Sunday Reflection on The Southerner

(1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 9:11b-17).

“This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the chalice, after supper, saying, “This chalice is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:24-25.

My dear brethren in Christ, peace and love of God be with you. Today, it is another day to celebrate God’s love and compassion towards humanity. We celebrate the free gift of Self by Christ to all men without restrictions only openness and faith, trusting in His grace. The celebration of the Body and Blood of Christ (The Eucharist) reminds us of Christ’s love for us and His willingness to be with and within us for all ages, to strengthen us in our journey of life (physical and spiritual).

In the first part of the Gospel of Luke where we anchor our reflection, Luke 9:11, there are two things that played out there which formed the premise for the other verses going forward. We saw that the crowd (people) were looking out for Jesus, they sought for him with their minds because they knew he has something that he would offer them, be it temporal needs or spiritual, they believed that he can quench their thirst and grant them relief or satisfaction. Hence, they set out to meet him having learnt where he was. And on seeing them, first, He gave them the Spiritual food and nourishment which is very necessary for the journey of life to come to the reality of its true meaning before proceeding to grant them bodily relief and satisfaction, healing their ailment and so on.

Christ, indeed, set an order for our quest for satisfaction and relief. Our spiritual well-being is as important as the bodily well-being but the spiritual takes precedence. We must go out to seek Him against all odds, knowing full well that He has the ability to satisfy us irrespective of what it is.

Furthermore, the second part of the reflection proceeds from the first, reflecting Christ’s intent and concern to ensure we are satisfied, Luke 9:12-17. Going through this passage, we see the Apostles coming to meet Jesus and lodging their complain and concerns as humans. They have seen Jesus grant them both spiritual and bodily relief and then is the economic needs of the people who came to him.

For the Apostles there, He has done what He is supposed to do for them, so requires the people should go sort themselves out elsewhere but Jesus had other plans. He asked them what do they have at hand,… two loaves of bread and five fishes, and he asked them to bring it, He blessed it and they ate, they rest became history. This reflects Christ’s concern over the economic crisis we undergo and His interest to come through for us. We just need to present ourselves and the little things we have at hand, money, idea, connection etc and leave the rest for Him, He’s good at the business of multiplication.

My dear brethren in Christ, this is a call for each of us to fully present ourselves to Him who has the ability to satisfy our earthly and eternal aspirations. He only requires that we come to Him wholeheartedly, in brokenness and faith that He can and He will at all times come to our aid.

At the table of the Last Supper, He gave them His body and His blood to eat and have a place in Him and in remembrance of His death, representing His self giving. He gave His all (body – earthly and blood – physical with spiritual embodiment ) for us to have it in fullness (John 10:10b). What more could He have offered to make sure we do not lack the necessity of our journey of life (Journey without end, only evolves). He gave His Life, His essence preserved in the form of bread and wine that in troubled times, deteriorated health, infirmity, discouraged with life, faith waning and cannot keep up any longer, He says to you “come and eat”. Let Him have a place in you and nourish you, make you stronger and refined for the journey ahead.

Christ gave it all, that we may have it all… Come and eat… He’s aware, just come, present it before Him… He will give you rest (Matthew 11:28, John 6:35, John 7:37).
May the Peace and Love of God that surpasses all things rest and abide in your Heart. Amen.

(Published by The Southerner on Sunday,June 22, 2025)