Hispanic Heritage Mass Homily
Saint Peter’s Cathedral – October 12, 2024
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16; I Corinthians 10:16-17; Mark 14:12-16; 22-26
Welcome, brothers and sisters, to this special Mass in which we celebrate Hispanic heritage as a Church community. Welcome to your cathedral as we give thanks for the gift of our culture, the blessings of faith and the presence of the living God in our midst through the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.
The theme for this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together”. As the Hispanic community takes its rightful place in the great tapestry of life that has been created in our country by its people who immigrated to this land from every corner and country of the world, we celebrate the gifts that you bring to our lives, to our Church and to our future. How blessed we are to begin this celebration here, at the table of the Eucharist, to be nourished for our shared mission and bound together in unity by nothing less than the power and presence of Almighty God.
This great gift of God in the Holy Eucharist lies at the heart of all that we do this day. Far more than anything else we might pursue in life or seek to acquire, the Eucharist sustains us in the midst of hardship – binds us together in a spirit of unity and peace – and equips us to embrace the mission of the gospel in every aspect of our lives, come what may! As such, the Eucharist enables us to establish a foundation for our future together that is rooted in hope and truly lifegiving.
Let’s spend a few moments reflecting on this greatest of gifts that have been given to us by God.
In reflecting upon the Eucharist some time ago, Pope Francis reminded us that “in the Body and Blood of Christ, we find Jesus’ presence, his life given for each of us. He not only gives us help to go forward, but he gives us himself — he makes himself our travelling companion, he enters into our affairs, he visits us when we are lonely, giving us back a sense of enthusiasm. … The Lord gives meaning to our life, to our darkness, our doubts. … For in the warmth of his presence, our lives change. Without him, everything would truly be grey. So, in adoring the Body and Blood of Christ, let us ask him with our heart: ‘Lord, give me the daily bread to go forward, Lord, satisfy me with your presence!’”
Yet, in addition to receiving the bread of life for our salvation, it is clear that the Lord not only calls us to be citizens of Heaven. At the same time, he also considers the journey we must face here on earth. Pope Francis went on to say, “Our Eucharistic adoration comes alive when we take care of our neighbor like Jesus does. There is hunger for food around us, but also for companionship; there is hunger for consolation, friendship, good humor; there is hunger for attention, there is hunger to be evangelized. We find this in the Eucharistic Bread – Christ’s attention to our needs and the invitation to do the same toward those who are beside us.” The Holy Father concluded, “We need to eat but we also need to feed others.”
These words of Pope Francis reflect the heart of the message of today’s second scripture reading taken from Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. In this passage, the earliest reference to the institution of the Holy Eucharist written not much more than 20 years after the death of Jesus, Saint Paul paints a startling picture of the Corinthian community and its failure to understand the consequences of an encounter with Christ in the Eucharist. Many were unable to look beyond their own needs to those of the body of Christ in his Church. There was conflict among its members – just as we experience it today. Some in the Corinthian church felt that they were superior to others and failed to share their bounty with those who were less fortunate. As a result, some even went hungry in the midst of gathering to celebrate the Eucharist.
In response to their behavior, St. Paul challenges the Corinthians: “You who share the same bread and cup receive the same Christ in the Eucharist – and as such, you become one with each other and with the Lord whom you receive.” … You become one with your husband, your wife; one with your child; one with the neighbor you find intolerable; one with the person whose background or lifestyle you’d rather not accept; one with the poor.
The great Saint John Chrysostom put this in perspective when he spoke of the bond between reverence for the sacramental presence of Christ and our relationship with his mystical body: “Would you honor Christ’s body? Then do not permit him to be despised in his members, that is, in the poor who are in need of clothes. Do not honor him here in church clothed in silk, while outside, you neglect him when he is cold and has no clothes. … What advantage is it to Christ if the altar is covered with gold vessels while he himself is starving in his poor? First, feed those who are hungry and only then, adorn the altar with what remains.”
Eucharist compels us, brothers and sisters, to remember that we are not only blessed to receive the risen Christ but also are called to something more. Early in his pontificate, Saint John Paul II wrote to the bishops of the world about the gift of the Eucharist. As he spoke of the sublime gift of God in the sacramental presence of Jesus that we honor and adore this day, he also said this: “The authentic sense of the Eucharist is that it becomes the school of active love for my neighbor. If authentically received, Eucharist must make us grow in awareness of one another.”
Can’t you see, then, that as Jesus calls us at the Last Supper in today’s gospel passage to break bread and pour forth wine in his memory, he calls us to do more than recreate a ritual meal? It is not enough for us to simply remember the events of God’s saving grace, to bless ourselves and to bow devoutly before the Eucharist in wonder and awe. … An authentic sense of the Eucharist is that it challenges us to open our lives to God – to admit of our need for love and forgiveness, for healing and hope. … It challenges us to trust in God’s mercy, not because we are righteous – none of us are – but because God in Jesus has given his life to save us – all of us – from our sins. … And an authentic sense of the Eucharist challenges us to find our deepest meaning, purpose and peace by following Jesus – by walking together in unity as brothers and sisters – and by making the pattern of Jesus’ life of selfless love and service our own.
The great Saint Augustine put it best: “Become the mystery you celebrate.” … Become the broken Christ whose life was poured forth for those that he loved. … Become the loving, compassionate Christ who fed the hungry multitudes, and satisfied not only their physical needs but their desire to be nourished by God.
Brothers and sisters, the great sacrament of the Eucharist is both a gift to be cherished and a responsibility to be embraced by all who seek the Lord Jesus with sincerity of heart. May our prayer on this great day of thanksgiving embody these simple words: As we receive the gift of Christ in the Eucharist, may we, in turn, become Christ for others to shape our future together with hope and love. Amen.