Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi. This feast is a beautiful reminder of the greatest gift that Jesus has given to us - the gift of himself in the Eucharist. As we gather around the altar, let us reflect on the significance of this sacrament and its impact on our lives.
In the Gospel reading, we hear Jesus speaking about the bread and wine that he has given to us. He says, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
These words are not just a memorial, but a present reality. When we receive Holy Communion, we are not just remembering a past event, but we are receiving the very body and blood of Christ. We heard how this was foreshadowed in our first reading from Exodus. In this passage, Moses takes the blood of the covenant sacrifices and splashes it on the people,
saying, "Behold, the blood of the covenant that God has made with you" Exodus 24:8. This act of blood sprinkling symbolizes the establishment of a covenant between God and His people. Similarly, Jesus' blood is poured out on the cross as a symbol of the new covenant, where His blood is seen as a sacrifice for sin (Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25).
Jesus is now the spotless and unblemished Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, because this is not just a man sacrificing himself to God, but it is God from God, divinity presents itself to divinity, and from the cross Jesus, with his own blood, pleads with the Father: “Forgive them.” Henceforth, the Eucharist making his sacrifice present again on our altars, is a source of life and nourishment for our souls. Just as our physical bodies need food and water to survive, our spiritual lives need the Eucharist to thrive. When we receive Communion, we are receiving the life-giving presence of Christ in our lives. This is why Jesus says, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" John 6:54.
The Eucharist is not just a personal gift, but also a gift that unites us with each other before and after it unites us with God. Before, because we are admonished that should we be at the altar and remember we are at odds with a brother or sister, we’re to leave our offering there, go make peace, and then come back and make the offering. After, because when it comes time for the dismissal at the end of mass, we are sent out in peace to love and serve the Lord together as one family. When we receive Communion together, we are reminded that we are all one body in Christ. This unity is not just a feeling or an emotion, but a reality that is rooted in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
As we celebrate this feast, let us reflect on the gift of the Eucharist in our lives. Let us ask ourselves: How am I receiving this gift? Am I treating it with reverence and respect? Am I sharing this gift with others? Let us also pray for those who are unable to receive Communion, that they may be nourished by Christ's presence in their lives.
Let us ask our Blessed Mother who stood beneath the Cross while her Son was atoning for the sins of the world, but who also spent herself in saying yes to the will of the Father. She too received Jesus, when they took him down from the cross, and her heart was broken. But when she saw him risen, alive and well, that pain soon turned into joy and tears turned into consolation. Let us happily receive our Lord during communion. No gloomy faces! After all he has given us, and in giving himself to us when we come up to consume the consecrated host, can we truly come up with a sad face? So rejoice and be glad, for the Creator God your Father comes to you and wishes to abide with you, through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. May she who was his Daughter, Mother and Spouse, prepare our souls to receive him, in this most glorious moment of our lives, each time we are blessed to be able to welcome him within us at Holy Communion.
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