‘We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth’

Saint Vladimir of Kiev (963–1015) is commemorated today by the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches as a saint of the undivided, pre-schism Church.

He ruled the lands of Kievan Rus, centred on Kiev and encompassing territories that today form parts of Ukraine, Belarus and western Russia. The Christianisation of these lands came relatively late. Under Vladimir's rule, Christianity gradually supplanted the pagan deities and religious practices that had long held sway among the peoples of Rus.

Saint Vladimir used princely authority to promote the Christianisation of his realm. This process almost certainly involved varying degrees of coercion and compulsion, though historians continue to debate the extent to which conversions were forced.

Strengthened by Heavenly Food

Of the three ‘sacraments of initiation’ (Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist), the Eucharist is the only sacrament that can be repeated over and over again.  This is so because we need the heavenly bread for our journey and this is echoed or prefigured in the story of Elijah in the first Book of Kings (19:4-8):

Signs of the Eucharist in Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus

Abraham and Melchizedek - by Juan Antonio de Frías y Escalante (1633-1670)

As discussed in an earlier post, An important work (Jesus and the Jewish roots of the Eucharist #1), and in the short series tagged Jewish roots, I have explored the specifically Jewish character of the Eucharist. Christians understand many of the language, symbols and rituals of the Old Testament as foreshadowing or prefiguring the Eucharist. This understanding arises in the light of Christ and the New Testament, rather than from the conscious intention of the ancient authors themselves.

In this post, I briefly consider several passages from the Pentateuch - the Torah, or the first five books of the Bible - that Christians have traditionally associated with the Eucharist.

In Genesis14:18 we read:

King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High.

Catholic tradition has long seen Melchizedek's offering of bread and wine as a foreshadowing of the Eucharist. These are the very elements used by Jesus at the Last Supper, when he speaks of the cup as the ‘new covenant in my blood’ (Luke22:20).  This connection is reflected in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I), whose core elements are attested by the late fourth century and whose overall form was substantially fixed by the sixth century. Shortly after the consecration, the priest prays:

Be pleased to look upon these offerings with a serene and kindly countenance and to accept them, as once you were pleased to accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim.

The sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis22 is likewise regarded by many scholars as a foreshadowing of Christ's sacrifice and therefore, indirectly, of the Eucharist. Abraham is tested in his obedience to God, but God provides a substitute victim on the mountain, where Isaac had carried the wood for his own sacrifice.

In Exodus12, the institution of the first Passover centres on a lamb without blemish whose blood saves God's people. The lamb is then eaten in a ritual memorial of God's saving action. Christians have traditionally understood the Passover as a type of Christ’s sacrifice and of the Eucharist. Christ is the true Paschal Lamb who takes away the sins of the world and the Eucharist is our sacramental participation in his one sacrifice. When Jesus declares, ‘This is my body’ (Matthew26:26), he identifies himself as the true sacrificial offering. Through his blood we are delivered and redeemed, a reality foreshadowed in the Passover and fulfilled on the Cross. In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we remember, celebrate and partake of this saving mystery.

Respecting others and keeping unity

There are times when we feel we have a right to do good things regardless of others. I am speaking, here, of particular prayers, forms of liturgy and participation in good and holy things.  Just because an action is good in itself does not necessarily mean that it is the best thing to do or, indeed, the right thing to do in a given situation.  We must be mindful of our own relationships, family, community and faith tradition to which we belong.  If our actions cause unnecessary upset to others or risks sowing or exacerbating divisions in the Body of Christ then we ought not do such good things but, instead, trust in providence.

Saint Benedict and the Eucharist

Picture caption:  Laborare est Orare ('to work is to pray')- 

a 1862 painting by John Rogers Herbert 

which depicts monks at work in the fields.

Saint Benedict (AD 480-550) was the founder of Western monasticism and is regarded as a patron Saint of Europe.  He wrote a Rule for monks living communally under the authority of an Abbot.  This serves as the founding document of Benedictine monasticism and spirituality.  Over the centuries, Benedictine monasticism spread across the  world; Benedictine monasticism was introduced into Ireland during the eleventh- and twelfth-century church reforms, and expanded further around the time of the Norman settlement.  An important branch of the Benedictine family is the Cistercian Order, founded at Cîteaux in 1098 by Saints Robert of Molesme, Alberic and Stephen Harding.

