Deacon Larry Jesmer

“This is my body. This is my blood.” We hear this at every mass whether you are here at St. Hubert in Langley or you are in Nigeria. It is the same body same blood offered to us by God through his Son, Jesus Christ.

The Eucharistic feast is one that most Catholics struggle with because our words come short in explaining this gift of Jesus’s body and blood, this human yet divine gift offered to us by God. It is what we need to be in union with, to have a relationship with Jesus Christ who by God’s love for us, suffered on a wooden cross, crucified for us and died for us.

Yet we still struggle with this doctrine of our faith, this Eucharist which is the reason we are here or at least it should be the main reason we are here at mass! Jesus said, “This is my Body, This is my Blood.”

If God can become man, If Jesus can be truly God and truly man, then surely Jesus can give us Himself as a present reality in the Holy Mass. Always we are brought to this point: Do I believe that God has taken on our humanity and become one of us in the person of Jesus Christ, becoming flesh and blood?

The first reading today from Exodus speaks about blood and the pouring and sprinkling of the altar and the people. Our ancestors saw blood as a sign of life, as a way of commitment as a way of bonding.

The second reading today from the Letter to the Hebrews points out the obvious: human blood or blood of animals is only temporary. The blood of Christ, however is forever. Jesus is God and man and His sacrifice of His own life for us carries eternal and complete consequences for all of us.

The gospel today from Mark gives the account of the Last Supper and the words of Jesus; “This is my Body! This is my Blood.” And as I said at the beginning is said during every mass around the world.

So, I Have always wanted to see the upper room. I have always wanted to see the places where Jesus was present. That brings to mind a short story I read while I was discerning what to say in this homily.

An American priest named Fr. Frank Ramsberger was touring the Holy Land. He especially wanted to study the places where Jesus lived, worked, suffered, died and rose from the dead. He became good friends with a young boy Named Josef, the brown faced son of an Arab shepherd. The boy served at Fr. Frank’s masses and taught Fr. Frank some of the difficult Arabic words.

As the priest was about to leave for other parts of the Holy Land, he told Josef: “Not many boys and girls have the privilege of living in the land where Jesus lived. You know that God’s Son, as a boy and as a man, walked these roads and breathed this air. Doesn’t that help you to love him more?”

Josef gave this very thoughtful answer; “You don’t have to live here to love the Lord, because now He lives in every part of the world. Every land now is the Holy Land. Wherever we are, we are in the land of Jesus.”

Have you ever thought of this; that Langley or where you live is part of the Holy Land? Jesus lives right here, right now and He presents Himself to us here in the Eucharist, through His body and blood.

This is what we think of on this feast of His Body and Blood, formally called Corpus Christi, when we recall that Holy Thursday when Jesus first spoke the words, “This is my Body! This is my Blood.”

This right here is the Holy Land. Langley is the Holy Land. This is Bethlehem; Jesus is born right here in every Holy Mass. This is Nazareth; Jesus grows up right here in our lives. Jesus works miracles right here; spiritual miracles.

He heals us of the leprosy of sin. He heals spiritual cripples so they can walk in His ways. He gives sight to those who cannot see the things of the Spirit. Christ forgives sins right here in that confessional.

This is Cana. Jesus is present in every marriage in our church. He attended funerals in His homeland. He is right here when we bury our beloved dead. This is the temple at Jerusalem. Christ teaches right here through his priests, deacons, through his religious Ed teachers and coordinators, and through the parents of His children.

Jesus was present in the villages, churches, streets, fields, lakes and hills and in homes in the Holy Land. He is present in our homes as well and wherever we go.

However, the most important place where He lives in the present, once received at mass, is in us.

During my formation to become a deacon in 2006, we received an assignment that I feel fits this most Holy celebration. We were tasked with imagining ourselves in that upper room when Jesus appeared to his

Apostles. How would we feel, what would we realize? This is what I came up with.

