Holy Thursday 2006.  April 13.   Our Lady of Grace 7:30PM.

“Food and exercise,” the doctor said.  “Without good food and plenty of exercise you will never get your strength back.”  After the man thought about it for a while, he said. “Well Doc, what are my alternatives?   The doctor said, “You eat too much, your diet is too rich in fats and sugars, and you sit around too much.  The alternative may well be dying young.  The choice is yours.” The man was very sad because two of his favorite activates were eating and sitting.

It takes good food and regular exercise to keep our bodies healthy. Sooner or later our bodies grow weaker with the burden of growing old.  This morning I concelebrated the funeral of a 103 year old cousin of my mother.  I am told that on her 90^th birthday she was being teased about being old, so she went to the middle of the floor and did a pretty good job of standing on her head. Even when our bodies get sick or old, happiness, old age or sickness is largely a state of mind.  Even though we can’t see our hearts or our souls, it is usually pretty clear whether a person is spiritually healthy or not no matter what shape their bodies are in. 

Are you confused, empty, tired or downcast?  Do you find life meaningless?  Do you feel like you have everything, but you are still restless and unfulfilled?   Do you enjoy life but somehow still feel that there should be more?  Do you find yourself working hard and doing good things, but still lacking in peace and joy? Do you feel that the way to happiness is a better looking body, a higher paying job, or more high powered friends?  Are your still waiting for someone or something outside of you to make you happy?

Whenever we feel an emptiness within us that leads us to hunger for something more we are standing at a very important crossroads in our lives.  Remember that what we feed our hungry bodies will determine whether we are healthy and strong or flabby and out of shape.  It ready does matter what we eat and drink if we want to be healthy and strong.

Being careful about what we feed our hearts and our souls is even more important if we are serious about peace and joy now and eternal life in the future.  As we surf the internet looking for excitement or run through the TV channels out of boredom, we are feeding our minds and hearts on the things we see and hear there.  As we make decisions about the books or magazines we will read, or make choices about the kinds of friends we will let into our hearts, we are feeding our minds and hearts on what we see and hear. As we deaden our minds and hearts with alcohol, drugs and other soul-dulling chemicals we are feeding our minds and hearts the poison that makes deep and lasting happiness impossible.

On the night before he died Jesus gave his friends the gift of his own body and blood as the perfect food that would always make them whole, peaceful and secure, in spite of the suffering and challenges that every human being must endure.  He had spoken to them about this gift earlier and now he was making it concrete and real for them.  Jesus said, “I solemnly assure you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will have no life in you….for my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.   Those who feed on my flesh and drink my blood remain in me and I will remain in them.”  Because Jesus spoke in this way, many of his followers broke away and no longer followed him.  But Jesus insisted that his gift to his friends was real.  He would give them the gift of his Body and Blood to nourish the very depth of their souls.

This Holy Thursday liturgy teaches us two things:

Being nourished on Jesus is the source of true peace and joy of heart.  We are nourished on the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist.  We are nourished on the Word of Jesus in the Scriptures.  We are nourished on the love and care of Jesus in the life of the Church.  If we are serous about being strong and deep and holy, then Jesus must be our daily food and drink.  The Eucharist, the Scriptures and the community of the Church are the food that nourishes and transforms our souls.  Just as eating the right foods make us healthy and eating too much fat or sugar makes us too heavy, so does being nourished on Jesus make us look and act like him; it makes us holy.

It takes both food and exercise to make us healthy.  If all we do is receive communion or pray, but nothing else changes in our lives, it may be well to ask ourselves if we are serious about being nourished on Christ – or are we just going through the motions. On the night of his Last Supper Jesus washed the feet of his disciples.  He said, “You call me teacher and Lord, and that is well and good for that is who I am.  If I then, your teacher and Lord have washed your feet, so should you wash one another’s feet.  I have given you an example. What I have done you also should do.” 

Our Spiritual diet is the Body and Blood of Christ.  Our spiritual exercise is footing washing and laying down our lives for others in imitation of the Christ we have received.  Our Heavenly diet and exercise are the Body and Blood of Christ and a life of service – for the peace and joy of soul and body that these bring, we give God thanks and praise.