago.
It is our turn:
+ to get to know Jesus
+ to touch Jesus in the Eucharist in holy Communion
+ to let Jesus into our lives
+ to live all the truths Jesus taught us
+ to be nourished by God, so we can, “bring Jesus to everyone we meet daily.”
Jesus wants to share with us so much but we have to come to the table to get to know Jesus more and more and more. (To really be friends with Jesus).
Today we are all reminded that Jesus invites us today and always, “to come to the feast of heaven and earth; to come to the table of plenty.” Or as we would say today, spend some time with Jesus who wants us to get to know him better (in the Scriptures) and who wants to feed us in the Eucharist. Every day of our life, especially on the weekend! (And if we have to, schedule attending Mass as a family; put it in your smart phone calendar, with an alert!)