Last year I attended a week at a health spa where I learnt a lot about body nutrition, medical advances and how best to apply those to our modern way of life. It is a complex challenge given our processed food world! I learnt about the varied ways to lose weight and the importance of exercise, especially the critical value of muscle as we get older. They emphasized why maintaining and increasing muscle extends the quality as well as the quantity of life. The biggest take away for me was the goal of increasing the health span (quality of life) and not just the lifespan (quantity of life).
Everything I heard was not new and it all felt so obvious, but I had rarely heard it so clearly or so distinctly. Maybe it was because I have recently lost a lot of close friends and family to early cancer deaths. Or maybe it was because I deal with a lot of death in my ministry as priest. Either way, it hit me really hard, and I have tried to change my life as a result of these new learnings. I have increased my exercise and decreased my caloric intake. As a result, I am the lightest in fat, the heaviest in muscle weight, and the fittest in aerobic capacity I have been in 40 years. In short, I feel great physically.
I realize that not everyone can be as disciplined as I am and not everyone is as motivated as I am, but it is possible that everyone can be inspired as much as I was by the right information at the right time. Of course, I do not refer to inspiring you to lose physical weight or increase physical fitness, although that would be wonderful. I refer instead to inspiring you in getting our spiritual bodies in the best shape of our lives and what will it take to do so!
There is something called the basal metabolic rate (BMR) of the physical body, and it is the rate of energy expenditure of a person at rest; it eliminates the variable effect of physical activity. The BMR accounts for approximately 60% of the daily energy expenditure. I believe there is a BMR for the spiritual body too! We need a certain amount of spiritual nourishment to stay healthy spiritually and that comes through the Eucharist on Sunday and daily prayer. If we don’t get enough nutrition then we will have spiritual atrophy, reducing our spiritual muscles! If we don’t use it, we will lose it, just like our physical muscles.
In other words, we have to increase the muscle of our spiritual bodies through works of mercy (charitable works of justice) such as feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, housing the homeless, etc. The actions of kindness, gentleness and love are not just “nice actions” but are the essential components of “spiritual muscle” building exercises.
Just like the physical body, the more muscle we have, the more energy and nutrition we will require for good health. In other words, the more we give of ourselves to others in service, the more we will need to pray and receive spiritual nourishment from God. The more we serve others, the more we will need to receive Christ in the Eucharist and need direct nourishment through personal prayer with Jesus. It is the virtuous circle of life.
This Sunday, as we gather for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we reflect on the profound mystery and gift of the Eucharist. We continue to hear from John’s Gospel section called the “Bread of Life Discourse,” and now Jesus tells us, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6:51). This beautiful reminder calls us to recognize the Eucharist as the true bread of life, nourishing our souls and sustaining our spiritual journey—giving us spiritual muscle for our journey of life.
Just as we need food to sustain our physical bodies, the Eucharist is essential for the health and growth of our souls, our spiritual bodies. By partaking in this holy sacrament, we not only receive Christ into our hearts but are also called to become the Body of Christ in the world. This transformative encounter empowers us to be the bread from heaven for others, bringing Christ’s love, mercy, and compassion to all we meet.
I hope that you and your family will make every effort to return to the routine of Sunday Mass attendance. I know that many fell out of routine during the summer. Others never returned to the routine since COVID and still others struggle with it always. But I am hoping to inspire you and for you to inspire others to come and nourish ourselves from the “bread of life” who promises “his body for the life of the world.” Please come back to Mass and invite a friend and family member. Invite! Don’t guilt or manipulate! Just invite and witness the joy of nutrition! We need each other for the sake of the nourishment of all.
Finally, I would like to thank those of you who supported the St. Vincent de Paul Society E-Waste collection – we filled almost a whole truck full of old electronics! They will be recycled and with your help we saved them from going into the landfill. Thank you for doing your part to reduce, reuse, recycle and care for creation. Special thanks to the team of volunteers who helped collect and load the truck last Saturday: Rose Mary Becker, Mike Gibbons, Sharon Hornung, Jan Marie & Robert Coglman, and Linda & Mike Ramelot.
I would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous support and donations towards our upcoming Rummage Sale. Your contributions have been overwhelming and will greatly benefit our parish community. The Rummage Sale is not just an event to raise funds but a wonderful opportunity to come together, support one another, and extend our reach to those in need. Volunteers are already busy packing up donated items for the 20+ local charities who send in their wish list of items. Other items are tagged for sale at very reasonable prices so come and shop, lend and hand and know you are making a difference to those we reach out to help and support. Mark your calendars and join us for this community-building event on Friday, August 23rd 10am-4pm and Saturday, August 24th 9am-2pm. Sign up for a shift or just turn up to help. Volunteer here.
As we gather around the table of the Lord this Sunday, let us remember the importance of nourishing both our bodies and souls. Let us give thanks for the Bread of Life, Christ Jesus, who sustains us and calls us to be His hands and feet in the world. May we continue to grow in love and service, becoming the living bread for others.
God Bless,
Fr. Brendan