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The Solemnity Of The Most Holy Body And Blood Of Christ (Corpus Christi), Year C, By Rev. Fr. Lucas Binnah Junior, C.S.Sp

Rev Fr Lucas Binnah Junior

Homilies & Reflections

The Solemnity Of The Most Holy Body And Blood Of Christ (Corpus Christi), Year C, By Rev. Fr. Lucas Binnah Junior, C.S.Sp

First Reading: Genesis 14:18-20/Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 110: 1.2.3.4 (R. 4) Second Reading: I Corinthians 11:23-26/Gospel Acclamation: Jn. 6:51/ Gospel: Luke 9:11b-58

Theme: Called To The Divine Banquet: Take, Eat and Drink!

Last Sunday, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity by which God revealed his tri[1]personality as Father who creates, Son who redeems and Holy Spirit who sanctifies. Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, which in Latin is called Corpus Christi (Body of Christ). This solemnity is specifically centred on God the Son, Jesus Christ, who offered his Body and Blood as food for us. This self-giving of Christ, the true God, as food for our Christian journey on earth is a miraculous mystery of which St. Thomas Aquinas says: “No other sacrament has greater healing power; through it sins are purged away, virtues are increased, and the soul is enriched with an abundance of every spiritual gift. It is offered in the Church for the living and the dead, so that what was instituted for the salvation of all may be for the benefit of all.” Taking our humanity, Jesus gives us his divinity so as to admit us into the life of God. To appreciate today’s readings deeply, some terms and points need to be clarified.

First reading and Responsorial Psalm

1.Melchizedek means “king of justice.” He was also King of Salem/Jerusalem, that is, “king of peace” (Salem, derivative of shalom, the Hebrew for peace). Thus, “Jerusalem” means “city of peace.” Melchizedek, who offered bread and wine prefigures Christ, the king of justice and peace, the one who offered his body and blood as eternal food for us.

 2. Priest. The function of a priest is to offer sacrifice. Melchizedek, who according to Jewish tradition, had neither beginning nor end is said to have offered and blessed “bread and wine” as sacrifice for Abram (Abraham) [cf. Gen. 14:18]. Like Melchizedek, Christ offered bread and wine. However, as a priest forever, a high priest more than Melchizedek, he offered the once-and-for-all sacrifice of his own Body and Blood on the cross of Calvary. Hence, the Cross became the altar on which Jesus Christ, the victim, was sacrificed. Hence, Jesus is both priest and victim. For this purpose, the Psalmist sings of the eternal, perfect, complete and sufficient sacrifice of the eternal priesthood of Christ saying: “You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek” (Ps. 110:4).

3. Bread and Wine represent the Body and Blood of Jesus which is the living Sacrament for all humanity on this earthly journey to heaven. This mystery flows from what Catholics call the Sacramental Principle. It simply means that created things, material as they are, can be used to convey spiritual meanings. A sacrament is simply an outward or visible sign of an inward grace. That which though material, yet communicates spiritual realities is a sacrament. Consequently, through the action of the priest who invokes the Spirit, bread and wine are transubstantiated into Christ’s Body and Blood (Eucharist).

Second reading

4.Memorial/Remembrance. In Greek, it is “anamnesis.” It is the memorial of something. Jesus’ death marked our eternal and timeless redemption, justification, salvation, freedom and glorification (cf. Rom. 4:25). Jesus is so strong and emphatic about his mission on earth that, he asks all humanity to remember that one perfect sacrifice that wrought our salvation in the form of “eating his body and blood” whenever we come together in his name as a Christian community. We read: “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me…This chalice is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me” (I Cor.11:24-25). So, we remember his death!

5. Now, St. Paul minces no words in telling us that, it is a divine duty and sacred tradition, handed down to all Christians to follow, and that “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the chalice, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (I Cor. 11:26). For this purpose, St. Thomas Aquinas, in composing The Collect (opening prayer) for the Corpus Christi says: O God, who in this wonderful sacrament have left us a memorial of your Passion, grant us, we pray, so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood that we may experience in ourselves the fruits of your redemption. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

The Gospel

6.In the Gospel, Jesus celebrated the ‘Mass’ in the following fashion: a. Liturgy of the Word – Luke 9:11 – this led to healing, so God’s word heals and frees us from sin. As shepherds, we too must nourish people with God’s authentic word. b. Liturgy of the Eucharist – Luke 9:16 – this led to satisfaction (“And all ate and were satisfied” – Lk. 9:17). As God fed the Israelites with manna in the desert, Jesus also feeds his followers with bread and fish. The Eucharist brings healing, restoration, joy, peace, fulfillment, contentment, happiness and reconciliation with God and neighbours.

7. Five (5) Loaves + two (2) fish = seven (7). Seven is a perfect number. So, the feeding with these seven entities was the complete feeding of the totality of the human person – both body and soul – with perfect satisfaction. This is what the Eucharist does for us daily.

 8. These items also represent our God-given talents and resources such as time, energy, money, qualities – whatever we are and have – if we can offer them up to Jesus for the sake of Christ and humanity, God will sanctify, bless and multiply them for us and others. So, let us become sacraments to others – family, friends, colleagues, community and the world. Thus, the Eucharist confers on us a responsibility, namely, to share and give ourselves to the service of others, and also to avoid divisions and dissensions which destroy unity.

