THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
22 JUNE 2025
In
writing to the Corinthians, Saint Paul hands on what he has received from the
Lord. In using those words, “to hand
on,” he uses the root word in Latin, “traditor,” literally to pass on
from hand to hand. Our English word is
“tradition.” Saint Paul is giving to the
Corinthians and to us the most sacred and important tradition which we
have: the celebration of the Eucharist.
To understand
this tradition, there are at least six key points for us to consider. First, when we celebrate the Eucharist, we recall
the dramatic events of the Last Supper, the night of the betrayal of Jesus by
one of his closest friends. Whenever we
partake of the Eucharist, we participate in the Lord’s passion and death. Second, the foundational elements of the
Eucharist are bread and wine. These
elements recall Melchizedek’s offering in the first reading. They are the everyday staples of the
Mediterranean diet. It is through these
ordinary means that he sustains his presence among us. Third, there is a thanksgiving performed by
Jesus. The Greek word for thanksgiving
is eucharisteo, which gives rise to our common name for this sacrament,
the Eucharist. Fourth, the bread is
symbolically broken. This action
sustains the memorial of Christ being broken for us on the cross. Fifth, the whole celebration is a remembrance
ritual. In this ritual, Saint Paul says
that the Corinthians are not just recalling some event which happened a long
time ago. Instead, the remembering is a
participation in the singular event of the Last Supper and the suffering,
death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Finally, the elements of which they participate are identified as the
Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, signifying the new covenant which Jesus has
forged with God.
This is
exactly what we will do in a few minutes, depending on how long I go on and
on. We will take gifts of bread and
wine, along with the gift of our sacrificial tithe. In the name of this assembly, I will pray the
Eucharistic Prayer, giving thanks, praising and thanking the Father for the
sacrifice of Jesus made present in our liturgical remembering (in Greek, anamnesis). Then, we will pray the Lord’s Prayer,
exchange a sign of peace to signify our intention to be reconciled with one
another, and I will break the consecrate Host, during the singing of the Lamb
of God. Finally, we will give the real
presence of the Lord in the form of bread and wine, as we come forward singing
the Lord’s praises as members of this Eucharistic Assembly.
We recognize
these four actions in the miracle of the multiplication of the five loaves and
two fish in Saint Luke’s Gospel. After
the Twelve complained that it was impossible to feed a crowd of five thousand
people with so little, Jesus takes the bread and fish, gives thanks to the
Father for his faithfulness, breaks, and then feeds the entire crowd. In feeding this crowd, Jesus is instituting a
new exodus. In the exodus from Egypt in
the wilderness of Sinai, God fed the people with manna. Manna was not to be kept, except on the
Sabbath. In this New Exodus, the
leftover fragments are to be picked up and placed into twelve wicker
baskets. We, who are the Church built on
the foundation of the twelve apostles, continue to be fed and connected through
the Eucharist with the Paschal Mystery until the end of time.
Saint
Augustine reminds us that we who are fed on the Body of Christ become the Body
of Christ. On this Solemnity of Corpus
Christi, we give thanks for this greatest Mystery given to us. We are also reminded of Abram’s response to
the blessing of Melchizedek. In
gratitude, Abram gave a tithe of ten percent of his wealth to Melchizedek. In his gift to us, Jesus Christ gives his
entire self out of love. We, the Body of
Christ, can also give generously of ourselves in gratitude to those who need
our assistance, nourished by the Lord’s self-giving gift on the cross.
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