22 June 2025 #theRemedyforWhatailsUs

If you had cornered Jared Brantner, our intrepid Communications guru last week, he’d likely have told you that my inbox is a mess and my calendar suspiciously disorganized. The double-booked meetings and corrective emails I’ve sent recently would confirm it. I even submitted a column to him that was completely unrelated to Corpus Christi and based on the wrong readings for today. Seriously, I’m struggling.

There’s a particular heaviness in the world and in my soul. I’m reminded of St. Paul’s words to the Romans: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.” I sense this groaning—both outward and inward—amid wars, greed, self-absorption, misunderstandings, and division. A battle rages in our world and for our souls, some skirmishes visible, others unseen.

This struggle began when a piece of fruit was taken and eaten by two innocents made in the image and likeness of God, a choice whose consequences have rippled through time. No one is immune to selfishness; no one is exempt. Left to our own devices, without God’s grace and guidance, we find ourselves on a battleground, with bodies and souls vulnerable to corruption. You see it. You feel it. You know it’s true.

So, what now?

St. Paul’s words to the Christians of Rome, groaning under oppression, violence, and inner turmoil, conclude with hope: “For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what one already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” Paul, ever the philosopher, asks: Who hopes for what they already possess? He points us to hope in something—or Someone—unseen by the eye but felt in the soul. Could it be Jesus, present in the Eucharist?

Last week, Fr. Dave asked you to reflect on why you come to Mass. Obligation? Habit? Coercion? Community? Or perhaps delight, love, or hope? Why did five thousand men, along with their families, gather to hear Jesus speak on a hillside in Bethsaida? Their reasons were likely as varied as ours. They may not have expected a miracle, though some might have suspected one, given the rumors and whispers that spread wherever hope gathers.

Today is the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, celebrating the Body and Blood of Jesus, present in the Eucharist. Melchizedek blessed and foreshadowed it. Paul embraced its mystery and gave his life to defend it. Jesus gave his life to make it possible. A simple wafer and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ [see John 6], giving us strength for our battles and hope for the unseen. A miracle to save the world and nourish the soul.

#theRemedyforWhatailsUs