“I am in the upper room. I am dressed in a burlap garment. Beads of sweat slowly cascade down my face only to meet my sandaled and dusty feet. Every step I take dust from the floor of bamboo woven reeds fog them. I am pacing, wondering what to do next. The room is dark with only gray and black images. The darkened images represent uncertainty, loneliness, fear, abandonment.

Suddenly Jesus appears! The once darkened images become bright and full of color. I see Jesus’ hands and feet, the nail holes that are the remnant of His suffering for my sins. I feel ashamed and a tear traverses down my cheek only to be caught by Him. The uncertainty is now belief, the loneliness now joy, the fear is now hope, and the abandonment is now forgiveness, mercy and love.”

Today, most of you will receive the body and blood of Jesus come down from heaven for us. Let us choose to become what we consume. When we come to receive Him, let Him hear you proclaim it by saying a resounding Amen! By some responses, one has to wonder if there might be a thought of “am I going to miss the start of the game”, or what am I going to prepare for dinner tonight, or where am I going to play today or am I going to play on my electronic games?

Don’t be complacent. What would have happened if Jesus was complacent? Think about t.

This Feast is not just a ritual on our church calendar, This Feast is an invitation to encounter the real presence of Jesus Christ not just on the altar but also in our hearts, minds and souls. Then we will have accepted this most holy gift in us, Jesus’ divine presence to give strength to offer Him to a world waiting to be born anew.

On this Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, let us ask the Lord to come and take up residence within us. Let us receive, adore, and become Eucharist for others!

The one idea that I pondered after reading the scripture for this weekend is the love I have for my wife of almost 44 years. I would like to think that this love will last forever, even in the new life to come. That is a very strong love. We live in this hope for each other but the real and most important hope is that of being with the Father in his kingdom forever.

How much more is the love of the Father for his children, you and me? His love is an eternal love which one day in that hope, will be shared with us in his kingdom of heaven. This love is a total receiving and sharing of that love.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Heaven is the eternal life with God; communion of life and love with the Trinity and all the blessed.” Paragraph #1023.

God shows us the way to this total receiving and giving of love through his son, Jesus Christ, who is love itself sent down from heaven to claim us as the Father’s children who now have the way to the Father through the Son.

To get to heaven what do we have to do? Jesus tells us in today’s gospel: “As the Father loves Me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love just as I have kept the Father’s commandments and remain in His love.”

As we feed off our spouses love, how much more do we love by receiving Jesus in the sacrament of Communion? How much more strength do we receive to follow the Commandments especially loving one another? Jesus says, “Love one another as I love you.”

The gospel today is a familiar section from the “Last Discourse” of Jesus to his disciples. In these five chapters, thirteen through seventeen, John presents Jesus as the loving teacher reminding his students of all that he has tried to teach them and us, and what will be on the final exam. He warns them also about the dangers and traps which they will encounter on their way to that exam.

There are some elements of the Ten Commandments, The Sermon on the Mount, and some beautiful images of who Jesus says he is and who the disciples are to be. That includes all of us!

What we hear today is a simple straight forward command, which if followed is the same love as Jesus has for the Father. Jesus tells them and us that he has loved them as deeply and intimately as the Father has loved him. “Love one another as I have loved you!”

If we truly believe who we are, friend and chosen, if we take our name of who we are seriously, then the actions of loving will follow. You cannot love Jesus and not love one another. Jesus tells his disciples and ourselves that, “you are a part of Me, as vine, you are known, loved, and chosen to be fruitful.”

You know we do not hear enough about the saints, someone said to me one day. And she is right. So what do some of the saints say about Love: St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta said: “We can cure physical diseases with medicine but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is Love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more who are dying for a little love. Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough. Money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So spread love wherever you go.”

St. John Paul ll said, “There is no place for selfishness-and no place for fear. Do not be afraid then, when love makes demands. Do not be afraid when Love requires sacrifice.”

And another from St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta who said, “Intense love do not measure-it just gives.”

And finally St. Augustine of Hippo who sad, “What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrow of men. That is what love looks like.”

