June 7, 2026

Fifty years ago, a young, fresh-faced Kenneth Fleck was ordained a priest.
Over the next fifty years, Father Ken has touched countless lives through his kindness, concern and hard work. While his hobbies of gardening and baking can give the impression of a placid heart, and he certainly has that, Father Ken has often spoken out clearly about social justice issues which affect our country and our lives. I am very grateful to Father Ken for his generous help at Saint George. Retirement certainly has not been entirely restful for him! May God continue to bless him with good health, meaningful ministry and a strong spirit.

In light of Father Ken’s celebration, it is entirely appropriate that we celebrate the great Feast of Corpus Christi — the Body and Blood of Christ. This is the great gift of Jesus, given at the Last Supper to the Apostles (and therefore the Church ever after), as a “new and everlasting covenant.” It is difficult to capture the magnificence of what we experience at every Mass. Perhaps we have become all too comfortable with the miracle that occurs before our very eyes. Bread and wine become flesh and blood, a continual sacrifice offered for us on the cross and handed down to us today and for all generations. This is the Eucharistic action of the Mass. The gift, then, is Holy Communion, when we receive this mingling of our humanity with Jesus’ divinity. We are then called to become what we receive. I wish I had the words to convey the majesty of what we experience.

On a much more pedestrian level, I’d like to mention a few points about receiving Holy Communion, just as a brush-up. First, we prepare. We do this by making sure there is room in our soul for Our Lord, and a good way of doing that is by throwing out the garbage. That happens when we go to confession and get rid of anything that takes up space meant for Jesus. The Church asks that we fast for one hour before receiving Communion. Practically speaking that amounts to about 20 minutes before Mass begins. It is a minor sacrifice but intended to gently remind us that the food we are about to receive is different from any other. And dress the part. The church is comfortably air conditioned, so appropriate attire is not too much to ask. I’ve been to a restaurant that has a sign that says, “No hats. No tank tops. No ringing phones.” Not too much to ask for Mass, is it?
Secondly, our prayerful heart makes a difference. Did you ever notice that even on those rare occasions when Communion is offered outside of Mass, some portion of Scripture is read? I like to think of the Liturgy of the Word as The Promise and the Liturgy of the Eucharist as The Fulfillment. The Word reminds us what we are receiving. Our minds are set on Jesus in the Eucharist.

Thirdly, we approach with reverence.  The typical way is for the people to walk up in line. As you approach the minister, you make a simple bow (a nod of the head), put out both hands to receive (not take!) Holy Communion. When the minister says, “The Body of Christ” you respond with “Amen.” That’s it. Not “thank you” or other nice but incorrect words. Communion may also be taken on the tongue. In the United States, we receive Holy Communion standing. No genuflection or kneeling. On a very practical level, it saves us from the possibility of someone tripping over your feet. This may be different in other countries but this is the proper way to receive as delineated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Sometimes, a person will receive Communion, then genuflect before the tabernacle. Habits die hard but keep in mind what is going on. You have just received Communion. To genuflect to the tabernacle is at best redundant — it’s the same thing. And sometimes the tabernacle is empty, so then it really doesn’t make sense.

Fourth, you don’t have to receive Communion. Some churches allow people to approach the altar as they see fit. Ushers do not signal them to line up. This may sound very disorganized but it also takes away the sense of being forced to go up. “If I don’t go up with everyone else, then people will think….” Who cares? It isn’t for anyone else to guess or judge why a person goes or does not go to Communion. That decision is made between that person and God alone. A special note in this area: our Eucharistic ministers are instructed to never ever refuse to give someone Communion, regardless of what they think they may know about a person’s background, thinking or life. Those judgments are not for us to make. The presumption is always that a person approaches the altar in good faith.

Fifth, we remain to get our marching orders. After receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, we are filled with spiritual power to invigorate our work in God’s vineyard which is not in His house. It is outside the walls of the church. There are several choices to be used to dismiss us from Mass. One is quite stark. “Go! The Mass is ended.” GO! You’ve heard the Word, you’ve been fed, now work off some of those spiritual calories. Get to work. And if we haven’t received Communion, we need to go about the interior work of reconciliation so we can go about the work of transforming the world. THAT is what the Body and Blood of Christ is all about!