Divine and human mystery

 

Sunday 12 July 2026

Lectio Divina:*

Isaiah 55:10-11 Psalm 64(65)

Romans 8:18-23 Matthew 13:1-23

Meditatio:

‘But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty’ (Matthew 13:23)

Commentary:

Since retirement and moving to the countryside, I have had the space, time and opportunity to take up gardening. I am still learning. The pleasure of seeing something grow from a tiny seed is a reward in itself. Yet I am very aware that I am only a partner in the process.

Someone else harvested, processed and packaged the seeds. The soil provided nourishment. Sunshine and plentiful Irish rain created the conditions for growth. And still, many seedlings failed to appear. Of the twenty-four seeds I planted in one tray, perhaps only half made it as far as transplanting. Gardening is a humbling experience.

Why the ritual?

 

Question: why is there so much ritual in the Roman Catholic liturgy?

Answer:  To understand the role of ritual in the liturgy, we must first remember that the liturgy is the work of God, who continues to sanctify his people through the sacraments. In the Eucharist, Christ becomes truly present and draws us into his saving sacrifice.

Catholic liturgy – including the Eucharist – is rooted in ancient tradition and is anchored in clear rites, prayers, and customs so that the mysteries of Christ may be celebrated faithfully and handed on from generation to generation. A free-for-all approach does not sit comfortably with this tradition. We are dealing with sacred realities that transcend personal preference and popular fashion.

A thin place

Church of the Immaculate Conception*, Inis Meáin, County Galway, Ireland. The inscription on the altar cloth translates as 'My Lord and my God'. The stain glass window is the work of the famous artist, Harry Clarke.

To mark our anniversary, we are spending some time on one of the three Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. It is a refreshing break from the heatwave in the south-east of Ireland. With temperatures 10–12 degrees lower than at home, the cool, fresh climate is most welcome.

The sign of peace

Question: Why do people shake hands at Mass?

Answer:  The Sign of Peace is a powerful gesture and reminder that we participate in the Eucharist not as isolated individuals but as members of the Body of Christ. It calls us to be reconciled with one another before we approach the altar (Matthew 5:23-24). It is also an expression of friendship, communion and goodwill towards those gathered around us. In exchanging the Sign of Peace, we are wishing the peace of Christ upon our neighbours, recalling the words of the Risen Lord who greeted his disciples, saying, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19–26).

There are numerous references in the New Testament to Christians greeting one another with a “holy kiss”: Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:26 and 1 Peter 5:14. Saint Paul reminds us:

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread  (1 Corinthians 10:17).

Why so often?

Question: Why do some Catholics go to Mass often including, in some cases, every day?

Answer: Clearly, the answer must lie in the good sense and experience of those who attend very frequently.  Very frequent attendance might be defined, here, as attending more often than once a week on Sunday – or on a Holy Day - which is required of all Catholics.  A more frequent participation in the Mass along with reception of Holy Communion is a daily exercise that greatly adds to other exercises such as walking, eating, reading and giving thanks.  More frequent participation in the Eucharist nourishes our relationship with Christ and strengthens us for Christian discipleship.

Our First and our Last Communions

by Riccardo Sanno

The story of an eleven-year-old girl who was murdered on this day in 1902 following a sexual assault is an extraordinary one. By any reasonable judgement, victims of sexual violence bear no guilt if they are unable to resist an attack. Nevertheless, Maria Goretti is honoured for her heroic witness, courage, and forgiveness. For a brief account of her story see here.

St Maria Goretti did not write about the Mass, but she lived its meaning profoundly. Her life reflected the sacrificial love, forgiveness and union with Christ that the Mass makes present. Having made her First Holy Communion only a short time before her death, she received her final Holy Communion with the same if not more fervour and devotion. May the same be true for those of us who have received the Eucharist over many years.

The Biblical roots of the Eucharist #1

Question: Where, in the Bible, is the Mass found?

Answer: The Mass makes present Christ's Paschal Mystery - especially his one sacrifice on the Cross, together with his Death, Resurrection and Ascension.  The origins of the Eucharist are in the teaching, ministry and, especially, the Passover of the Lord when he gave his body and blood for us on Calvary. The New Testament does not contain the fully developed theological language later used by the Church, but it contains the essential foundations of Eucharistic doctrine. 

