June 18, 2025

By Father William Muench
NCC columnist

Our Catholic Church dedicates a special Sunday Feast Day in honor and celebration of the Holy Eucharist – the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, known to many as Corpus Christi. We, Catholics, believe that each time we celebrate Mass, the Lord, Jesus, is truly present in the consecrated bread and wine that is offered. Each time we receive Holy Communion, Jesus truly comes to us, uniting with each of us. We believe Jesus is truly present in the Holy Eucharist, body and blood, soul and divinity. I know from the day of my first Mass, celebrating each Holy Mass was to be to most profound moment of my ministry as a priest. Jesus unites with me, putting a new life into my faith in God. Jesus makes me aware of God’s great love for me and all who join me at each Mass. I remain deeply grateful to God who chose me.

Today, I want to share with you something special about my relationship with Jesus. I know Jesus comes to me in each Eucharist as my friend, my best friend. This transforms each and every reception of Holy Communion for me. Jesus wants to be with me as my friend.

In John 15, Jesus is speaking to his apostles at the Last Supper. His final message to them and his message for all time to us. In this message, Jesus says: “This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants… I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father.”

I have noticed that many saints, spiritual writers and other writers often write about friendship as important to life. St. Thomas Aquinas writes this, “There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.” I think immediately of my friendship with Jesus.

I have come across this in the writings of St. Augustine: “In this world, two things are essential – life and friendships.” He encourages us to recognize how important, even essential; our friends are. Today and every day, I must take the time to recognize that my friendship with Jesus is essential. I encourage you to allow Jesus to be close to you, to be your friend. Each time you pray, don’t just say words. Open your heart to your friend, Jesus. We should always find this close relationship with our friend, Jesus.

St. Augustine writes in “The City of God,” “friendship is a sacred bond. It is meant to reflect the communion of souls that we hope to enjoy eternally with God. Friendships grounded in Christ are not merely comfort for life’s journey; friendships are a glimpse of Heaven.”

So, Holy Communion is not an empty ritual; Jesus wants to unite himself with each of us, his friends.

Here is a clever idea from C. S. Lewis: “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another,

‘What? You, too? I thought I was the only one.’”