HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. JUNE 11, 2023.
“The Eucharist is the heart of the Church. Where Eucharistic life flourishes, there the life of the Church will blossom.”–John Paul II
Sunday Readings
My Dearest Friends In Christ
Today, my dearest brethren, we celebrate God’s greatest gift to mankind, the gift of His Body and Blood. Although we celebrate the institution of the Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday, the Church wants to emphasize its importance through this special feast, formerly called “Corpus Christi”. It was Pope Urban IV who first extended the feast to the Universal Church. This is one of the few feasts left in which we observe a procession and a sung “Sequence”. On Holy Thursday Jesus gave us the gift of Himself in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist when He said at the Last Supper, “Take this…this is my body”. He never meant a representation or symbol of His Body, but His very Self, Soul, and Divinity. The Church through the ages has interpreted and understood these words of Christ at the Last Supper in the literal sense and has used the term “transubstantiation” to explain the change into the substance of bread and wine.
ARE WE NOT PRIVILEGED?
We are privileged to be so loved by God, Who has offered this great gift for the work of our redemption. It is a sacrifice and the Sacrament of our salvation. The Bread of Eternal Life and the Blood of the New Covenant shed in atonement for our sins is the bloody sacrifice of Calvary offered in an unbloody way at the altar.
ARE YOU STILL DOUBTING HIS REAL PRESENCE?
Do you still doubt the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist? Are you not convinced yet after reading about Eucharistic miracles, for instance, that of Lanciano Italy? Have you had a personal experience of Christ’s abiding Presence in the Eucharist? Maybe yes or no. Today offers you another opportunity to reflect and appreciate this great gift of God’s Presence and enter into deep communion with Christ, and be filled with graces that flow from this Sacrament of God’s Love.
We live in a world where many do not believe in things beyond what the eyes can see. Everything is limited to sense perception. For such unbelievers, what the Priest does at the altar may appear to be a drama of some sort; an acting of a biblical or past event. Contrary to such beliefs, the Priest at the altar is re-enacting the same Paschal Sacrifice and not dramatizing any past event. Misunderstanding and misinterpretation of Christ’s words at the Last Supper have made the belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist a subject of many controversies and disagreements; especially among our Pentecostal brothers and sisters in the past and the present. Worse still, many Catholics don’t even have a strong belief in the Real Presence. Far from all the misconceptions and disagreements, the truth of His Real Presence shines out glaringly. Personal experiences, testimonies, and miracles speak volumes of His Divine Presence. However, we don’t need miracles or proofs to believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist under the species of bread and wine. Faith believes what the eyes cannot see and what the mind cannot explain ( okwukwe na enye ihe nke nti na anya enweghi ike inye ) so believe and have faith. Approach this Sacrament with reverence. Genuflect or bow reverently in His Holy Presence in the terbanacle, or in the chapel where He is exposed. Be in a state of grace to receive Him lest you bring condemnation upon yourself. (cf 1 Cor. 11:27 ff)
DO WE APPRECIATE THIS GIFT OR BETRAY THE GIVER?
We should value what we have as Catholics and stop pursuing shadows. Many Catholics in our generation have lost faith that Christ is in the Eucharist. Many have taken to charms for protection. Many have entered into a covenant with the devil in their search for solutions to challenging problems of life. Imagine a Catholic after receiving Communion in the church, putting on his or her charms or magic rings for more protection. Isn’t this ridiculous? The question is, does it imply that the Christ whom he/she received is not powerful enough to protect? Or is the aim backup protection in case Christ fails to act fast enough? Honestly, it is time we question some of the things we do that portray a lack of faith and betray Christ. Do we still believe that God is omnipotent and that God has given us Himself as food and is ever-present among us? Why would you fear, when God is near and when He lives in you? What problem is there that God cannot solve? Isn’t the Eucharist the source of all miracles? All we need is to demonstrate that we believe in Him and God will take care of the rest.
In today’s first reading from the book of Deuteronomy, Moses reminded the Jews how God provided manna to feed and sustain them through their years of journey in the desert. That bread prefigures the Bread of Life which Christ gives for the Life of the world. Therefore whoever eats of this Bread has Life and whoever does not eat of it does not have Life. Persistently staying away from receiving the Eucharist while going to Mass is depriving oneself of Life. Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you do not have Life within you“.
THEOLOGICAL MEANING
Vatican II states that as a sacrifice “The Holy Eucharist is the center and culmination of the Christian life”. Lumen Gentium, 11) Why? ~Because It enables us to participate in Christ’s Sacrifice as a present reality and to benefit from Its fruits in our own lives.
~Because It helps us to worship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the most perfect way.
~ Because It strengthens our charity and unity with Jesus and each other in a joint offering of his Body and Blood to the Father.
~Because It gives us a lasting memorial of Christ’s Suffering, Death, and Resurrection, reminding us of our obligation to make loving sacrifices for others.
WE BECOME WHAT WE EAT
The Holy Eucharist strengthens our bond of communion with each other and with God. Why are there hatred, suspicion, fighting, quarrels, among those who receive the same Body and drink of the same cup? Why are Catholic families splitting up? This is because we have not become what we eat. We are not yet transformed into the likeness of Him whom we receive. We receive Christ in a darkened soul, so we do not produce good fruits as evidence of our reception of Christ in the Eucharist. God cannot dwell in a heart filled with hatred, unforgiveness, and malice. If you receive Him still bearing grudges for someone or still hardened in heart to forgive another, then the fruit of that reception will elude your soul. This does not mean that Christ ceases to be Christ or is diminished even if it is a serial killer or a prostitute who receives Him . Yet the fact is that the grace of that reception cannot be received and the recipient brings condemnation upon himself/herself. We need to become what we receive – other Christ. If you are a communicant, demonstrate by your action that Christ lives in you. Let your actions and thoughts be pure. Be a good person. Let people around you and in your family experience God in you. This is the only way we can strengthen the bond of charity among us and with God.
May God help us to have faith in Him in this most Holy Sacrament of His Love and may our receiving Him transform us and the world.
I keep you and your family always in my prayers. ©Clem C. Aladi (2024)