It begins on the altar

The Eucharist is not a mere private devotion or practice reserved for a spiritual elite. Yes, of course, it is necessary and good that all of humanity be brought to the fullness of truth that is in Christ and that, I believe, is fully expressed in the Roman Catholic Church notwithstanding the many individual and collective acts of betrayal of some of its membership, including its leadership.

It is a scandal when the Eucharist is celebrated to condone or congratulate emperors, slave owners and despots.  In its long history, the Church has discovered and rediscovered the essential truths of the Gospel in its practice of the Eucharist purified of political associations either imposed or willingly embraced. I am thinking here, for example, of the association of some Catholics with fascist regimes in the mid-20^th Century. We have to face the truths of history with honesty.

Going to him when we are struggling

Sunday 5 July 2026

Lectio Divina:*

Zechariah 9:9-10 Psalm 145(144)

Romans 8:9-13 Matthew 11:25-30

Meditatio:

‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28)

 

Commentary:

We tire from striving. We grow weary carrying burdens that were never meant to be carried alone. In his Son, God comes to us not as a despotic ruler but as a gentle king and suffering servant who gives his life for his people. God remains faithful when all around seems out of control. Evil never has the final word. Some may say that we are on the wrong side of history. Yet human history itself finds its meaning within God's greater plan of salvation. God's desire for his people is peace, life and communion with him. This is the theme running through each of the readings, today.

A thirty day challenge

Question: So, what do you say when you are in the Real Presence and focussed on adoration?

Answer: Nothing in particular.

A saint once said, “God looks at me and I look at God.” That is often enough.

If the Holy Spirit moves me to think, speak, or pray about something, then I follow that prompting. If I am lost for words, I simply remain there - quiet, attentive and receptive.

If I feel bored and find myself watching the clock, then that too becomes something I can offer to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament: “Here I am, Lord - bored and dry.”

If I begin to wonder what I am doing there, or whether I truly believe in the Real Presence, I pray the words of the Gospel: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.”

What difference does it make?

Question: Does believing in the ‘Real Presence’ make any difference?

Answer: I believe that it does. It determines how we approach the great sacrament of the Eucharist, how significant participation is and what is at stake when we receive the sacrament in holy communion.  It also matters, I believe, because the bread and wine that become the body and blood of Christ transforms our worldly way of seeing things and living.  We cannot, simply, walk away and continue living as we did before. We have met the Risen Christ in an altogether special and unique way that demands a complete surrender of our wills and conversion of life. This is why it is a good and wholesome thing to receive as often as we can provided that we are properly disposed.

How do you know?

There follows a brief personalised Question and Answer blog series about the Eucharist. Today I consider the following question:

Question: How do you know that the bread and wine after the consecration are not 'substantially' bread and wine but the Body and Blood of Jesus?

Answer: I ‘know’ this because I am convinced that this is the consistent teaching of the catholic church since the earliest times and is consistent with the scriptures. 

Strictly speaking, I do not ‘know’ this in the same way that I know that 2+2=4 or that Australia exists as a place.  I ‘know’ it based on trust, understanding and – above all – gift.  At baptism, confession, communion and confirmation we are, each of us, given particular gifts compatible with our age, development and experience.  Like when I switch on a computer in the morning I do not understand the internal workings, codes and complicated interactions that occur. I trust that the machine will boot up and give me a view of windows and whatever programme or application I run. 

The sacrament of unity

Pope Leo met Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare in September 2025. Source: here

Last weekend we had the opportunity to attend the annual summer ‘Mariapolis’ of the Focolare movement in Ireland.  ‘Mariapolis’ means ‘City of Mary’ and stems from the initial annual holiday retreat gatherings of the developing Focolare movement founded in Northern Italy in the 1940s by Chiara Lubich and her  companions. The movement spread across the globe in the following years.  I was actively involved for some years as a lay person in the Movement here in Ireland and stay in touch with it still.  A key emphasis of its spirituality is that unity for which Jesus prayed:

I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  (John 17:20-21)

The central importance of mutual love as the basis for building the ‘City of Mary’ echoes a theme of St Augustine in ‘The City of God’ and which has been taken up recently by Pope Leo XIV in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas,:

Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together. 

