There is a story of a priest who gave a fourth-grade class a complete tour of the church. The priest showed the fourth graders the crucifix, the baptismal font, the alter, tabernacle, all the vestments, the organ, stained glass window, the station of the cross and much, much more. After the church tour was over for all these little fourth graders the priest asked the class, “Now boys and girls, what was the most important thing I showed you in today’s church tour?”

A little boy quickly raised his hand and the boy said, “Father, the most important thing we have seen today in the church is the exit sign.”

The priest thinking the little boy was a wise guy asked, “Okay Charlie, why is the exit sign the most important item in the church?”

And the little boy said, “Well father, because in listening to the bible readings and then receiving holy communion at mass, we now go outside those exit doors to live it.”

What a profound answer. We now go outside those exit doors to live it. We are the body of Christ if we do and share, we are the body of Christ if we do and care, and we are the body of Christ if we offer our lives that others might live. The real Jesus took real bread and real wine and identified himself with it. The Eucharist is an action and not a thing. The liturgy we celebrate should mirror the life we live.

As St. Augusta once said, “By receiving the holy Eucharist, we are called to become what we have received.”

We receive the body and blood of Christ. Eucharist means we are vulnerable. It sometimes means painfully surrendering and asking am I willing to suffer on behalf of love? how willing am I to forgive others as well as myself? True discipleship is not without cost. Eucharist calls us for radical dependence on God. The ability to trust God, to trust life. Knowing that we don’t have have all the answers, the Eucharist we share should steer us into a holy reverence despite our struggles, pains and so many questions. We must be a community of believers gathered and called to share in his name and serve always in his name. As the seasons of the years change, so do we. And as the body of Christ we must always realize, in life, change is inevitable but growth is optional.