Corpus Christi Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The Eucharist is not just a mere symbol of Christ, but is truly Christ present with us Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity under the appearances of bread and wine. To receive Him under our roof is to allow Him to be the one who nourishes us and leads us forth fortified by the gift of God’s grace.

The Israelites underwent a 40 year journey in the desert where the wondered toward the Promised Land. This journey would bring many twists and turns (they were hungry, thirsty, and lost); they would even think that they were better off in their slavery of old. Nevertheless, God heard their cry and poured down heavenly food which would nourish them along this journey.

We too find ourself on such a journey with the Promised Land of Heaven as our ultimate goal. Throughout the pilgrimage of this life we take many twists and turns; it is easy to desire to live the life of old instead of living for Christ Jesus. In the words of Saint Augustine, “Lord, grant me chastity and continence, but not yet.” As Jesus said in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

The Eucharist is food for our journey. It sustains us as we travel through the spiritual wilderness of this world. We must flee the slavery of sin and head toward the true Promised Land of Heaven. If we allow our life to be centered upon Christ and His presence among us then we will be given the strength necessary to continue to move forward without looking back.

The manna in the desert could only temporarily fight off death for the Israelites. They ate it daily, they grew old, and they eventually died. If they hoarded it, it would rot for it belonged to this temporal world. The Eucharist grants eternal life for it heals the soul, strengthening the believer against mortal sin and allowing them to live for the Resurrection which is to come.

As we pray when we recite the Our Father, “give us this day our daily bread.” A better translation would be “super-substantial” or  “supernatural” bread which is to say that we are asking for the daily nourishment of the Eucharist for this gift goes far beyond the effects of physical food for this heavenly food also provides for the wellbeing of our soul.

It is so easy to get caught up in things which will never fill. It is most difficult to move ourselves away from unhealthy practices which we have allowed to become routine. Let us dare to look as Saint John the Baptist directs, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Indeed in the Eucharist we behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Let our be centered upon Him and thus may we come to repent of all sin and enter into communion with Him in order that we may allow Him to always remain the food for our journey which leads towards the Promised Land of Heaven.

You have given them Bread from heaven. Having all sweetness with it.

Corpus Christi Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ also known to us as Corpus Christi.

The Eucharist is central to our belief because the Eucharist is not just a representation of Christ, but is the very presence of Christ made manifest among us under the appearances of bread and wine. Through the words of consecration the bread and wine truly becomes the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ.

Such a statement should make us consider how we react when it pertains to the Eucharist. To be in the presence of the Eucharist is to be in the presence of Christ. To receive the Eucharist is to receive Christ. There ought to be attentionality when it pertains to us and our relationship to Christ and His presence made manifest among us.

If I were to drop a consecrated host or even a particle of it to the ground there are some who would not flinch and care. If I were to drop a baby that I was holding there all of a sudden would be a lot of concern at what has transpired and rightfully so. We must have such concern when it pertains to the Eucharist and our reception of it. What we are receiving is truly most serious.

Saint Paul instructs of such seriousness by stating “Whoever, therefore, eats the breads or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.”

Therefore, if it has been a long time since your last confession make use of this sacrament of the Father’s mercy for it goes hand in hand with our reception of Holy Communion. As the Catechism states, “Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ increases the communicants union with the Lord, forgives his venial sins, and preserves him from grave sins.”

What we receive strengthens us in the midst of our daily life as we are sent into the abundant harvest of the Lord. To think of the great gift that we receive when we receive Holy Communion. At this moment we have allowed the Lord to enter in under our roof. What an intimate statement that is more important then a celebrity, a sporting event, or a television show. This is Jesus who has communed with us!

At the Last Supper we should notice that it was Judas who was the first to leave. Why are we sometimes in such a hurry to leave Mass after the reception of Holy Communion that we fail to make time for a prayer of thanksgiving and fail to receive the blessing of Christ which sends us forth from the midst of this place? I agree that it might be convenient to beat the rush out of here, but I promise that making time for Christ is much greater.

As Gandhi stated, “I would like to believe what you Catholics believe about Jesus in the Eucharist. But I am unable to do so, because I don’t think you Catholics really believe what you say you believe; because if I really believed that my Lord and my God were truly present in the tabernacle as you say He is, I would crawl on my belly to church every day and worship Him.”

Corpus Christi Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi which is a celebration of the importance of the Most Holy Eucharist in our life and that of the Church.

There are many faith traditions outside of the Catholic Church that have some type of eucharistic meal. In these services they direct their mind unto God and receive a symbolic representation of Christ. The Church would agree that what they receive is symbolic, but what we receive in the Eucharist at Mass is the true presence of the Lord our God.

When Church teaching becomes difficult in one area or another some are willing to flock to other faith traditions to receive something that is only symbolic for this is an easier path. If we understand and believe in the Eucharist there is no way that we can leave the Church behind for to do so would be to leave Christ behind for something lesser. Out of love for Him we must choose to embrace His cross and live our life for Him no matter the difficulty.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds, “The Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full communion with the Church.” As is stated in the Epistle of Saint John, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgement upon himself.”

