The Body and Blood of Christ (A) My First Communion was a bubbly, tingly experience. That was probably caused by the alcohol, and not so much the Holy Spirit. Other times with the Eucharist were more blessed. I think of attending holy hours with my father, being part of the procession in Orvieto, and seeing my life change through daily prayer in front of the tabernacle.

There are two key mistakes that modern Catholics make. Our Enlightenment worldview sees everything as matter, energy, and atoms. Catholics sometimes act as if the Eucharist were the only place that God is still present in the world. Instead, the Eucharist should open our eyes to see that we ourselves, the world around us, and fellow human beings are all sacramental.

We think of faith as a static, sitting-in-church kind of thing. Ancient Christians saw their faith as "the Way" and we were walking with Jesus on a journey to eternity.

My annual walking pilgrimage helps correct these errors. Time "on the road" changes your relationship with nature, yourself and others. It forces you to trust in Divine Providence. You get away from all the comforts that you consider essential, only to find that you are more happy without them.

The Eucharist reminds us that we were not meant for comfort, pleasure, or to feel at home here on earth. We are on a pilgrimage to eternity, and Jesus himself is the food for our journey.

(11 Jun 2023)

Going Deeper: Did your local Catholic parish celebrate a Corpus Christi procession? Have you ever experienced a pilgrimage for yourself? Consider planning or participating in a walking pilgrimage sometime soon.

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