Preaching for Mass of Renewal of Vows by Sr. Mary Vuong, OP
Saturday evening, June 9, 2007
Vigil of Feast of The Body and Blood of Christ
Luke 9:llb-17

When the 12 apostles returned home, having fulfilled Jesus’ command to go from village to village to overcome demons, cure disease, and preach the Good News, they were delighted with themselves, and with the authority he had given them.

Shortly after this, Jesus took them to Bethsaida for some R&R, but the crowds followed them. After teaching at length about the Kingdom of God, Jesus heard the apostles, still filled with compassion for others, say "These people are hungry and tired; send them home so they can eat."

But Jesus, aware of the authority that he had given them, said, "YOU feed them. YOU can do it." And with Jesus’ help, they did. Today, June 9, Jesus is taking us to a new Bethsaida, a new congregation, and is telling us that we will find people who need to be fed by US. "YOU feed them," he tells us. YOU feed my people, YOU nourish others, YOU refresh others, YOU give them my WORD by your preaching and your daily lives.

Most of us have done this for many years, as our recent celebration of Jubilees bore witness, but we are not done yet. Each of us has been called, as were the apostles, to feed, nourish, and refresh others. We have done this in our early years, our middle years, and our older, wiser years. The call goes on as long as we live.

But if we need a reminder, let us look to our younger generation. Mary Vuong, whose renewal of vows we celebrate today, gives us the example of how to minister to others.

Mary feeds others -- especially on the occasions when she cooks a good Vietnamese meal for Sr. Hue.

Mary nourishes us -- especially those who are in the Visitation community with her -- with her deep, insightful reflections on the Word of God.

Mary refreshes us -- especially with her good humor and jovial manner and million-dollar smile.

The feeding of the five thousand is the gospel for us tonight because we celebrate the vigil of the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, i.e. the Feast of the institution of the holy Eucharist. What a great gift the Eucharist is to us! Through the Eucharist we celebrate the Kingdom of God and we receive the healing power of Jesus. He gave his Body and Blood for us as redeemer and continues to do so as healer.

The Body of Christ, the CORPUS CHRISTI, continues to be present in each one of us because we are created in God’s image and likeness. It is urgent therefore that we continue Jesus’ role as healer of the Body of Christ around us.

And this leads us to another reference to Mary Vuong. The profession for which Mary is preparing at Spalding University is a bodily one-- a healing one. As she pursues her masters’ degree in occupational therapy, Mary is learning more about the BODY than most of us will ever know, or care to know! She is learning even minute details of how the muscles, bones, arid nerves connect and interact. All this with a deep desire to help heal the bodies of her future patients. Mary is aware of the Body of Christ in Eucharist and in God’s people.

May the Body of Christ, and the bodies of those made in God’s image and likeness, give an ever-increasing appreciation of God’s gifts to us. May we feed and be fed with the Eucharistic Christ who is the source and summit of grace.

On this day we specifically ask God’s grace on Mary as she, by the recitation of her vows, pledges to serve the Body of Christ and be nourished by the Body of Christ.

YOU feed them, Mary.     --Elaine DesRosiers, OP
 

Click here to return to Holy Preaching
 

the jonquil will take you to What's New