God so loves us that he sent his only begotten Son who is the fullest expression of God’s love, as the expiation for our sins. Would you suffer for God’s love, to defend God’s love in Jesus Christ? If we are willing to do that then we have the power through the Holy Spirit to go out to love one another without fear, without reservation.

You see, we can love one another, even our enemies, if we truly give ourselves to God through Jesus Christ freely out of our love for Him. We act because we love, not to earn our way to heaven. Jesus acted because of his love for us. Love one another. Simple.

If we love Jesus Christ, if we open ourselves to see Jesus in others, the lame, the thirsty, the homeless, the sick, the dying, all the marginalized of our society, then we are following the Commandment to love one another by offering our help and assistance.

When we open ourselves to see Jesus, to feel this love, we will see them and don’t be surprised if they are your neighbor, in our church, in our community, in our own back yards. They are there. Love one another.

Two weeks ago Jesus told his disciples about the “Shepherd” laying down his life for his friends. Love is not always felt but is expressed in deeds especially the generous surrendering of greed, envy, demands, expectations.

Always this loving is easier to talk about then to execute. It begins with being loved as a gift and not something earned. The disciples were asked to receive their being loved by Jesus as the Father loves Him. Remaining in that love will result in remaining as “sent” and “Loved” sacraments and is our final test.

Many books have been written about love and how to be loved and how to express that love. Each of us is writing our own book by how we lay down our lives for our sisters and brothers. Each of us is writing our own book by living in that love of Jesus Christ or choosing not to.

Our own books have become a reflection of what is in this book called the Holy Bible. Where does your book fit in it?

Today the church celebrates the Feast of Divine Mercy and the end of the Octave of Easter. We have been celebrating Easter Sunday and the resurrection for eight days now, and today, the final day of the Easter Octave we acknowledge as the day of new creation.

It is a day on which the love of God is poured into our hearts in a very profound way. The Feast of Divine Mercy has everything to do with humility, trust and mercy.

When we look at the picture of the Divine Mercy, underneath the picture of Jesus are these words “Jesus, I trust in you.” That is something some do not do very well, to trust in our Lord. We like to think that we trust Jesus, but when it comes right down to it, some really don’t.

Some of us are afraid of letting go of things because we are not sure if God is really going to do what he promised. In the practical day-to-day existence, we trust far more in ourselves and far more in other people, and far more in money and material things than we do in God, which is a pretty tragic statement, especially in light of what Jesus did for us.

When we consider this point of trusting in our Lord, we know that he has made extraordinary promises to us: Promises of heaven, Eternal life, promises of being united with Him, Promises that our sins are going to be forgiven.

For some, the problem is that they don’t have clear evidence to support such trust. In the gospel today, we see Thomas in this very situation and saying, “I am not going to believe unless I see the holes in His hands and feet and the opening in His side.” Jesus appears in His mercy and shows Himself to Thomas and says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Thomas is our proof. He is representing all of us who doubt.

How often do we struggle with the question with whether or not our sins are truly forgiven? The problem is that we have no evidence, no proof, no sign that our sins are gone. We cannot see our sins on our soul, and we cannot see them removed.

But in the gospel the Lord breathes on the disciples and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them.” “He didn’t say whose sins you forgive are swept under the rug. He didn’t say whose sins you forgive I’ll keep them in mind and I will hold them against them later. He said, “They are forgiven.” That means they are gone.

He made the promise, and the One who has promised is trustworthy, we simply need to place our trust in Him because he has made this promise. When we think about the Feast of Divine Mercy and we think about the Mercy of God, at first glance, one might think that this would be better if it were celebrated during Lent. After all, six weeks of praying and doing penance we were seeking the Mercy of God. Now all of a sudden, here we are on the octave day of Easter, the height of the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection, and suddenly we turn and we are asking God once again for mercy.

Today’s readings reveal the kind of heart in Jesus and in his followers. When Jesus appeared to his Disciples that first Easter, he said, “Peace be with you.” As you can imagine, that greeting meant more than just a hello or good morning. Jesus, in fact, desired to communicate to them something of enormous value.

