Our 10th Annual ‘Catholic Charities Corpus Christi Food Drive’

“… My friends, these realities are called sacraments because in them one thing is seen, while another is grasped. What is seen is a mere physical likeness; what is grasped bears spiritual fruit. So now, if you want to understand the body of Christ, listen to the Apostle Paul speaking to the faithful: “You are the body of Christ, member for member.” [1 Cor 12:27] If you, therefore, are Christ’s body and members, it is your own mystery that is placed on the Lord’s table! It is your own mystery that you are receiving! You are saying “Amen” to what you are: your response is a personal signature, affirming your faith. When you hear “The body of Christ,” you reply “Amen.” Be a member of Christ’s body, then, so that your “Amen” may ring true! But what role does the bread play? We have no theory of our own to propose here; listen, instead, to what Paul says about this sacrament: “The bread is one, and we, though many, are one body.” [1 Cor 10:17] Understand and rejoice: unity, truth, faithfulness, love. “One bread,” he says. What is this one bread? Is it not the “one body,” formed from many? Remember: bread doesn’t come from a single grain, but from many. When you received exorcism, you were “ground.” When you were baptized, you were “leavened.” When you received the fire of the Holy Spirit, you were “baked.”

Be what you see; receive what you are...”

https://earlychurchtexts.com/public/augustine_sermon_272_eucharist.htm
 

BISHOP
KEVIN J.
SWEENEY

I decided to include this lengthy quote from one of St. Augustine’s best-known sermons because I was originally “looking” for the last line, “Be what you see; receive what you are.” Those few words are one of the reasons why this sermon is so often quoted. I felt that it would be better to include the longer quote so that readers who may be unfamiliar with the (full) sermon could hear some of what led up to the “famous line.” The quote above is about one-third of the full sermon. I encourage readers to follow the link and read the text of the full sermon.

In this sermon, St. Augustine speaks on Easter Sunday to those who had been baptized at the Easter Vigil the night before. It is a beautiful “catechetical (teaching) homily” by one of the early Church fathers and a Doctor of the Church, inviting our reflection on what we believe about the Eucharist. I thought of the sermon and, especially, the line, “Be what you see; receive what you are,” because those words of invitation to “Be” and “receive” the Body of Christ speak to something wonderful that we do here in our diocese on the Feast of Corpus Christi.

I first heard about our “Catholic Charities Corpus Christi Food Drive” during my first months as Bishop of the diocese and, as we moved towards the Feast of Corpus Christi in 2021 when it was necessary for the food drive to be done “virtually” for the second year in a row due to on-going COVID restrictions and concerns. Last year, I was able to see the “Corpus Christi Food Drive” in person for the first time, and I have come to believe that it is a truly “inspired” initiative that can help us all to better appreciate “who we are” and who we are “called to be” as the Body of Christ.

In some ways, the “Corpus Christi Food Drive” is a very simple concept: on the day we celebrate the spiritual nourishment we receive when we receive the Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion, we recall that we have a responsibility, as the Body of Christ, the Church, to (literally) “feed” and nourish the Body of Christ, by sharing our food with our brothers and sisters who are hungry. Ten years ago, Bishop Arthur Serratelli, the leaders of Catholic Charities and other diocesan leaders, working with our pastors and parish leaders, started this annual food drive and, unfortunately, the need for our generosity has increased dramatically in recent years due to the pandemic and the current economic challenges.

In a 2022 Message to the World Food Forum, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, noted, “Christ himself, in the Eucharist, became bread, living bread for the life of the world.” The Holy Father also stressed the importance of our personal presence to the hungry, “the message of Christ, even for non-believers, demands not only that we feed, but give ourselves in service to others.” Our local church does so much to be the Body of Christ for others through the Eucharist we receive, and we thank God for that blessing.

Christopher Brancato, the Development Director for Catholic Charities and one of the “driving forces” of the Corpus Christi Food Drive, recently shared with me that “since the inception of this drive, more than 150,000 pounds of food has been donated.” He also shared some of the history and reason for the “timing” of the food drive: “One of the reasons why it was started 10 years ago was to help us during the summer months. These months are critical as students are not receiving school lunches and many regular donors are away on vacation.” In addition, Chris spoke of the continued “post-COVID” need for food assistance in which the three Catholic Charities food pantries have gone from helping 5,000 people per month to consistently, over the past three years, helping more than 20,000 people per month. Chris describes the food drive as a “beautiful, collaborative effort.”

Of the many encouraging and inspiring things that I have learned about the Corpus Christi Food Drive, something that is especially encouraging is that, consistently, each year, we see nearly 100 percent participation from our parish communities. I want to take this opportunity to offer a special word of thanks to our pastors, parish leaders, and volunteers who promote and support the food drive, especially as each parish is “assigned” a particular food or other items according to the needs of the people and families served by Catholic Charities.

I have also learned that the food drive, as a beautiful, collaborative effort, takes a great deal of organizational skills and logistical leadership. In my conversation with Chris, he encouraged me to thank the Catholic Charities food pantry staff under the amazing direction and leadership of Carlos Roldan, the director of the Father English Food Pantry in Paterson, N.J., for the past 30 years. Chris also mentioned the contributions of the thousands of volunteers who help in our food pantries throughout the year, as well as Deacon Peter Cistaro and our Diocesan deacons and many Knights of Columbus members who are especially helpful with the Corpus Christi Drive in collecting, sorting and transporting the donated food and other items. After the food is donated at Mass in the parishes on the weekend of Corpus Christi (June 10 and 11 this year), it goes to three “collection sites”: two of those sights, in Passaic and Sussex Counties, are Catholic Charities facilities, the Father English Center in Paterson and the DPD Offices in Oak Ridge. I want to especially mention and recognize Father Richard Bay and the parishioners of St. Simon the Apostle Parish in Green Pond, who are the drop-off site for Morris County and do a great job with receiving and sorting the donations.

The words we hear from St. Augustine’s sermon are part of the beauty of our theology and catechesis, of what we believe about the gift and mystery of the Eucharist and who we are as members of the One Body of Christ. The “Catholic Charities Corpus Christi Food Drive” is a beautiful and very practical example of the way in which we can “live the Mass” and put our faith into action. The food drive can help us understand what St. Augustine means when he encourages us to “Be what you see; receive what you are.”