Homily, April 24, Second Sunday of Easter Sunday of Divine Mercy

 Homily preached during  First communion mass 

Dear children who are receiving first holy communion today, are you excited?

I am very happy for you dear children. Today is a very special and important day of your life. It will be unforgettable. I hope you will remember the special and most beautiful moment when you receive Jesus fully, heart in heart.

I still remember vividly my own first communion. I remember the lessons the nuns taught us, the rehearsals and even what I wore that day. Since my family was poor, I did not get a new white shirt and black pants, but I wore what my older brother had for his first communion. But it's ok, that is not the most important.

What I treasure is that very moment when I received Jesus on my tongue, the taste, the smell, the feeling. I felt so amazed that Jesus was inside of me. God came into my being. It was really special.

My father too remembered his own first communion clearly. He was only 7 years old. My grandfather had just moved the family to a remote place in 1954. Once a month, a priest would go to the village to say mass. The mass was celebrated in my grandfather’s house, there was no church building at that time.

One day before mass, my father was standing near the altar, which was just a table made of bamboo sticks. As if inspired by the Holy Spirit, the priest turned and asked my grandpa how old my father was, he said, “seven”. The priest then decided that my father should receive his first holy communion that day. He asked my father to recite the three prayers: Our father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, which he did very well. He then did his first reconciliation and received his first communion that very day. How wonderful!

Now, do you remember what were the three prayers my father was asked to recite?

And do all of you know how to recite these prayers? Raise your hands if you know.

Very good. So, all of you are ready to receive holy communion today, yes?

Let me ask you another question, do you believe that the sacred host, the holy eucharist which you are going to receive in holy communion is truly the real body of Christ?

You should believe but if you still wonder, it is normal. It is hard to believe that a small wafer bread could become the real flesh of Jesus. Some of us are like St. Thomas in today’s Gospel text, we won’t believe until we see it for ourselves. God knows our weakness, so all through the last two thousand years, He has allowed the real body and blood of Jesus to be revealed in hundreds of Eucharistic miracles all over the world.

I will tell you one such story today, listen well.

This is a true story which took place in 1384, that is 638 years ago, in a little city called Seefeld in Austria. Seefeld is about 4731 miles from Iowa, about 15 hours’ flight to reach there.

It was Holy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. A nobleman by the name of Oswald Milser went to Mass. He was a proud man and felt that he was a most important person in that city. So, when it was time for holy communion, he walked straight to the priest and demanded that he be given the largest host for communion. Since he was a well-known man and was demanding, the priest gave him.

The moment the large host was on his tongue, before he could swallow, the floor beneath him shook and Oswald started to sink into the floor! He held on so tightly to the altar to stop himself from being sucked into the floor. The priest immediately took the host away from Oswald’s mouth. The shaking stopped, the floor became normal again and blood was seen flowing from the host. Everyone at Mass that day witnessed this miracle.

God revealed to Oswald and all, that the sacred host is the real body of Jesus. Oswald repented with sorrow, realising that he should not be arrogant and should be humble when receiving holy communion. Because he was receiving Jesus truly, he was receiving God.

Jesus is the greatest, yet He so humbly hides Himself in a simple plain wafer bread, so that all of us can receive Him and with it, receive all the graces we need.

To this day, you can visit the Church of St. Oswald in Seefeld and see the precious relic of the host, stained with blood, exposed for all to see and believe. After so many hundreds of years, the host and blood remain fresh.

My dear children, today you will receive Jesus in holy communion. Do you believe that through consecration at Mass, the bread and wine become the real body and blood of Jesus?

And so today is the first day you will receive Jesus physically and spiritually, Jesus will be united with your body and soul. You and Jesus become one. Please remember this when you receive your first communion later and every other time you receive holy communion. You and Jesus become one.

We have heard the miracle story of Seefeld, and there are many many other miracles of the Eucharist. You and I may not see with our own eyes the consecrated host turning into flesh and blood. Yet, I believe, totally. You too, must believe, that is why you are here for this special memorable day. 

Jesus said to Thomas, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

We are blessed indeed, because we believe that God comes to us in real, to grace us, to be one with us. I pray that you will never forget this day, and you will keep receiving Jesus all through your life, with faith, with joy and with love. Never let anything separate you from Jesus. Amen.