Events that make a significant impact on the world have two things in common. First, we still remember them. Second, what happened still lives on our hearts today. To understand this better, Iím going to tell you four stories that cover 32 centuries of time. The story about us will be last.

The first story happened 3200 years ago during the Exodus, when Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt into the Promised Land. Today, Jews still celebrate Exodus during their season of Passover.

The second story happened in 1980, just 21 years ago. It occurred when Archbishop Oscar Romero stood up for the people of El Salvador, a country just south of Mexico.

In the midst of an U.S. funded war that was claiming 3,000 lives per month, the soon-to-be-assassinated Romero promised that life, not death, would have the last word. He said, "I do not believe in death without resurrection. If they kill me, I will be resurrected in the Salvadoran people."

In a homily the day before he was executed, Romero invited the repressing army to mutiny by saying, "No soldier is obliged to obey an order that is contrary to the will of GodÖ." Knowing what may happen, he had told a reporter, "A bishop will die, but the church of God, which is the people, will never perish." Romero realized his blood would be "a seed."

On each March 24, the Salvadoran people march through the streets celebrating his martyrdom while carrying his promise printed on thousands of banners.

The third story occurred about 2000 years before Romero and it gave him the courage to stand up for his people. God again, this time in the form of Jesus, lived a life that actively continues on through two billion Christians today. Why does his story live on in our hearts?

 Jesus was a good Jew and celebrated Passover every year. Now it was time for his last Passover, what we call the Last Supper. At the Jewish Passover meal, Jesus added Eucharist. He said, "this is my body" and "This cup is the new covenant in my blood." He told his disciples to "do this in memory of me." This is what we will do in a few minutes. Jesus was the seed and the church continues on.

His suffering and death showed us how deep Godís love is for all of us. Jesus was and is love.

The last story is about us in the year 2001. We must do something so that the Jesus event will continue to live on in the hearts of others.

When you receive Eucharist today, the body and blood of Christ, look at the person giving it to you. They, too, are the body of Christ. Think of yourself: you are also the body of Christ. All of us here are the body of Christ.

This Mass will end with the words "go in peace to love and serve the Lord." This means go and serve one another. The Last Supper is alive in us. The Mass is not ending, it is continuing. We are being nourished and empowered and then being sent forth to become Eucharist for our sisters and brothers so that they, too, will remember Jesusí story of love and pass it on to even more people.

We know that Jesus is present in the Eucharist. We also know that Jesus is love. Therefore, Eucharist is love, that which we will soon receive and then be sent forth to give to others.