The Pelican Brief

Seeing how the Cross and Communion are connected

05/14/2023

Jn 14:15-21 Jesus said to his disciples: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

We Catholics love lots of signs and symbols for Jesus in church. Why is that? Well, because we love Jesus! But also because they help us to know that he is here with us, even though we cannot see him. Jesus said in the gospel today that, “In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me.” And we see Jesus in these signs and symbols. Can you think of some of the familiar and common symbols of Jesus we see in church?

One symbol would be the lamb. John the Baptist said in Jn 1:29, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” Another very familiar symbol of Jesus is the Cross. That is why many people have little crosses dangling from their necklaces: it reminds them of Jesus. They sort of see Jesus when they see their Cross.

Another really cool symbol for Jesus is the fish. Now, we all know how Jesus multiplied the five loaves and two fish in Jn 6:9. But the early Christians found another way to see Jesus in the fish as a symbol of Jesus, as well as the whole Christian faith in a nutshell. Would you like to learn a little Greek today? The word for fish in Greek is “ichthus.” And the early Christians made that little word into an acronym for the whole faith. How did they do it?

The first letter “i” stands for Jesus (j’s and i’s are basically the same letter). The “ch” stands for “Christ”. The “th” stands for “theou” which is God. And the “us” stands for the United States of America. No, not really. The “u” stands for “huios” which means “son.” And the “s” is for “soter” meaning “savior.” If you put it all together, what do you get? “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.” And that is how the fish is a super cool symbol for Jesus.

But my favorite symbol for Jesus is one that hardly anyone knows about. And that is the pelican. Raise your hand if you knew the pelican was a symbol for Jesus. Hey, don’t lie in church! Now, how is a pelican like Jesus? Well, when the pelican cannot find food to feed her little chicks – say during a drought or in a famine – she will actually peck her own breast and feed her babies with her own blood.

In other words, the mama pelican would sacrifice her own life to make sure her babies could live. And isn’t that what Jesus did for us? While he was hanging on the Cross a soldier pecked Jesus’ breast with a spear and water and blood flowed from Jesus heart (Jn 19:27). That water and blood signified the sacraments of Baptism (the water), and Holy Communion (the blood). That is, Jesus sacrificed his life to save us, just like the pelican does for her babies. That is why I love that symbol, and it is my favorite.

This weekend and next weekend, we have 125 young people who will receive their first Holy Communion. And I want those children, and all of us, to remember the symbol of the pelican for Jesus today. Why? Because even though it feels great to receive Jesus in Holy Communion (especially your first time), don’t forget where that Bread and Wine, the Body and Blood, came from.

A soldier pecked Jesus’ breast and the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist poured forth so we could life forever. Venerable Fulton Sheen said that God’s grace is free, but it is not cheap. It cost our Savior his life. So, too, and supremely so, the Eucharist is free, but it is not cheap. All the money in the world could not buy the Eucharist. That is why it has to be free: you cannot afford it. And the pelican helps us remember the price that Jesus paid so we could have Holy Communion.

This weekend also happens to be Mother’s Day. And I do not believe that is a coincidence. For people of faith like you and me, nothing is a coincidence, on the contrary, everything is a providence. Furthermore, the pelican is a perfect symbol not only of Jesus, but also for all mothers. How so? Well, for two reasons. First, your mom literally fed you from her own body, when she nursed you as a baby. So, in that way mothers are like pelicans: they feed their babies with themselves.

Secondly, mothers are also like pelicans because they would gladly give their life to save their child’s life. If you don’t believe me, just ask your mother today if she would sacrifice her life to save you. I bet she would only smile at such a question. And that smile would say: "Isn’t that answer already obvious in all that I have sacrificed for you? I love you more than life itself, dear!” And that is what the pelican would say to her baby chicks, too.

Whenever you walk into a Catholic church, you will see lots of signs and symbols of Jesus. Sometimes you will see a lamb, or maybe a fish, and almost always the Cross. But every now and then, you might also catch sight of a pelican pecking her breast and feeding her babies with her blood.

That is one of the richest symbols of Jesus. Why? Well, because it connects Holy Communion to the Cross. And it reminds us that this Supper is also and always a Sacrifice. And it convinces us that God’s grace may be free, but it is definitely not cheap. It cost our Lord his life. And that was the price the pelican paid too.

Praised be Jesus Christ!