Pope Leo sums up the role of the Eucharist in helping us to build a civilisation of love in this fragmented world (#88):

For the Christian community, solidarity finds its source in the mystery of Christ and is nourished by the Eucharist. Solidarity emerges from communion in faith and the Sacraments: Baptism and Confirmation unite us in Christ, so that we may become one Body and one Spirit, one heart and one soul (cf. Eph 4:4; Acts 4:32). The Eucharist, which is the sacrament of unity, nurtures our belonging to the Body of Christ and teaches us how to share. The diverse sensibilities present in the Church and the strong convictions that animate each person are a source of richness if they remain anchored in the certainty that unity is a gift received and a responsibility to be fulfilled.

United in Christ – the eucharistic witness of Saints Peter and Paul

Today is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles. St Peter, the first among the Apostles, was the rock on which Jesus built his Church. Saint Paul was the Apostle who, in a particular way, brought the Gospel to the Gentiles. Both ended their lives in Rome, where they were martyred.

Tradition recognises Peter as having oversight of the early Christian community, and as the first Bishop of Rome, the beginning of a line of bishops who would lead the Church there and exercise a ministry of unity and oversight among all the churches throughout the world.

No longer common bread

Today, the 13^th Sunday in Ordinary Time in the church’s calendar supersedes the memorial of Saint Irenaeus (130-202A.D.) in the Latin church.  

The Eucharist was understood by him as with the key early Christian writers as linked to incarnation and resurrection.  Belief in the incarnation – that God had truly become a man in Jesus Christ – is inextricably bound up with belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. In his work, Against Heresies, he writes:

For as the bread, which is produced from the earth, when it receives the invocation of God, is no longer common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of two realities, earthly and heavenly; so also our bodies, when they receive the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, having the hope of the resurrection to eternity.

Soaked in the divine nature

Source: ChristianB

Today we commemorate St Cyril of Alexandria who lived from 376-444A.D. in what is, today, Egypt.  He was no stranger to controversy and if some accounts are to be believed he did not suffer heretics gladly.   He presided at the Council of Ephesus which affirmed Mary as the Theotokos or God-bearer (or Mother of God).  For one particular overview of some of these controversies refer to here. 

Cyril made an important contribution to theology in helping to deepen the Church’s understanding of both the human and divine nature of Christ. The joining of these two natures is so mystically powerful that Cyril uses images of fire to describe how the divine nature spreads out from the body of the God-man into the human race transforming iron but never destroying it.  Human nature is ‘divinised’ or transformed and transfigured.

The use of holy water in preparation for Mass

The font, which dates to pre-penal times is outside the Church of the Annunciation in Rathfarnham, County Dublin, where I brought to mass every Sunday as a young infant. My parents would have blessed me on the forehead with holy water on the way into the church.

The present heatwave is taking its toll on humans, animals, and the natural world—on land, sea, plants, buildings, and machinery alike. The conservation, purification and responsible use of water within the cycle of nature are vital to human life. That precious gift we can so easily take for granted – clean, safe and drinkable water - now seems scarce or hugely valued.

It is customary to bless ourselves with holy water when entering a church. This is a reminder of our baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The baptistry – the large font where infants and adults are baptised - is often deliberately located near the entrance of the church, highlighting the central importance of baptism at the beginning of the Christian journey—a journey along which we are nourished by the Eucharist.

Welcoming those not like us

Sunday 28 June 2026

Lectio Divina:*

Picture sourced here 2 Kings 4:8-16 Psalm 89

Romans 6:3-11 Matthew 10:37-42

Meditatio:

‘..whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me’ (Matthew 10:37)

Commentary:

There is so much to be thankful for: family, friends, good weather, and - if we are fortunate - health. Yet suffering knocks on the door of everyone at some stage. There are the ordinary, everyday sufferings arising from physical discomfort or pain, as well as the trials of making ends meet, holding down a job, dealing with difficult people, facing ourselves as we are, and not knowing what tomorrow may bring.

Our own story

The early Christians were reputed to engage in cannibalism by eating the flesh of their Lord and drinking his blood. Moreover, they were despised for holding to and teaching the resurrection of the body.

Beginning with the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, Christians proclaimed the resurrection of the body (1 Corinthians 15:37):

And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.

Unless we are seized by the love of Christ, which opens our hearts to faith, we cannot enter into the mystery of the resurrection. When we do, our perspective is transformed. Death is no longer the end; hope beckons, and our bodies temples of the Holy Spirit await a real and glorious transformation (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Behold the Lamb!

