Today is Corpus Christi Sunday. Corpus Christi is Latin for Body of Christ. This Sunday we celebrate the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. This beautiful feast day is usually celebrated on this past Thursday in many countries around the world; not only with Mass, but with insanely large processions. One year I was in a tiny town in Italy on Corpus Christi Thursday and the procession involved the whole town, stopping everything and ending with fireworks throughout the night. I urge you, even if you went to a different Mass time, come back and join us for our procession after the 11 a.m. Mass, around the blocks that we go. It is a great way to evangelize and bring Christ literally into the community around us.
In the readings this weekend we heard of Melchizedek, high priest and King of Salem. This is the priesthood Jesus sought to emulate. Melchizedek offered bread and wine in sacrifice to the Lord on Abram’s behalf. Abram, in thanksgiving for this sacrifice, gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything he owned. This is where we get the concept of tithing. Do you give to the Lord what you should? Do you trust in Him that if you give there will be enough? Do you give out of everything or just out of your surplus wealth after all the other bills are paid? There are some protestant communities that to join them, you must bring in three years of tax returns to decide how much to direct-deposit out of your account to their community, their “church.” Can you imagine if I asked that of you? You would lynch me, but I think the take is wrong.
We are supposed to be giving to the Lord. If everyone in the parish gave one to two percent of their income to the Lord as a tithe, not only would our deficit be gone, but we wouldn’t need to charge tuition for our school, and we could do so much more for the poor and needy. I urge you to look at your giving and I challenge you to see where God is asking; not from what’s left over, but to trust in Him.
The Gospel is the feeding of the multitudes. The five thousand or more, really, are fed with just five loaves and two fish. What little we think we have, give to the Lord and you will see that He not only can work wonders, but the abundance that He can do with what little we have to offer. This isn’t just financial, this is with our hearts and lives.
Do we see going to Sunday Mass as enough to give to the Lord? And yes, I mean every Sunday? NO, that isn’t enough. What about adding Holy Days of Obligation into the mix? No, that isn’t enough. How about tithing now as well? No, that isn’t enough! How about volunteering some here and there? No, that isn’t enough. These are all good things, but not enough.
What the Lord desires of you is everything! He wants to be your life. He wants to be part of every decision, every hour, every day. He wants to be your first thought in your job, or with your spouse, or with your children. God asks for all of you because what does He give to us? ALL of Himself. The Eucharist is a complete gift of God Himself to you! What do you give Him as thanks? If it isn’t everything, then start.
-Fr. Arisman