Twentieth Sunday Ordinary Time B

Image: Lamp of Wisdom.
from Art in the Christian Tradition, 
a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.

August 16, 2015

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Real change is always hard for us.

And facing up to what we really need to change is even harder.

That's why the Eucharist is so important to us.

The Eucharist is our power source: food for our spirit.

It gives us energy for the tough journey we're on and it keeps us going. But, even more important, it's medicine for our spirit, the ultimate heart medicine.

When taken as directed, it has the power to cure what's sick in us, and to heal what's wounded.

But it isn't magic.

We have to take it as directed.

That means we have to receive the Lord, not just into our hands or on our lips, but all the way into our inmost being.

And doing that takes close attention, inner quiet, and a great deal of trust.

But when we do welcome the Lord in that way, there, deep inside, with all the doors unlocked and all the nooks and crannies open, the Lord lights up our darkness.

Deep inside us, heavenly warmth and light help us see and know God as absolutely devoted to us, utterly delighted at our successes, and anxious to see us get better, and happier, and more whole.

What powerful heart medicine God is for us.

He doesn't just make us feel better.

By his kind presence he gives us the courage and the confidence to look at what needs to be done and to see where we need to change, and not just close our eyes or look away from our unfinished work.

Change is always hard but it becomes possible for us when we trust the Lord enough to come into our hearts, shine a warm and kindly light on what we need to see, and take us by the hand and lead us where we need to go.

And that happens when we receive the body and blood of the Lord without distraction or barrier.

So let us pray for one another:

May God help us to receive Jesus' holy body and blood, not just in our hands and on our lips but in the depths of our heart.

And as we share God's company, heart to heart, may we be transformed into his likeness. Amen.