71. The Soul

We all need to be nourished and nourishment comes in different ways for each of us. Sometimes we need to reach for that piece of fruit, have a short nap or a longer night’s sleep, pause in the middle of our day or listen to an uplifting song. This edition is designed to nourish our mind, body and soul.

The vegetable garden was one to envy. The bounty was plentiful. The dinner plates were full. Everything on that dinner plate came from that veggie patch. Sometimes we desire the harvest but forget what it takes to get it. We want and need sustenance but often forget to nurture and care for the garden. Plants require food, water and sunshine to grow. Without them, they are lifeless.  

Our faith needs nourishment too. Without feeding our faith, we too can become lifeless, mindlessly moving through our days without stopping to pause for spiritual nourishment. 

Prayer, song, scripture, quiet reflection and coming together as a community of faith are some of the ways we can receive this nourishment. Central to our spiritual nourishment is the Eucharist. It encompasses all of these things in one place at one time. It is the source and summit of our Catholic faith. It nurtures us, feeds us and allows us to grow. Ron Rohleiser OMI explains there are a number of ways the Eucharist nurtures us: ‘by giving us God’s physical embrace (“the real presence”), [it gives] us a oneness with each other that we cannot give to ourselves, it provides us with a life-sustaining ritual, a regular meeting around the Word and person of Christ that can become the daily bread of our lives and our communities.’

He goes on to say, ‘The Eucharist is meant to be God’s regular nourishment for us, daily manna to keep us alive within the desert of our lives.’ And some days our lives can feel like the desert, especially when our to-do lists are long and others are asking for more than what we feel we can give. Sometimes it takes everything to just show up in life, let alone at the table of the Lord. This is precisely the time that we need to come for nourishment. When we come and encounter Jesus in the Eucharist, his words echo in our hearts: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

• Association of Catholic Priests released a reflection on the forthcoming Sunday readings.

• Don’t Lose Heart (Steve Curtis Chapman) - We pray for the people around us that God works through to help us on our faith journey. Don’t lose heart for you are not alone.

• Find Your Joy (Brian & Katie Torwalt) - Thank you lord for the joy in our hearts.

• Why We Sing? (Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin) - On March 1st, 2022, Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin gathered with 1300 inmates from the Everglades Correctional Centre in Miami, Florida to worship Jesus.

• Take the time this week to review your sleep habits. When you review your sleep pattern there may be some small things that you can do to make your sleep routine healthier. Click here to read more.

Although we might not use the Catechism of the Catholic Church as a resource for our family life very often, it contains a great deal of rich teaching and wisdom. One reference we might like to consider when we pondering the theme “Nourish” is this gem:

“To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God.” CCC 162

This wise teaching encourages us to regularly use Scripture in our family prayer lives. Try these Scripture Ideas for Families with your own families or share them with the families in your school community.

• The Kindergarten children at St James, Yamba, used storytelling to celebrate the Feast of St Mary of the Cross. As a narrative people, it is wonderful to see our little ones learning the art of storytelling. Click here to watch the video.

• Explorations: Young People Proclaiming the Gospel - In this Explorations, we will look at what proclaiming the Gospel means, and the ways that young people go about it.This article is a great way we can deepen and bring to life what we have discovered in our own faith journey.

• Presence: The Mystery of the Eucharist - When was the last time you sat down to enjoy a meal with your family or close friends and basked in each other's presence? This is the kind of meal God wants to share with us. This is the kind of meal God has prepared for us and invites us to participate in through the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The journey starts with Episode 1: God is With Us.

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