9. The left-overs indicate that when we use our gifts well, there is a multiplying effect; they become very fruitful even to an overflowing abundance, going beyond the church into the world and making others also members of the Body of Christ, the church (12 basketfuls).

10. Twelve (12) basketfuls. The number twelve (12) represents the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles (the Old and New Testaments). It also represents us, for we are the New Israel, the New Jerusalem; the Christian church which is apostolic and catholic.

11. Five thousand (5000) men. It simply refers to “multitudes,” for in the Bible, the number thousand (1000) is simply a multitude, hence, 5000 is simply a multitude of multitudes.

There are spiritual and deeper meanings to this numerological liturgy in all the readings of today. After feeding the people, Jesus, made them his own people. There was a transfiguration, a transformation from mere created individuals to God’s own people, the New Jerusalem (12 tribes). So the Eucharist makes us God’s own people filled with His own life and spirit. By it, we are divinised – made gods – as Christ unites himself with us. He becomes part of us and we become part of him. Thus, we become what we eat, alter Christus, another Christ! We all know the importance of food to the physical body. Food nourishes, strengthens, heals, sustains and grows the body. Without food, there would be starvation and extinction. It is in this same sense that our souls may experience starvation and extinction without the essential spiritual food, the Eucharist. Jesus who gave bread to the crowd gives himself as food and drink to us sinful people. This is the power, the authority he gives us, the greatest assurance of his ever-abiding presence with us (cf. Mt. 28:20). Hence, the Mass (Eucharist) is the source and summit of our Christian life (cf. Vatican II Council Document, Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 10); and it is the highest form of prayer!

The flesh and blood of Christ is his humanity (Son of Man). He is fully human, but also, fully divine. As a human being, he experiences what we experience daily: the struggles, temptations, worries, difficulties, pains, betrayals, jealousies, etc. The only difference between him and us is that, he does not succumb to sin and temptation (cf. Heb. 4:15). So, Jesus, in offering us his Body and Blood wants to unite himself with us more intimately. He is telling us that he is with us in all the hustles and bustles, ups and downs, the fender-bender and topsy-turvy of life. In the Eucharist, humans become divine like Christ himself; temptations are overcome; sin is kept at bay; the devil flees; problems are faced with serenity; peace flows like a river; our Christian weapons of warfare are made ready; faith is deepened; hope is reinforced; love is rekindled and our souls are healed. No wonder before we receive Holy Communion, we are told: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb (cf. Jn. 1:29). And what is our response? Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. Indeed, if we believe in the Eucharist, we would not miss its healing and saving effect; we will always love, long for and cherish it.

So the question we need to ask ourselves is, what prevents us from receiving Holy Communion? Are we living in sin? Then, let us repent sincerely! Jesus did not feed only some people, but all who were present, for all were hungry. However, today, many Catholics do not receive Holy Communion. Some other Christians too either do not believe in the Eucharist or simply take it to be symbolic! Does it mean we are not hungry for Christ? The loaves were a mere foreshadow; Jesus’ Body is the reality! The bread and wine/fish could not ensure immortality; the Body and Blood of Christ gives life that leads to immortality (cf. Jn. 6:54). The bread was temporal; the Eucharist is eternal. The bread had expiry date; Holy Communion is not subject to our spatio[1]temporal order; rather, it goes beyond it. Bread is God’s creation; the Eucharist is God himself

A significant number of Catholics have not received the sacrament of Holy Matrimony even though they are living as married couples, perhaps with children. It is the sacred duty of people preparing for marriage, whether civil or traditional marriage or both to consider sacramental marriage, so they can participate in Holy Communion. There is also need to go for Pre-nuptial counselling and to know the ecclesiastical laws regarding divorced and re-married couples. Money should not be a factor barring many from blessing their marriages in Church. Although important and helpful, money, food and drink are not what make marriage a sacrament! Marriage also does not need a lot of people to be present before it can be celebrated liturgically. The groom, bride, priest and few witnesses suffice. If one is not receiving Communion, then they do not really know what they are missing! Furthermore, it is our abounding duty to help children grow in the Lord through the strength of the Eucharist. Hence, parents/guardians should not stand aloof about catechism instruction required for preparing candidates for the Holy Eucharist. It is the duty of all!

Beloved, let us remember that Christ will never joke about his death. He says “Do this in memory of me” (I Cor. 11: 25). Are we doing it? Through the Eucharist, a term which means Thanksgiving, let us show our appreciation to Jesus for his self-giving and sacrificial love which led to his death on the cross for us. Let us also revere and adore Jesus Christ through a life of holiness as we partake in the Eucharist. The sacrament of penance helps us in this regard. Uniting ourselves with Christ in the Eucharist is an invincible blessing, for ‘one with God is majority’! May Christ strengthen us to keep in mind what he has asked us to do in loving memory of him. Happy Corpus Christi! Remember: #Called-To-The-Divine-Banquet: Take-Eat-And-Drink#

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