The peace which Jesus won for us had cost him his blood, his very life. What that peace involved, Jesus tells them clearly, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sine you forgive are forgiven them.” To His Apostles Jesus communicates the Holy Spirit with the power to free us from our sins. The words of absolution comes through the sacrament of Reconciliation and frees us from the shackles that keep us from God.

From the Acts of the Apostles we glimpse mercy in action. The early Christians were so filled with the Holy Spirit that “no one claimed any of his or her possessions as their own.” Rather, they “distributed to each according to his or her need.” Mercy then involves the effort to provide every human being with access to this world’s blessings.

The readings from Acts in turn call us, calls our attention to the corporal works of mercy; Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, Give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, Bury the dead. Ultimately, mercy results not so much from human effort as from God’s free gift of Grace. As Shakespeare said, “It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven.”

Where do you receive God’s mercy the most? I mentioned earlier how Christ gave the Apostles the power to forgive sin. Yes, the mercy of God is most evident in the sacrament of Reconciliation, Confession. You can’t help but feel the effect of your sins being lifted away as you hear those words of Christ of absolution coming from the priest.

At that moment we should feel the comfort, the peace be with you, the mercy of God upon us. Now free to receive Jesus in the Eucharist the effect on our lives is miraculous. We go out and are able to meet the world with our faith as our shield. We go forth with the power of the Holy Spirit as our guide and mentor. We go out with the food from heaven, Jesus himself. This is our proof.

What more evidence do we need? He has given all we need. We just need to throw fear away, find that humility that says, “yes God, I know you are in control of my life, not me and to bring trust into our hearts. That’s all it takes.

It is easy but we make it hard on ourselves to do so. Humble ourselves and make reconciliation a needed part of your spiritual lives and in return your life will be transformed. You will find peace in God’s Mercy.

God is offering his mercy to us. He has done everything for us, and he has given us the means by which our sins can be forgiven. Humble yourself, confess your sins, and trust in Him.

Today’s gospel story and most of the New Testament writings we see the heart of a servant in Jesus. We hear today how he spends most of the day healing the sick and they keep coming and coming until after sunset. We heard that the whole town was gathered at the door!

Jesus had to of been worn out but he kept on serving. When He awoke from sleep the next morning, but before anyone else was up, needed to get away to pray and he found a deserted place. Simon and the other disciples look for Him and on finding him essentially said; “Jesus, you’ve made it big. Everyone is looking for you.”

It is true, particularly of youngsters, maybe 10 years old through most of the teen years that want to look good to others – what they wear, what they say, and the family car they ride in. I remember when I was in sixth grade we didn’t have such a great looking car. It was an International Travelall. It was old and had a few dents in it. When my mom came to pick me and my siblings up from Catholic grade school, I always hoped she was late so the other kids would already be gone so that they did not see that battle wagon.

It really was not that bad but to a youngster in sixth grade, it was anything but cool.

At whatever age, we all want to put our best foot forward for other people, to show our good side. It plays out in different ways at different ages. But it is true of all of us, and it lasts our whole life.
It is natural enough and there is really nothing wrong with it. We want others to think of us as good company, enjoyable to be with. We want clothes that look good on us. We want others to see our strengths, the gleam of good health and the glow of talent.

We want others to know that we are good at golf, or bowling, or just good at something. We want others to think of us as bright, intelligent and clever. It is natural enough and unless it is an extreme preoccupation, there is nothing wrong with it.

Throughout Mark’s gospel Jesus appears to want no one to know who he is. The demons shout out who he is and Jesus tells them to be quiet. Of course, Jesus doesn’t need a recommendation from demons but it appears to be more than that.

Jesus heals people and then tells them not to tell anyone about it. Most of them go out to tell everyone they can. In today’s gospel story, Jesus can stay and make a name for himself but he says that it is time to move on. Why? Jesus is a servant of God. He does not come to impress people as to what he can do or to become well known. He simply wants to proclaim the Good News and heal people.