From these statements we can conclude that reception of the Eucharist is important and that it should be treated as such. Reception of the Eucharist should not be something taken lightly or be treated as if it were something that is routine and expected of us no matter the state of our soul.

As we are addressed in the words of Saint John the Baptist at Mass, “Behold, the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.” And the words of the centurion of which we respond, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

With true thought we should profess these words with the realization of the one whom we are to receive. We will receive Christ present with us Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity under the appearances of bread and wine. If we discern that we need to make a good confession first let us do so. Let us properly prepare for the one whom we receive and give thanks for that gift that has been given to us instead of rushing out of the Church, without receiving the final blessing, in order to be the first to leave the parking lot. Instead let us rejoice in the Eucharist and desire to be held in His presence by how we live and order our life towards Him as we are sent forth.

“O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who according to the will of the Father, with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, hast by Thy death given life unto the world, deliver me by Thy most sacred Body, which, I, unworthy, have presumed to receive, from all my iniquities and from every evil, and make me ever to hold fast to Thy commandments and suffer me never to be separated from Thee. Amen.”

Corpus Christi Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi which is the celebration of the Body and Blood of Christ.

The world in which we live constantly hungers for something more. There is a hunger for material possessions, for wealth, and for an over abundance of pleasure. At times we allow these various things to overshadow the presence of Christ among us in the form of the Eucharist. The answer for which our heart longs was given to us in our Gospel: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

For this reason the Most Holy Eucharist is central to our life of faith. What we see with our eyes is mere bread and wine, but through the words of the priest the host becomes the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ our Lord. To receive the Eucharist is to enter into a profound union with Christ. It is here that we come to be transformed by His grace in order that we may be strengthened on the journey of faith which leads towards Eternal Life.

On this journey we  continue to live in the world. Thus we  continue to be touched by the brokenness and challenges of this life. We will come to face trials, temptations, and the burdens of our human existence. But it is in the Eucharist that we find our solace, our strength, and the true nourishment for our soul.

Just as physical food sustains our mortal bodies, the Eucharist sustains our spiritual life. It is this spiritual food that strengthens us, that renews us, and empowers us to face the struggles of our daily life with faith and courage. In the Eucharist, we encounter the living Christ who walks with us, who guides us, and gives us the grace that we need in order to persevere.

This Heavenly food that has been extended to us by Christ is truly the food that will sustain us and make us whole. Those who eat of this flesh will never hunger because they have come to receive the presence of Christ Himself. It is this presence that transcends any want or need that we will ever have for the Eucharist is the sustenance of life which sustains us in the gift of God’s grace. There is no greater reality then this, so let us find our contentment here with Christ who is present among us under the appearances of bread and wine. 

With this knowledge let us be willing to spend time with Him in prayer. Let us come to receive Him with true reverence. Let us be willing to allow Him to be the one to whom our life is directed. All things that we do should flow towards Christ. In the Eucharist we receive this life giving nourishment that assists us in our practice of faith. Let us entrust ourself to Christ and His presence among us in the Most Holy Eucharist for He is the one who fills us to the fullest degree.

Corpus Christi Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

Our Blessed Lord stated in the Gospel of Saint John, “I am the living bread that came down from Heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

It should be no secret that our world is filled with many storms. Scandal, division, disease, doubt, and more continue to come our way. It is so easy to allow these storms to sweep us away from our faith. Some get so caught up in these storms that they begin to live a life which is exempt from Christ and His Church.

It was Jesus who calmed these storms within the lives of the apostles. He commanded these storms, “Quiet! Be still!” And at His command we were told that “the wind ceased and there was great calm.” He then asked His apostles, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”

Thankfully we continue to encounter this same Jesus whom the apostles encountered in the Most Holy Eucharist. We have each received the invitation to place our trust in Him and His presence among us. With faith placed in this Sacrament of Love we would begin to orient our heart and soul towards that which can calm all the storms of our life.

As Saint Teresa of Calcutta had stated, “Jesus has made Himself the Bread of Life to give us life. Night and day, He is there. If you really want to grow in love, come back to the Eucharist, come back to that Adoration.”

This is what the United States Council of Catholic Bishops invites us to do as we move into this time of National Eucharistic Revival. Jesus is truly present with us Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Most Holy Eucharist. What you see with your eyes is bread and wine, but through the words of consecration we truly have the presence of Christ among us.

He is the bread of life that has come down from Heaven. It is He who should be the source and summit of our faith. Jesus is inviting us to enter into relationship with Him in the Most Holy Eucharist. We do precisely that whenever we come to Mass and receive Him with a true sense of reverence, we do precisely that whenever we come before the tabernacle to be present with Him, we do precisely that whenever we go to confession to fix that which has been broken down by sin, and we do precisely that whenever we profess our faith in Christ Jesus who is present with us in the Most Holy Eucharist.

May our encounter with our Eucharistic Lord bring about a true change within our heart. The one who you will receive today in the Eucharist is Christ. Not a symbol, but truly Christ. May our heart desire to dwell with Him always. What can we do to reinkindle our relationship with Christ who is present with us in the Most Holy Eucharist?