Homily

For a moment, think about what your favorite food is. Then think about your least favorite. Why do you like or dislike it? What is it about that food that attracts/detracts you? Now, I don’t expect all of us to be able to answer these questions. However, God has created us so that we must eat. Some foods we find very satisfying while others not so.

When I was young, I used to love candy and hated most vegetables. Since then, I can’t eat things that are super sweet, and I now enjoy most vegetables. We all know which ones are more healthy. Yet, my youthful ignorance and physiology prevented me from knowing this. This is also true in the spiritual life.

We are all being called by the Scriptures to live wisely, to make the most of the days we have in our lives. But even though many of you are young, you need not succumb to tastes of the world. For we will become what we eat. Therefore, we should be careful what we consume. But, more than just food, we should be careful how much we consume the things our world offers us. Many things can be good for us while others can be harmful. For instance, does the TV we watch help us or encourage us? Or is it offering us images of lying, deceit, anger, and jealousy? Think about the “reality shows.” What are those shows feeding us? Or how about the music we listen to. Does it build you up? Does it honor God or the things of creation? Or does it use profane words and pornographic images in order to pull us in and seduce us?

Well, Jesus offers us the true food which we are to consume: himself. He is offering himself, his flesh and blood, today and at every Mass. He is the only one who can feed us in both our bodies and spirit. It is only in him that we will have eternal life. So, come today to the table where you can receive the author of life. Receive him in order that you might have courage to face the consumerism of our culture. Come and be fed so that you will have life eternal. Amen.