Now, we all know that there is another side to all of us, isn’t there! There is a dark side. Sounds like the star wars movies. Anyway, there is a dark side that we do not want anyone to see. We’ve all got weaknesses, we’ve all got some deep down fears. Sometimes we are not so courageous as we look. And we have made mistakes along the way.

Jesus is teaching all of us, then and now, what God is like. By reaching out to the sick Jesus is teaching us that God reaches out kindly and graciously to the parts of you and me that are weak; Those places within us that are frail, that we are not so proud of, that we don’t want anyone to know about. Those are the places Jesus wants to care for.

Those are the places where Jesus wants to be with us to give us strength. Those are the places where Jesus is especially loving to us. Jesus didn’t go from town to town saying, “Bring me your best and your brightest.” Jesus went from town to town reaching out to the sick and the sinners.

Jesus went from town to town preaching the Good News of a God whose knows we are not perfect, that there is another side to our lives, that we are weak, that we have some bad memories, that we are sinners, and that God wants to be with us in those parts of our lives.

In our first reading we find Job. Poor Job! Here is one who has had a lifetime that was stolen from him. Everything happened to him. He lost everything he possessed. But God was there for him. Job, in all his misery, reached out to God, even during his extreme suffering, while he pours out his agony before God. And what did Job do? He never lost his sight of God.

Jesus was criticized for the kind of people he associated with. In Job’s case, his friends, especially Eliphaz, thought Job brought all his suffering upon himself and it was God’s way of punishing and disciplining the guilty Job. How would others think of Jesus if he befriended Job?

Do you remember Jesus’ response as to why he associated with the ones he did? He said, “The healthy don’t need a doctor. The sick do. I came for sinners.”

We all know from the sacred writings that Jesus went around curing the sick. But we can forget why he did it. We look at the cure and not the reason for the cure, the story that surrounds it. Jesus did these cures, these miracles to teach us that he came to be with us in those parts of our lives where we don’t feel so good about ourselves. He came to say, not imply, “I love you”, but to say, “I love you there…in the part of our lives no one else sees. Jesus is saying “I love you, weaknesses and all.”

When our faith guides our lives, we do not worry about how we look to others. We do not try and set ourselves apart from others by bringing to the forefront what good we do. We do it out of love for Jesus. Why? Take a good look.

Like St Paul said to the Corinthians, “If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!” And he also said, “All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.”

If you get a chance today, or sometime during this week, spend some time with the Lord talking about that part of you where weakness resides. Experience His healing, loving and strengthening touch. This touch is definitely in the Eucharist that most of you will receive today and if you do, spend time with Him in thanksgiving of what he has given you, Himself!

Experience firsthand, why we call the story of Jesus the “GOOD NEWS”.

“What happens in Bethlehem doesn’t stay in Bethlehem. It goes home with pilgrims. That was certainly true of the Holy Family. “Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart”.” This was a quote from the book by Scott Hahn, “Joy to the World”, the gift given to us from the Parish.

What do we do when we leave this church every Sunday? What do we take with us? Do we have the Epiphany that this simple bread and wine has now become Jesus’ body and blood? Like the wise men who had the Epiphany that revealed to them who Jesus is do we take Jesus with us as we leave through those doors to share with others?
The Magi receive the revelation that Jesus is the King of the Jews. So they come to pay homage. They have an Epiphany-they know that Jesus is now manifested, that Jesus is now revealed and is the son of God who has come to save the world.

Epiphany means a showing, a manifestation. In our case today, through the visit of the wise men, the manifestation of Jesus as the savior of the world was made known to all. The wise men know this. They had their Epiphany. And what was shown to us is that Jesus, the one who came to save us, was revealed to all, Jew and Gentile alike. After all, the wise men were Gentile scholars in astrology and seeing this star, they knew someone had come into world who was very special indeed and after finding Jesus had an Epiphany that this child was sent by God to save the world.

There are many epiphanies we experience every day. But do we have the Epiphany that shows us Jesus in our daily lives, Jesus who is present in our lives, this Jesus who loves us so much to give his life for us? Or are we so caught up in this world’s stuff that we are clouded by it, keeping us from seeing him, seeing his relevance in our lives and that of the whole world?

