What He Really Wants

We were celebrating First Holy Communion at several of the Masses in the parish this Sunday, so I depended on the children to help fill in a few blanks in my preaching.  These are just my notes, but I think you'll still be able to understand what I was trying to say.

Update: Over the course of this Sunday, I've learned that moms really like fuzzy red slippers, but really don't like getting fishing poles for Mother's Day...

   Sixth Sunday of Easter   B 

Readings

What is today?  Mother’s Day.

What kind of things do your moms like?  Do your moms not like?

Would you ever give your mom [things not liked] for Mother’s Day?

Why not?  Why give her what she likes?  Because you love her.

Do you love her only this one day a year?  All the time.

To be loved: “to be wanted even when you’re not needed.”

So, you love your moms?  Do your moms love you?

How do you know?  Tells you and shows you.

Just one day a year?  Every once in awhile?   All the time.

Your mother would do anything for you.

Does Jesus love you?  How do you know?

Tells us: in this Sunday’s gospel—words from Last Supper:

            “As the Father loves me, so I also love you.”

Shows us: in many ways, most especially his Cross:

            “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Does Jesus love you only one day a year?  Once in awhile?  All the time.

Jesus would do anything for you.

Do you love Jesus?  How does he know?

Tell him: in prayer.

Show him: by loving each other; by coming to Mass.

At Last Supper, Jesus said: “This is my commandment: love one another”;

            also said: “Do this…in memory of me.”

Jesus told us what he wants.

Just like mom:

            you should give Jesus what he’d really like because you love him.

Jesus really wants to be wanted even when he’s not needed.

At the Last Supper, 

         Jesus took bread and said…“This is my Body.”

And he took a chalice of wine and said…“This is my Blood.”

So when we come to Mass 

            and the priest takes the bread and wine,

            they become…the Body and Blood of Christ.

The Eucharist is Jesus.

And Jesus is…God.

And God is…love.

Which means that the Eucharist is love:

            love we can eat and drink;

            the perfect love of God 

            come to live and work inside of us.

Do we want to be loved only one day a year? 

Do you want to be loving only once in awhile?  All the time.

Eucharist helps us like nothing else can

            to know God’s love for us

            and to show God’s love to others

            because it is love.

That means that coming to Mass 

            and receiving Holy Communion

            is one of the best ways to be loving to others:

            to your mom, and your dad, 

            to your brothers and sisters, and to your friends.

Parents: Taking your children to Mass every Sunday—

            more than the school to which you send them,

            more than all the practices 

            and games and recitals to which you drive them,

            more than any gifts you can afford to give them—

            is the very best way of all to show your love for them.

Most of what you do for your kids

            lasts only for a season or a certain stage of life.

Helping them fall in love with Jesus affects them forever and ever.

Don’t forget that!  Don’t let your kids forget that!

Show them how much you love them by coming to Mass every Sunday.

We have a special day each year

            to express our love for our moms.

We have a special day each week

            to express our love for Jesus,

            and for Jesus to express his love for us.

May you experience the love Jesus has for you today

            as you receive your first Holy Communion

            and may you experience it all the time:

            every time you come to Mass—Sunday after Sunday—

            for the rest of your lives.