Father Rick Bolte's Homily

C: Solemnity of the Body & Blood of Christ    2007-06-10

How much should we give?  This is a question people sometimes ask as they start getting involved in a parish.  Most of us are probably familiar with today’s first reading or at least have heard of other Christian denominations who call for their members to give 10%.  Some even go so far as to require members present their 1040’s.  That may also be why according to national surveys Catholics give on average 1% while the other Christian Churches give an average of 1.5%.  It’s also a sad note to see that, contrary to what one would expect, the more a family makes, the less they give to charity.  So is 10% what God expects?  I can say from personal experience as I presume some of you can as well, giving ten or more percent is no guarantee of unselfishness.

Today’s Gospel approaches this quite differently.  In a deserted place where thousands of people have followed Jesus, the disciples ask Jesus to send the people to go find food and other provisions for themselves.  Jesus tells the disciples to feed the people.  They protest that they don’t have enough.  Jesus tells them to bring forth what they have and, after he blesses is, it becomes enough for everyone who is there.  Whether this is the miracle literally described here or, if as some scholars speculate, the real miracle was how Jesus inspired the whole crowd to share, the message is the same: when we give our all God supplies all we need.  Even on a material level Gandhi once said, “There is always enough for everyone’s need, but never enough for any one’s greed.”

In our second reading Paul shares Jesus’ instructions to us at the Last Supper.  We are to proclaim Jesus’ death and he emphasizes that we are to do this in memory of him.  In the Eucharist we are called upon to give our whole selves just as Jesus did.  When we place our gifts on the altar, the bread and wine represent us.  We are united with Christ is the sacrificial offering of ourselves to God and one another just as Jesus did.

God doesn’t want 1%, 5%, 10%, or even 15 %.  We could reach any total or percentage and still be selfish.  God wants it ALL!  God calls us to realize that all we have is a gift for us to use.  All we have gives us the opportunity to choose to love, to choose to follow him, to choose the kingdom of God.  To use all that God has given us out of love for all God’s family is what God asks us to do.  This is what we celebrate in the Eucharist where we thank God for all we’ve been given and seek to choose God’s love over all else.