I know that this happens to me from time to time especially in those times that I get impatient waiting for some sign that he is there when all I have to do is clear my mind, heart and soul from all the stuff around me. Then I realize, I have an Epiphany that He is right next to me guiding me and walking with me through my life’s journey. Has that happened to you? I bet it has.

Keeping my mind, heart and soul clear allows me to realize the epiphanies that happen on a daily basis. It is not just once. Through these daily Epiphanies, Jesus shows me who he wants me to be and I can realize who He really is, my God and my King, my Savior, my merciful and loving friend!

In our gospel today, God chose an insignificant people, the Jews and Jerusalem and from among them God chose an insignificant Jewish virgin, Mary. Through them, God chose to reveal the mystery of his plan beyond the Jews to the world. We hear in the psalm: “The king of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts. The king of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute, all kings shall pay homage, all nations shall serve him.”
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul exalts that the mystery of salvation, treasured by the Jewish people as their exclusive possession, is also intended by God for the salvation of the Gentiles, the world beyond the Jews. This in itself is an Epiphany. Jesus is revealed to be the savior of all people on earth.

Epiphanies are mental moments spurred by visible or verbal moments in our lives where we gain instant clarity, where we gain truth, where we gain wisdom by the power of the Spirit. These times can turn into motivation to change and charge forward. But not all epiphanies are created equally.

Some demand a deep inward search and you’ll be stuck asking the tough questions to see what you are made of! Other times they fly in and out of your life swiftly, silently, almost unseen but they do reach deep within us. It is great to have epiphanies in our lives but what we do with them, this new revelation, this new truth, this new clarity, is what really matters.

Most of our habits are so ingrained in our lives that changing behavior causes recourse in life. Most epiphanies force us to see situations and to see ourselves in a new light. But what do we do with this new light, this new revelation this change in our behavior?

As Catholic Christians we are charged to be evangelizers of our faith. The Epiphany does not stop at the crib. It continues throughout time and space to share this light, this revelation of who Jesus is. This faith of ours should be very important in our lives. This love shared by God through his Son Jesus, should be the most important in our lives. There is this game I play only once in a while. It goes like this; I tell some people that I love someone more than my own family, more than my own wife. Then I hesitate and remain silent for 10-15 seconds. I get the strangest looks and some tha could even kill.

I can only imagine what is going through their minds. Then I let them off the hook and say; “I love God more than anyone or anything.” It is like I lifted a great weight off their shoulders. The Epiphany of Jesus as savior of the world is hard to comprehend for some but it does not diminish that Jesus, in fact, came to save us all.

Jesus came to take on our burdens, to lighten our load, to take the weight of our sins off our shoulders. That in itself, is an Epiphany of who Jesus is, this Jesus lying in a manger in a stall, who became one of us taking humanity upon himself, putting himself in our shoes, revealing to us that he is here with us, and to be with us as we journey to holiness, as we journey in his truth.

Holiness is at the core of our faith and the Christian life. Jesus didn’t come into the world just to forgive sins. He came through this Epiphany, to make us into a new creation. He came so that He could give us the power to live in the holiness, peace and purity that he demonstrated. He brought us a way of life that would insure our entrance into the heavenly kingdom forever! What an Epiphany!

You know, having worshiped Christ, the Magi returned to their own country by a different route. This suggests not just a new geographical route, but a new mentality, a new truth. Having met Christ and hearing his gospel, we too will travel through life by a different route. We will have different attitudes, different values, different goals. It is impossible to encounter Christ without it affecting the way we live our lives.

Our coming here to mass is a journey to see Jesus, to get the fullest truth of who he is in our lives. We come here to give Him , in the presence of his body and blood, a place in our minds, hearts, and souls, to journey with us to the Father. This is the Epiphany.

This is the meaning and the joy of the Epiphany. May all of us experience the joy of showing Jesus to others. May we ask God to guide us with the light of Jesus Christ and to fully recognize the Epiphany of Jesus in the Eucharist and to welcome him with love!