The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ has a long history—as a devotion when few actually received Communion and as the subject of festive processions. Today we look to it as a celebration of the centrality of the Eucharist in our lives as Christians and Catholics.

The Christian ethicist Stanley Hauerwas has said, “Christianity is not beliefs about God plus behavior. We are Christians not because of what we believe, but because we have been called to be disciples of Jesus. To become a disciple is not a matter of a new or changed self-understanding, but rather to become part of a different community with a different set of practices.”

We hear different “giving of the Spirit” stories today: the spectacular events in the “upper room” and the risen Jesus’ breathing the Spirit on the disciples when he first appeared to them. However we tell the story, the presence of the Spirit is essential to the mission of Christ’s disciples.

Amid the complexities of John’s theology, we find two simple statements: God is love, and no one has ever seen God. In our concrete experience of love, therefore, God becomes “visible.”

John Joseph, who received the 2001 Catholic Campaign for Human Development’s Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award for his race relations and anitpoverty work while a student at Ole Miss, said in accepting his award, “Our love for others demonstrates that we recognize God’s love for us.”

A church at peace, growing, and in awe of the Lord. A God who can overcome our limitations. A Lord to whom we are joined as branches to a vine.

"Good Shepherd Sunday” provides an opportunity to reflect on leadership and on how leaders model God for their people.

In today’s readings we hear of how we come to love. Repentance, conversion, and forgiveness—these experiences are met by God’s love and lead us to return that love to God and others.

Believers are those who are of one mind and body, know Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, and love God by keeping God’s commandments.

The morning reading from Acts of the Apostles is a kind of “mini-gospel”: We hear of the baptism John preached and of Jesus anointed with spirit and power, going about doing good and healing, and of his death and Resurrection.