Corpus Christi 11 June 2023 Hunger
Having to wait for Christmas presents till Christmas morning was something of a difficulty as a child, but then it served to increase the final happiness of receiving the gift. Easter egg hunt, the same idea.
So we could say for the way that God leads us along, not telling us everything we want to know, only everything we need to know; and this also will mean more happiness if we travel the whole way with Him.
If the gift is valuable enough we do not mind waiting for it, and this is our attitude to Salvation, a happiness beyond description in eternal life, but even in this life bringing us the first fruits of later glory.
We anticipate better things to come. He who eats this bread will live for ever (Jn 6,51)
God could just put us in some state of Paradise as we are, but this way is better, giving us a chance to prepare for a final glory which will be much more satisfying because we have prepared.
It is this preparation phase where we are now: we are preparing for Heaven.
This preparation consists of a mixture of trials and consolations, joys and sorrows.
We learn from the trials to trust in God, and from the consolations to see a foretaste of Heaven itself, where every tear will be wiped away (Rev 21,4).
Of all God's consolations to us the Eucharist stands supreme. The saints teach us how to value the Eucharist: St Therese said of her first Holy Communion At last there dawned the most beautiful day of all the days of my life. How perfectly I remember even the smallest details of those sacred hours! .
It would be good if everyone had that much faith in God, and love for Him. But anyone can move towards a higher level of faith and love from wherever they might be at the moment.
God wants us to hunger for the things He regards as most important.
He wants most of all that every person in the world come to know Him as Father, Saviour, Sanctifier and many other very positive images. And to come to know Him better and love Him more. Sounds easy? The human race does a terrific job of avoiding all that, but God remains fixed in His purpose.
In the Eucharist He feeds us knowledge, wisdom, understanding, all giving light to the mind; and charity and courage for the heart.
If you eat this Bread you will live forever, and living means right living, spiritually first, with flow-on effects for the material world.
We come to want these things more as we get a taste of them. If we want something enough we are prepared to work for it.
We have begun the discovery; now we are encouraged to go on to more.
For the impatient and the demanding - they will not see. If they waited they would learn, but if they leave too soon they will remain in darkness.
We who do believe may still be too much in this life, worrying about a thousand things. But a major part of any solution to problems will be that we are in union with God.
He wants us to see Him at the centre of everything, as both the goal and the means to the goal.
The Eucharist is meant to be seen as an ongoing gift, sustaining us for the journey.
It is not meant to be seen as an isolated event, as some Catholics make it. It is meant to be frequent, without ever being taken for granted.
If we want Him we have to search for Him. It is worth the wait!
Body and Blood of Christ, Save us.
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