consumed

From this morning's homily at Mass.  (and don't ask me how it ties in with the readings exactly, though I may take a stab at that later).

In the Italian Mediterranean there is a species of jellyfish that consumes a certain kind of snail.  However, the jellyfish's digestive system can not digest the snail's shell.  So..... when the jellyfish consumes the snail, the snail attaches to the inner lining of the jellyfish.  (Do jellyfish have stomachs?)  As the snail grows, it consumes the jellyfish.  By the time it is fully grown, the jellyfish has been completely consumed.  How's that for payback?  The consumed becomes the consumer and the consumer becomes the consumed.

So switching gears...we consume the Eucharist at Mass - the Real Presence of Jesus.  Does He attach Himself to our stomach lining?  No, but He does attach Himself to our hearts, our souls, our being, if we are open to Him.  We can be consumed with love for Him because of his Love for us.  The consumer becomes consumed. 

And the tie-in is this, I think.  This was the story of the rich man in Luke, who totally ignored the poor, sore-covered Lazarus who was at his door.  The rich man ended up in torment in the netherworld, while Lazarus went off to better things.  The rich man was consumed with things of this world.

What are we consumed by?  What are we dining on?