Homily for the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, August 25, 2024. Gospel of St. John 6:51-58. Theme: Keeping the Light on for You!
We’ve been hearing quite a lot about the Eucharist from the Gospel of St. John over the past few Sundays. And in doing so we’ve learned from Jesus himself that the bread and wine of the Eucharist undergo a radical transformation in their innermost reality, becoming his very Body and Blood while their outward appearances continue to remain the same. In response to this miracle at Mass, we at the altar bow profoundly right after the consecration of the bread and wine, while all of you in the pews kneel in adoration. We use body language at this time to express our belief because we have no words that can truly describe the indescribable or explain the inexplicable when it comes to this Great Mystery.
It seems to me that to try and say more about the Eucharist, would really just be talking in circles, so to speak. So, what I would like to do instead, is to reflect on something that visually proclaims the reality of this Eucharistic Mystery, but is quite often overlooked or forgotten or perhaps even unknown. It is found near the tabernacle in every single Catholic church or chapel throughout the world. What I am talking about is the Sanctuary Light, the Lamp of the Divine Presence, which you can see right above and behind me on the wall of our Adoration Chapel. It burns 24 hours a day, 364 days a year (it’s extinguished only on Good Friday) in testimony to the promise Jesus made to us as he was ascending into heaven and said, “I will be with you always, even until the end of time.” And actually, if we stop and think about why it's there and what it does, this sacred candle can teach us some beautiful and important things about the Blessed Sacrament.
The Sanctuary Lamp is first of all a silent and prayerful reminder of the Lord’s perpetual presence among us. Its flickering light assures us that this is not merely a symbolic, or emotional or even just a spiritual presence. Rather, it is what we call the Real Presence, meaning that Jesus is just as truly among us here and now as he was among his disciples 2,000 years ago, but simply in a different way. His Presence is even greater now because he is risen and no longer restrained by the boundaries of space and time. The Sanctuary Light assures us that just as crowds came to Jesus from all over the Holy Land, hoping to experience his healing touch, we can do the very same today simply by coming before him in the tabernacle. It’s the exact same Jesus with the exact same power, only now he is risen and glorious and unlimited in the scope of his Presence.
The Sanctuary Lamp is also an invitation to us. It beckons us to come to Jesus and stay with him a while. You may be familiar with the Motel 6 chain whose motto is, “we’ll leave the light on for you”. It’s their way of saying, “we’re waiting for you and you’re always welcome here.” This is also the message of the Sanctuary Light. It tells us that Jesus is waiting for us and that we are always welcome to come to the tabernacle and spend time with him. We can pour out our hearts to him there, share the struggles of all our aches and pains with him. We can talk with him about all of our needs and dreams and yearnings, and we can also thank him for all the many joys and blessings in our lives. The glow of the lamp invites us to come into his Real Presence and grow in our interpersonal relationship with him through these times of Eucharistic Adoration.
The Sanctuary Lamp assures us that we can depend upon Jesus to be there for us throughout the entirety of our lives and in every situation or circumstance. When we are young and when we grow old. Jesus is waiting for us there. Whether we are in our parish church or in an unfamiliar one while on business or vacation. Jesus is waiting for us there. When we are rejoicing over the birth of a child or grieving over the loss of a loved one. Jesus is waiting for us there. He truly abides with us in every era of our lives and during every experience that comes our way. He welcomes any and all who seek him for, as the Gospels show us, he never turns anyone away. No matter what our ethnicity or sexuality, no matter what our politics or our education, no matter what our job title or our life-situation, no matter what our sins or our failings, he eagerly awaits us and looks only at the sincerity of our hearts and at our desire to be with him.
We heard in today’s Gospel that many disciples of Jesus left his company over the Eucharist, for they couldn't accept its reality as the Lord’s Flesh and Blood. But there were others who did stay even though they too didn’t understand the Mystery. They had learned to trust in Jesus who often said incredible and curious things. The Sanctuary Light encourages us to be like them, to have faith like them and stay with Jesus. As Simon-Peter said, to whom else would we go, for Jesus alone is the Holy One of God who has the words that lead to eternal life. And so we know where to go to be with Jesus and stay with him for a while because the Sanctuary Light shines over where he can be found, much the same way that the Star of Bethlehem once shone over the dwelling place of the Newborn King.
So you see, we can look at the Sanctuary Light as really so much more than just a church decoration or accessory. It can actually become an inspiration for us to live as Christians who shine the light of Christ upon a dark and confused world. We who receive the Eucharist become living tabernacles of the Lord and so we should also be like Living Lamps of the Divine Presence that show others the way to Jesus. Just like the Tabernacle Candle, the light of faith within us should radiate upon those around us, so that they can know that Christ is risen and alive and still very much present in the world today.
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