Take your Medicine

How the Eucharist helps us do hard things

He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.”

Luke 9:13(a)

For the past month, every article I have written has been about betrayal. It’s a difficult subject to write about mostly because the first wound of betrayal I received never really went away. Interestingly enough as we reflect on the Feast of Corpus Christi today, betrayal plays a prominent role in the readings.

The first reading and psalm talk about the deliverance of foes and ruling in the midst of our enemies. The second reading makes sure to remind us that the night Jesus was betrayed was also the night of The Last Supper, the institution of the Eucharist.

As I reflected on these passages and why my attention has been so drawn to writing about betrayal, I asked the Lord what he meant when he responded to the disciples’ question about the hungry crowd, “Give them some food yourselves.” The Lord was quick to answer, your enemies.

The bible tells us that it’s easy to love those that love us, that anyone can do that. The harder part is to love those that hate us or have betrayed us, Jesus wants us to feed them too.

It is not possible to feed our enemies without our own nourishment of the Eucharist. Every Sunday when I walk into church, I remind myself that I need the medicine of the Eucharist. It is only through receiving it that I can do the hard things God asks of me like loving everyone with the love of Christ, particularly the ones who have betrayed me.

If you are reading this and have been away from the Catholic Church, I implore you to come home. The Lord is waiting for you in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. You have been hurt and betrayed, I know, but the Lord will never do that to you. Come back and receive the medicine for your soul, the answer to the prayers you’ve been praying.