By

Fran Szpylczyn

Text of Reflection:  

(Floor tiles from the church at Taghba, site of the loaves and fishes miracle.)

Eucharist. What does this word mean beyond "communion?"

The etymology of the word is from the Greek - Eucharista, which translates as Thanksgiving. Clicking into the word eucharista will bring you to a web site with some practical and historical information.

However, lets take this further. Eucharist. Thanksgiving. Communion. If you attend mass at St. Edward's, you will frequently hear Father Butler say "common union." He says this over and over for a reason I think- so that we might actually remember why we are there.

Recently, on Palm Sunday vigil mass actually, Father spoke to the idea that we don't come to mass to "get" something like communion. It is what we come to give and to share at the table and beyond. Common union.

Today's Gospel from John tells us of the apostles - and this is after the Resurrection, going fishing. They can't catch a thing.

(The Sea of Galilee)

Then they encounter Jesus who tells them to throw the net over the right side of the boat and suddenly it is alive with fish, full to the brim! They make their way to the shore where Jesus has a charcoal fire going and they will have breakfast with him. It is clear that along with the fish, they will have bread.

This marks the third time that the disciples encounter Jesus and they are still not really sure what to do.

Father Butler mentioned that this story is not unlike the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

In that story, the disciples were all ready to turn everyone away so that they could go get something to eat. And Jesus says no- come here, there is enough, there is more than enough.

Somehow that hit me today - we often turn away to go work for or find what we need and so very often (like maybe always) what we need is with the Lord. Abundance, nourishment and fulfillment. Which must be encountered in community and shared and lived.

Eucharist. Thanksgiving. Communion. Common union.

So here we are, not even a week after Easter and the power of the Resurrection and we are often as befuddled as the apostles. Instead of looking for the Lord, we go back to familiar territory - in their case, fishing at Galilee and wonder why we can't quite get it.

Jesus appears to show us that there is abundance, if we follow His way by turning to Him first and by also understanding the dynamics of sharing the abundance. This is much easier said than done and goes far and wide beyond food.

So for me, I pray today that I am able to see the Lord in all kinds of breaking of the bread and that I am able to remain in the place of surrender that such breaking requires. I pray that I somehow can be open to the startling abundance of what is versus what I think I want or need.

In the meantime, I do think I am as likely to go fishing and try to feed myself (human nature being what it is) and hopefully I will look up and see Him on the shore. Fire and bread and hope.

March 28, 2008