Saint John the Baptist,
Painting by Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519),
Painted between 1513 until 1516,
Oil on Panel
© Musée du Louvre, Paris

We are more or less at mid-summer here in the Northern hemisphere. There used to be a custom of lighting a fire on ‘St John’s night’ on the 23^rd of June – the vigil of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.  The custom seemed to mirror ancient pagan customs associated with the worship of the sun and the significance of this moment in the seasonal calendar for primitive peoples across Europe.

Be careful what you love

Over the weekend I attended a ‘seed bomb’ workshop at a local arts festival. I had no idea, beforehand, what it was about. It consisted of a talk and demonstration with hands-on practice of taking tiny seeds (yarrow, dandelion, etc.) and kneading them with some soil and moss into  small balls.  These may be simply ‘thrown’ into a garden space. Instead of bombs that kill these were little bombs that give life to wonderful wild flowers.

Given up for all

St Thomas More (1478–1535), whose feast day we mark today, was a martyr of the English Reformation. He is the patron saint of lawyers, statesmen and politicians. His memory was powerfully brought to life for a modern audience in the celebrated 1960s film A Man for All Seasons, in which he was portrayed by Paul Scofield.

Courage

12^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

21 June 2026

Lectio Divina:

Jeremiah 20:10-13 Psalm 69

Romans 5:12-15 Matthew 10:26-33

Meditatio:

‘..Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matthew 10:28)

Commentary:

This Sunday’s readings provide a rich set of resources.  I find them particularly apt for several reasons related to timing as well as the recent political context.  Let me ‘proclaim from the house-tops’ what I have heard in whispers. Let me ‘proclaim from the housetops’ what I have heard in whispers: today is The Day for Life. And, it is Father’s Day at least in this part of the world. One sentence in the statement on the Day for Life caught my attention in particular:

This understanding, however, is not complete without the recognition that, from the beginning, every human being is not just a body but also an immortal soul, with a unique and eternal connection with God, our Creator.

A common language of love

In the Eucharist, which Jesus himself gave to us, we are nourished, strengthened and equipped to continue our earthly journey toward the goal of eternal life with God. In this life we are given a foretaste of heaven.

In his recent ground-breaking encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV opens by referring to the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9), presenting humanity as facing a pivotal choice:

to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.

An Apostle of the Blessed Sacrament

One thousand years ago, a certain Saint Norbert (1080-1134) helped pioneer devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.  He is known as the Apostle of the Blessed Sacrament.  His deep personal devotion to the Eucharist including a regular offering of Mass and devotion of significant time to prayer at the altar enabled him to win hearts and minds.  His witness was highly significant at a time of disunity and disruption in the church. As an article published by the online resource aleteia.org said about him:

St. Norbert is traditionally depicted holding a monstrance, highlighting the deep devotion he had to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and his missionary zeal in proclaiming belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Many other saints in the centuries that followed took his example.  Today, more than ever, we need apostles of the Eucharist who will witness to God’s love in the heart of the city.

An antidote to despair

 

A very strange feature of modern day Ireland is the extent of social problems that are linked to loneliness, isolation, depression and even despair.  What is particularly strange is that, as living standards, have increased over the decades, it seems that human happiness has not – at least not for everyone.  For sure, material goods do not guarantee security and happiness. We need more.

In the midst of an epidemic of loneliness and loss of hope we need a strong antidote. And, let it be acknowledged that even amongst the Christian faithful hope seems to be always under threat as the latest assault on human life, human dignity and human rights press in.  

We need to be strong. This is where, especially, the Eucharist is made for us at this time.

Why this Blog? - revisited

On 1 January I began this daily blog series – Bread for the Journey – with the intention of writing something relevant to the Eucharist and publishing it every day for the remainder of 2026.  So far, I have managed – with a little effort – to publish a reflection each day.  I am nearly half ways there in terms of my new year’s resolution.  It took, on average, a bit more time and preparation than I had thought; it also took me down avenues that I had not quite anticipated or planned.  It has been a personally rewarding experience as I explore and revisit my own personal journey with the Eucharist.

Questions of inter-communion

The question of who can receive Holy Communion in the Roman Catholic Church has raised much debate and, at times, conflict. The great sacrament of communion, which is the Eucharist, has, in the context of Christian division, been the occasion of exclusion and much suffering, especially, but not exclusively, among family members from different Christian traditions.

The Roman Catholic Church understands itself as the Church in which the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church professed in the Nicene Creed subsists. It does not simply state that it is that Church in an exclusive sense, but rather that the Church of Christ fully ‘subsists in’ the Roman Catholic Church, whose visible head is the Pope, the Bishop of Rome and successor of Saint Peter (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium 8).

