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Homily for the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi Sunday)

READ: (Exo 24: 3-8; Heb 9: 11-15; Mk 14: 12-16)

REFLECT: The Holy Eucharist an everlasting covenant, a pure oblation of Christ and fullness of God’s love for us…

Dear friends we are commemorating today the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (the Corpus Christi Sunday). In Latin, Corpus Christi would mean the “body of Christ.” The Solemnity of Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is commemorated in between the Most Holy Trinity Sunday and the Pentecost Sunday. The Solemnity marks the two important aspects; one signifies about the Body and blood of Christ, the sacrament of Eucharist and its real presence while the other speaks of Church, as the Body of Christ and we as its members are called to be in union and communion with God. However, on this day as a customary traditional practice, there is a Eucharistic procession, where the blessed sacrament is exposed and carried on to the streets with a large number of people in the churches to mark the importance of Holy Eucharist, so that the real presence of Christ be felt by everyone and come closer to the Eucharistic Lord. So based on the liturgy of the word of God, I would like to share with you three points of reflection on the importance of the Holy Eucharist in our lives as Catholics and as followers of Christ.

1. Eucharist – an ever- living covenant of God:

We all know that our God is a God of covenant, who made the bond and relationship with people by covenants in the Old Testament. Covenant is an agreement or promise, usually formal, between two or more people or groups to do or not do something specified. However, God has not made covenant with people in the ways and thoughts of human persons rather a covenant, where God has always acknowledged the vulnerability of his people and has given them the liberty associate and be close to him always. In terms of human covenant or human contract, it is possible that the stronger sections of human persons could overpower or dominate the weaker sections of the society, but God has established his covenant with his people to express his love and continue the covenantal relationship for ages to come or to eternity. That’s the love of God beyond measure. Something, similar of that sort we find in the first reading from the book of Exodus.

The Chapter 24 of Exodus that is presented to us today in the liturgy of the word is a kind of transition chapter. Here we have the reaffirmation of the covenant that God has made with the people of Israel. That’s what we hear in the first reading from the book of Exodus in the opening verses when Moses cane and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules, all the people answered, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do and we will be obedient.” Yes, this is what God exactly wanted from the people of Israel to do what God wanted of them and be obedient to God’s ordinances and commandments. Thus, by hearing God’s words and following his statutes and commandments, they would become God’s people and Yahweh shall be their God. However, in the reaffirmation of covenant by Moses in the first reading, we are also made to realize the eternal covenant that God has made with his people in and through Jesus Christ, in the form of Holy Eucharist by the sharing of bread and wine and by the shedding of his blood for us.

In the context of covenants in the Old Testament, I would like to call Eucharist as an everlasting covenant that God has made with humanity in Christ Jesus. We all would perhaps say that the eternal covenant that God has made with us his people is “the Holy Eucharist.” The Sacrament of Holy Eucharist is an everlasting covenant that God has made with us his people for love of us and to dwell among us. Today, we could still feel and become aware of God’s presence in the self-offering of Christ manifested in the Eucharist. Although, Jesus came, lived among us, suffered, died and rose again, still he lives amongst us in the Holy Host in the Sacrament of Communion or Holy Eucharist. It is the greatest of all gifts that we Catholics could obtain to realize the presence of God among us. The words of Jesus are echoing today too, “Do this in memory of me.” Yes, the remembrance is nothing but we could call it an everlasting covenant that God has made with us in and through the self-gift of Christ. It is a memory that would always be alive and active, because, the fuller manifestation of God’s love is made manifest in the Holy Eucharist, the self-gift of Jesus. Today, we need to realize the everlasting covenant that God has established is for love of us. We pray that the Holy Sacrament of Communion and the gift of Holy Eucharist nourish our lives and nurture our faith in God and in the Holy Eucharist, the source and summit of all Christian life.

2. Eucharist – a pure oblation of Christ:

We all know that Eucharist is a pure offering of Christ poured out in pure love for us. There can be no stain or blemish in the offering of Christ because, Christ is Pure and purity himself as Son of God. There can be possibilities of offering  be blemish or with stain from our side as humans as we are weak and vulnerable, but never a chance from the side of God, because a pure God gives us all things in purity and it is we who make things, offerings and acts as impure or blemish. That’s what the second reading from the letter to the Hebrews reminds us to understand the purity of Christ and the pure offering of Christ a high priest, who remains sinless and whose offerings is without any blemish or stain.

The opening sentences of the second reading from letter to the Hebrews manifest to us the sanctity of the tent or the sanctuary that Christ entered. The sanctuary in which Christ has offered His sacrifice is not the one that is made with human hands rather greater and more perfect by God, which is not of this creation. Christ has entered this sanctuary not by the blood of goats and calves rather by his own self-offering, secured an eternal redemption of all. Therefore, the self-offering of Christ is far more valuable than any human offering. The letter to the Hebrews very powerfully reveals that if the offerings of blood of goats and bulls, the sprinkling of defiled person  could sanctify the purification of flesh, how much more valuable and powerful in purifying our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Yes, the blood of Christ has brought us redemption from every slavery of sin but we have failed to realize it, because of our human weaknesses and vulnerability to sin.

