This is a special season and a special weekend. Not only do we celebrate again and again that Jesus Christ is risen, but we celebrate that Jesus gives Himself to us as the Bread of Life. And these youngsters, twenty-seven of them at this Mass, help us to remember and celebrate our own Communion and our own faith in the Eucharist. And I want to thank them for doing that. So the first thing I want to do is ask all our young people who are making their First Communion at this Mass, would you stand up so we can see you and so we can thank you? (Applause!) .... Now you can sit down, but I want you to stay wide awake because I need your help in my homily and in what I am going to say.

Jesus comes to us as the Bread of Life. Isn't that interesting? We know Jesus comes in many ways. Jesus comes to us in Baptism. Jesus comes when we gather, two or three in His name. Jesus comes to us in the Poor. Jesus comes to us in His word in the Bible. But the most unique way that Jesus is really present as a Person to us is in the Bread of Communion. Jesus chose to come like Bread.

How many here, in the last forty-eight hours, have eaten bread of some kind? Show hands.... Some of you are in trouble! I mean, you can't get along too well or too long.... Could you help me out, the youngsters who are making their First Communion, by telling me your favorite kinds of bread? I have two that are my absolute favorites, more than any other kind of bread, and I don't know if you will guess them or not, but.... What kind of bread do you like, when you eat some bread?.... Yes? Oh!!... Donut holes! That's my number one. That's my number one favorite. How did you know that? Oh, my goodness!... What other kinds of bread do you like? It comes in all shapes. We have bread all the time. Just raise your hand and let me know if there's a bread you like.... Over here? Yes?.... You like white bread. Terrific. And what kind of bread do you like? You like pizza crust. And what do you like? You like sourdough. Let's go to the far side over here and make sure we didn't leave anyone out. Yes. There's a hand up over here. What kind of bread do you like? You like pretzels. That's a first! That is a first! I said this is our seventh First Communion in two weeks, and I do ask the same question of all the youngsters. You're the first pretzel man. Congratulations!... Yes. What do you like? You like french bread? And you like donut holes too.... Yes. You like crackers. No one got my number two favorite. My number one favorite is donut holes. My number two is hot dog buns. I like hot dog buns. Yes.... With the hot dogs.

It's interesting. Jesus comes to us as bread. What's the first thing that tells us, all of us, not just these young people, but when we celebrate Eucharist we eat bread. And that's why I looked worried when I asked for a show of hands and some of you haven't had any bread of any kind in forty-eight hours. If we don't nourish ourselves with bread, on a regular basis, of some kind, we shrivel up and die. That's what happens. We shrivel up and die. And Jesus is saying, "Unless you receive Me into your life and into your heart, you will shrivel up and die inside." And we have to be nourished by Jesus, not just now and then, or not just at our First Communion, but on a regular basis. We have to be nourished by the word of Jesus, the message of Jesus, and the Real Presence of Jesus in Communion, or we shrivel up and die inside. That's the first message.

Second message is when we eat bread, and we use the phrase "break bread together" and share bread, usually it brings us together. Now, there are times when I grab a piece of toast in the morning off by myself and there are times when I have a sandwich off by myself, but most of the time, sharing bread and food brings us together. You know, even when I eat hot dogs, you know where I eat hot dog buns? At Raider games in the black hole. And it brings us all together. You know, it really unites us. We are all sharing and eating at the same time. So, when Jesus comes to us as the Bread of Life, He's saying, "I want you to be a community together, to care for one another, to support one another, to be the Body of Christ on earth." So that's the second thing we learn and pledge ourselves to when we celebrate Communion. Not that we're going to be private holy people. God does not want any private holy people. Out. He doesn't want 'em. John XXIII, the Pope, said, "God does not want telephone poles. He does not even want telephone poles in the state of grace. He wants a family. He wants us to be a body together. And that's the second thing Jesus tells us by coming as the Bread of Life.

Now, the third thing.... You know why you eat a good meal now and then, and try to have a good diet? So you'll grow up and be strong and you can do things.... and you can grow up and do things. When we gather for Eucharist, we meet Jesus and are nourished by Jesus. We become more and more the Body of Jesus, a family caring for each other. And finally, we are sent to go out and change the world, to make a difference in our world. That's what we celebrate. That's what we wish for our children. But every time we come to Mass, that's what we celebrate for ourselves, that we might be nourished by the person of Jesus, that we might become the Body of Jesus, and that we might make a difference in the world. Let us give thanks to the Lord Who is so good. Amen.