Good news - bad news

Recently, an extract from the Gospel of Saint Luke was read at daily Mass. It was taken from Chapter 10, in which Jesus appointed ‘seventy others’ and ‘sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he himself intended to visit’.

Today, we are likewise called and sent as disciples of the Good News. Too often, we allow our minds and hearts to be coarsened by a constant stream of negativity and bad news, whether on mainstream media or across various social media platforms.

Love that sees and sends

Sunday 14 June 2026

Lectio Divina:*

Exodus 19:2-6 Psalm 100

Romans 5:6-11 Matthew 9:36-10:8   A picture in the Church of the Monastery of St Francis in Zadar city, Croatia

Meditatio:

‘..When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd’  (Matthew 9:36)

 

Commentary:

The setting of the story is Galilee where, in Matthew’s plan, Jesus’ teaching, healing, and preaching begin to establish the pattern for those who are called. Chapter 10 opens with the calling of those whom Matthew refers to as the Apostles (that is, ‘those sent’).

We need to be mindful of the context in which the very early Church developed. It was not a tightly-knit, canonically well-ordered structure with clearly defined roles and ministries. Rather, it was an evolving communion, spread across the lands of the eastern Mediterranean, gradually moving out from the holy land and flourishing under fierce opposition. It first took root mainly among the Jewish people and then increasingly among the Gentiles.

In the first reading from the Book of Exodus, the people are reminded of something easily forgotten:

I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

Before there was covenant or law, there was initiative. God sees; God acts; God carries. The relationship begins with grace. The image is a precious one: God not only delivers, but lifts, protects, and draws his people into close relationship.

Psalm 100 echoes the same truth in familiar language:

Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (v.3).

We belong before we achieve. In other words, we are claimed before we prove ourselves.

In the second reading, Saint Paul, in his Letter to the Romans, takes this further still. God’s love is not a response to goodness; it precedes it entirely:

God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

That love is not abstract. It is poured out, given freely, even when unearned. Indeed, Paul speaks of God’s love being ‘poured into our hearts’ (Romans 5:5), suggesting not something distant, but something deeply personal and interior.

When we hear that language - love poured into the heart - we are reminded of that fountain of love: the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which whose feast day we marked last Friday. The love of God is not just an idea but a reality - burning, wounded, and poured out. The heart of Christ, aflame and pierced, is the sign of a love that holds nothing back. It represents both his humanity and his divine compassion, a love that enters fully into the suffering of the world.

In the Gospel, that same love becomes visible in a moment that is easily passed over. Jesus looks at the crowds - not from a distance, but with attention –

and he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (v. 36)

 Jesus, in his heart, sees clearly, feels deeply and is moved to act. From compassion comes action and mission. He invites us now into that same mission:

The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest (v. 38)

The people carried on eagles’ wings become a ‘kingdom of priests’; the sheep of the pasture become those who help gather others; and those who have received mercy become those who extend it.

The call to pray for more ‘labourers’ because the ‘harvest is plentiful’ is not to be interpreted narrowly, as though only ordained ministers or consecrated religious are called and sent to announce or live the Gospel. Yes, we need to pray for that too.  After all, no priests, no Eucharist or sacramental  absolution.

Every baptised Christian is called to live out their vocation fully and to witness to the love of God wherever they are. And if people speak out and act boldly in defence of racial justice at this time, we should not hesitate to speak out and act boldly in defence of all human rights. In doing so, we bear witness to Christ as the first disciples did.

  

Some extras:

Collect prayer (Roman Catholic missal of 1970)

God our Father, we rejoice in the faith that draws us together, aware that selfishness can drive us apart.  Let your encouragement be our constant strength. Keep us one in the love that has sealed our lives, help us to live as one family the gospel we profess. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Post-Communion prayer (Roman Catholic missal of 1970)

Lord may this eucharist accomplish in our Church the unity and peace it signifies. Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Private prayer after Holy Communion

(from The Family Missal and Prayer Book of the Church of the Holy Spirit, Ballyroan, Dublin, 1976)

Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd, you felt sorry for the people who were harassed and dejected.  Master of the apostles, you have sent labourers into the harvest to bring your healing grace to men; and the harvest has been rich. Lord of the harvest send labourers today to continue your work among men so that all the children of God may be reconciled.