Today, how shall we realize the redemptive activity of God established through Jesus Christ? It is by opening ourselves to the will of God to purify our intentions and conscience, thus be prompt in accepting the will of God in our lives. The letter to the Hebrews highlights that there is a vast difference in offering of high priest of earthly city than Christ, the high priest of the heavenly realm, who chose to dwell among us as one. Jesus has paid full price on the cross for our sins to redeem us, but we have failed to realize the same. No sacrifice could withstand the self-sacrifice of Christ made for us in love and mercy. It is in realizing the self-sacrifice of Christ that we realize the love of God made manifest in Christ. It is by loving others we manifest our love for Christ and his redemptive work. It is by valuing the dignity of the other, we manifest our love for God.

Today, let us make a firm decision to realize in our lives the pure oblation of Christ. It was possible for Christ, because of the constant touch with God, the heavenly Father. We too could make ourselves a pure oblation for God, when we remain close to God and close to Christ and to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Today let us realize that we are given an opportunity to witness every day the pure oblation of Christ in the Eucharist, but what is our disposition towards the Holy Eucharist. Let us pray that the experience of pure oblation of Christ in the Holy Eucharist may enable us to offer one another the love and mercy of God.

3. Eucharist – the fullness of God’s love:

Pope Francis very beautifully points out the Eucharistic gesture par excellence saying, “Eucharist is the distinctive sign of our faith and the place where we encounter the Lord who offers himself so that we can be reborn to new life. This gesture also challenges us. Up to that point, lambs were sacrificed and offered to God. Now Jesus becomes the lamb, offering himself in sacrifice in order to give us life. In the Eucharist, we contemplate and worship the God of love. The Lord, who breaks no one, yet allows himself to be broken. The Lord who does not demand sacrifices, but sacrifices himself. The Lord who asks nothing but gives everything. In celebrating and experiencing the Eucharist, we too are called to share in this love.”

Yes, today in what way we can become mediums or instruments of God’s love and mercy to others in a broken or divided world is what we need to ask and seek for answers to live our lives meaningfully. One of the ways that we could become mediums and instruments of love in the world is to be compassionate and forgiving to one another in the likeness of Christ. Christ broke himself with self-emptying love without any expectation from us; Christ sacrificed himself for our sanctification; Christ rendered his service of love without any selfish or ulterior motives. Similarly, we too need to become the reflection of God’s forgiving and merciful love to one another in the world. The Holy Eucharist is the powerful sacrament that communicates to humanity the unconditional love that God had and has still for us.

In the Gospel reading of Mark that’s set apart for today’s liturgy, the disciples ask Jesus where they should go to prepare the Passover meal for him. Jesus tells them to go to a city, meet a man and he will show you the room for a Passover meal to be eaten. Yes, we all of us know what this Passover is referring to in the Old Testament. It is a celebration of the story of Exodus. During Passover, the Jewish people recall how their ancestors were freed from the Egyptian slavery by God through Moses. In the Holy Eucharist too, there is this element of passing over from slavery to freedom or liberation by the self-offering of Jesus Christ. We were in darkness and sin, but by the self-offering of Christ we have been brought to light and liberation. This is basically the love expression of God manifested through Christ for us. Today we need to prepare ourselves worthily to invite Jesus to come and stay and dine with us. That could only be possible when we could open our hearts for others in love without showing hatred and jealousy, without being selfish and sluggish to God’s grace manifested in the Eucharist.

Today, let us realize the importance of the Most Holy Sacrament Eucharist that’s offered to us as gift and grace of God. It is a free gift of God for love of us; it is readily available and accessible for all to experience God’s love and mercy; it’s a door that opens God’s mercy and love unconditionally. Do we realize the importance of the Eucharist in our lives? Most of the times, we don’t prepare well enough to encounter Christ in the Eucharist; most of the times we don’t turn up to the Church to attend the Holy Eucharist; most of the times we attend the Holy Eucharist as a formality or routine; most of the times we take the rubrics and liturgy of the Eucharist for granted; It is a time to realize the importance of the Holy Eucharist, the true self-gift of Christ, the real presence of Christ truly present in the form of bread and wine. Let us then look at it with faith, live the faith and share the faith with one another in love and compassion.

RESPOND:

Do we realize that Eucharist is an everlasting covenant that God has made with us in Jesus Christ to dwell among us and permeate his presence?

Do we realize that Holy Eucharist is the pure oblation of Christ for love of us to redeem from sin and death?

Do we realize that Holy Eucharist is the fullness of Love expressed by God in Jesus to manifest his love for us unconditionally?

Let us realize that Holy Eucharist is an everlasting covenant, a pure oblation of Christ and the fullness of God’s love expressed for us. Amen.

God bless us all! Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968