A priest friend of mine tells the story that when he was in high school, he had a friend by the name of Carl that he hung around with.  Carl, it seems, could be kind of high maintenance and awkward, often saying inappropriate things at the worst times.  Carl was hanging around the house one day and was going on and on about wanting to go out and do something. Finally, my friend, who was not in the best of moods having to put up with Carl, had enough of this and was quite rude in telling Carl to stop bothering him and that he was not going to go out!  After Carl left, my friend’s mother – who had heard all of the exchange – came to my friend and said, “You need to be nicer to Carl.  He has been a good friend to you for a long time.”  Parents have a way of saying things that just stay with you and my priest friend still remembers what his mother said.  The story resonates with me because I once had a similar situation when I was in high school and took a friendship for granted. 

One of the truths of this little story is that friendship takes work, friendship is going to challenge us and friendship is sometimes going to make us do things that we would rather not do.  The old hymn tells us that we all have a friend in Jesus and this is true.  There is no one who will ever love us like Jesus loves us.  There is no one who will ever be as faithful to us as Jesus is faithful but we all know that sometimes it is hard to listen to Jesus because Jesus will challenge us, Jesus will make us take a serious look at our ways and our attitudes, Jesus will be present to us in a fullness of love that we may not feel we deserve.  Sometimes it is hard to go to Jesus, sometimes it is hard to come to Mass, but this is where the challenge of my friend’s mother comes in for all of us, “You need to go.  He has been a good friend to you for a long time.” 

We often talk about and reflect on what it means for us to receive the Eucharist – the very Body and Blood of Christ – and this is appropriate.  We receive Jesus himself!  We are being transformed, nourished and strengthened through this receiving of the Eucharist, being and becoming a part of the Body of Christ.  But, I think another question worthy of reflecting upon is, What does it mean to Jesus for us to receive the Eucharist?  This past Holy Thursday, I was struck with this question and the awareness that came from it.  For Jesus, it means everything!  Jesus loved his disciples to the very end and even as he accepted the will of the Father to walk to Calvary and the cross, he so wanted to remain with his friends.   His giving the Eucharist is his remaining with us.  Jesus is that greatest of friends who truly wants to remain with us, to be with us.  In the Eucharist, he gives himself to us.  What does it mean to Jesus?  I think it means everything. 

One further thought.  The Church teaches that it is a sin to miss Sunday Mass – a sin that must be confessed.  The Church also teaches that the Eucharist should be received at least once a year.  The Eucharist can be received more often and should if possible but at least once a year.  Holding these teachings together, the Church is telling us about the importance of the Eucharist as well as the importance of coming together, gathering together in worship.  Being community and church is important.  I share this because I believe that we are living in an epidemic of isolation.  People are more and more isolated from one another and because of this bad things are happening.  Studies are coming forward that are demonstrating that the more isolated a person is the less quality of life and quantity of life that person has. 

It is important to be Church.  It is important to receive the Eucharist.  The Eucharist is the sacrament of unity.  The Eucharist calls us together and this is truly needed in our lives and in our times.  Are we who gather for worship perfect?  No.  Do we have a perfect friend in Jesus?  Yes.  And for our friend it means everything that we receive and welcome him in the Eucharist – his very body and his very blood.