THE HUNGER ONLY CHRIST CAN FILL
- Msgr. Anselm Nwaorgu
- Jun 7
- 2 min read
Our internet and social media age has given rise to a booming self-help culture, with endless advice on almost every problem in life. From how to lose weight to how to be happier, there is no shortage of experts offering often conflicting answers. Yet, despite all these efforts, many still feel empty, restless, depressed, disconnected, and less than fully alive. Even with family, friends, and material comforts, many still struggle to find a place where they truly belong.
Into this deep human hunger, Jesus speaks a bold and unsettling truth: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). This is a serious statement, a statement that challenged His first listeners and still challenges us today, for it reveals a profound truth: the Eucharist is not a symbolic gesture; it is Christ Himself, the source of life. No wonder St. Ignatius of Loyola called it “the medicine of immortality” for wherever human hunger meets the Body and Blood of Christ, divine life is awakened.
It is not a one-time-dose remedy but a gift we need to receive again and again, because in Holy Communion Christ comes to dwell in us, and we in Him. We are drawn into His life, His mercy, His strength, His love, and His saving relationship with the Father. We are nourished not only for this life, but for eternal life. That is why, when many walked away because Christ said that the bread and wine He would give is His Body and Blood, Jesus asked the apostles, “Do you also wish to go away?” Peter, hopefully, answered for all of us when he said, “Lord, where shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
The truth is, the question Christ asked still echoes today. Do we abandon the Eucharist because the mystery feels too radical or too difficult to understand? Are we waiting for proof before we believe? Do we doubt it because the Body and Blood, in Holy Communion, still look and taste like bread and wine? If so, we face a real challenge of faith, for God’s mysteries are received not by logic alone but by trust. Scripture reminds us: “Every promise of God is yes in God and amen unto us in Christ Jesus.” Doubting God while trying to live as Christians will hardly ever bear fruit.
In a world full of noise, options, and promises that do not satisfy, the Eucharist remains the one gift that restores us from within. It restores us to right relationship with the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and with one another, and leads us into the abundant life that only Christ can give. It is the place where restless hearts find rest, where wounded hearts find healing, and where empty hearts find abundance. As St. Augustine said, “My heart is restless until it rests in Thee.”
On this Corpus Christi, may we approach the Eucharist with deeper faith, greater reverence, and renewed gratitude for the One who alone can truly satisfy the hunger of our souls. Happy Corpus Christi.
