Breaking Open the Word - Corpus Christi

Running on Empty

What’s happening

Have you ever felt tired even after a good night’s sleep? Not just physically tired, but drained on the inside.

You keep going through the motions. School, work, family, commitments. You tick the boxes, meet the deadlines, and do what needs to be done. Yet something feels missing.

Sometimes we tell ourselves that what we need is a holiday, a break, a new experience, or a little more time to pamper ourselves. While these things can help, they don’t always address the deeper hunger we feel within.

Many of us know what it is like to run on empty. We long for peace but find ourselves anxious. We long for purpose but feel stuck. We long for connection but still feel alone.

There are some hungers that food, success, entertainment, or achievement simply cannot satisfy.

What it means to me

In the first reading, Moses reminds the Israelites about their journey through the wilderness. They experienced hunger, thirst, uncertainty, and dependence. Yet God did not abandon them. He fed them with manna, a gift they had never known before.

Through that experience, God taught them an important lesson:

“Man does not live on bread alone.”

The people thought they needed food. God knew they needed something more.

The same is true for us. We spend much of our lives focused on what we need to do, what we need to achieve, or what we need to get through the week. Yet beneath all these concerns is a deeper need — the need for God.

That is why Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.”

Jesus does not simply give us advice, encouragement, or a set of rules to follow. He gives us Himself.

In the Eucharist, we receive more than a symbol. We receive the One who knows our struggles, carries our burdens, and fills the emptiness that nothing else can satisfy.

The world offers many things that promise happiness. Some are good in themselves. But none can give us the life that only Christ can give.

When we come to the Eucharist, we are reminded that we do not have to keep running on empty. God desires to nourish us with His own life.

Today

Take a moment to ask yourself:

What have I been relying on to fill the emptiness in my life?

What do I turn to when I feel tired, discouraged, anxious, or lonely?

This week, when you attend Mass or spend time in prayer, bring that hunger to Jesus.

You do not need to hide it or solve it on your own. Simply place it before Him and allow Him to meet you there. The Bread of Life is not only for those who have everything together. It is for those who know they need Him.

Prayer

Jesus, Bread of Life, sometimes I try to fill my life with many things, yet I still find myself hungry for something more.

Help me to recognise my need for You. Teach me to seek You above all else and to trust that You alone can satisfy the deepest longings of my heart.

Nourish me with Your presence and strengthen me for the journey ahead.

Amen.

What is Corpus Christi?

On this feast, the Church celebrates the gift of the Eucharist — Jesus giving Himself to us under the appearances of bread and wine.

At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and said, "This is my body." He took a cup of wine and said, "This is my blood." We Catholics believe that at every Mass, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ becomes truly present in the Eucharist.

Corpus Christi is an opportunity to reflect on this great gift. Jesus does not simply teach us, guide us, or watch over us from afar. He comes to be with us, to nourish us, and to remain with us.

As Jesus says in today's Gospel:

"I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.”

Breaking Open the Word connects God's Word with the realities of everyday life. Produced by the Catechetical Ministry.