Word to the Wise
Sunday, June 19, 2022 - Sunday after Trinity Sunday: The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (formerly called Corpus Christi"") - A"
[Genesis 14:18-20; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Luke 9:11b-17]I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. [1 Corinthians]
SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 THE BODY AND BLOOD OF THE LORD [CORPUS CHRISTI] - C
[Genesis 14:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Luke 9:11b-17]
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. [1 Corinthians]
The Second Vatican Council proclaimed the Eucharist as the "source and summit" of the life of the Church. St. Paul's letters are very early testimony to the faith of the Church in what Jesus said at the Last Supper. His testimony, in the second scripture for today, is repeated in one of the "memorial acclamations" after the consecration at Mass: "When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, O Lord, until you come again." The transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus is the work of the Holy Spirit, as the words of the Eucharistic Prayer II say, "Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ." Although terms like "transubstantiation" have been used to describe how this transformation can occur, it is still a mystery and a matter of faith. And, from the earliest days of the Church, some have found this teaching of Jesus hard to accept. [John 6:56]. A young woman whom I received into the church from a strong Protestant tradition said to me that the hardest thing for her to accept in Catholic faith was the Eucharist. "If you can accept that, the rest is easy!"
She is not alone. Recent surveys have shown that Catholic faith in Jesus' teaching about receiving his Body and Blood tends to vary widely! The bishops of the United States have embarked on a program of "Eucharistic revival" to proclaim the truth "handed on to us" just as St. Paul did. The celebration, today, of this truth of our faith is a reminder of its importance. It is not simply a matter of "going to Mass and going to communion." Jesus' promise to be with us always is celebrated in the Eucharist. It is more than our individual reception (and perception). We celebrate our communion with one another as the Body of Christ on earth. Jesus' "unique" presence in the Eucharist serves as a reminder of a broader significance. Our faith is empoverished without it. AMEN