Gospel of Luke, chapter 22:19

Do you ever think of God’s kingdom as one big party? The picture sounds a bit frivolous to our modern ears, doesn’t it? A party is a time for happiness and celebration, certainly, but it is more than that. It is a moment in our lives when we are at peace with others. Competition is put aside. Men and women relax and enjoy one another’s company. Aggression is left at the door.

God is a kingly party-giver, a generous host who has prepared a fantastic feast for us. He has invited us to take part in a banquet to which we have no real claim or right. His invitation is pure gift. If we are to take our places at the feast, we must first admit our hunger and thirst and then commit ourselves to satisfying the hungers and thirsts of others. We do this each time we gather for the Eucharist, our celebration of God’s banquet in time.

At the Eucharist, we accept God’s invitation to the meal of salvation. We recognize our own need for repentance, conversion, and reconciliation. We acknowledge our hunger and thirst for the Lord. We discover that we are bound to one another as we share the Eucharistic meal together.

At the Eucharist, we also commit ourselves to live according to the spirit and teachings of Jesus. We pledge ourselves to go in peace to love and serve the Lord by working to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our neighbors in need.

The celebration of the Eucharist prepares us to live as a Eucharistic people; a people committed to a life of thanksgiving that ushers us into the final banquet where we will be with the Lord forever.

May we all begin to live that kind of life that sheds peace and happiness around us.

Fr Hugh Duffy

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