Sunday, June 3, 2018
THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST ( Corpus Christi). "B€NG VAAR TIGRI"
Exodus 24:3-8/Psalm 115:12-13,16-18/Hebrews 9:11-15/Sequence/ Mark 14:12-16,22-26
YEARN FOR SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT
Beloved, the solemnity of Corpus Christi as we celebrate it today, originated in the Middle Ages, at the time of many popular devotions or Eucharistic adoration. The people simply wanted to adore the Eucharist instead of receiving the Eucharist, either because they could not participate fully in the whole liturgy or because of the holiness/sanctity of the Eucharist. They felt satisfied when they only adored or looked at the Eucharist when exposed or elevated.
Year in and year out, those of us who are farmers and have found ourselves in areas that the rainfall pattern is not the best, we are often worried (daily, weekly and monthly), as to how our farming activities will begin and end. By now, we should have been eating fresh bean leaves, but because of the poor rainfall pattern, some people have not yet sown their beans.
Those who are people of hope would often say, "The mouths of human beings are too short to eat grass." God is our Provider and Caretaker. God feeds us, gives us water and provides our needs, even though we have our part to play.
In our today's first reading, Moses reminded the people of Israel all that God did for them and what God expected from them. The people responded by saying: all that God said we should do, we will do (No empty promises). Moses used blood from holocaust sacrifice to sprinkle on the people to seal their covenantal relationship as a symbol of a bond(blood bond).This reminded them of the celebration of the Passover (the liberation of the Israelites from slavery). The new covenant would be written on the hearts of all people (Jeremiah 31:31-34). For us Christians, Jesus is our chief priest. He totally offered himself. He shed his own precious blood for our salvation. We don't need to offer animals for any sacrifice any longer. What Christ did for us on the Cross far supersedes what Moses did. What are the good things that God has done for us? What does God expect from us? Will we do what God expects of us? Will we continue to slaughter animals for sacrifice?
Friends, in our today's Gospel reading, Jesus instructed his disciples to follow a man carrying a pot of water to show them where he will have his final meal with them. During the meal (His Last Supper), he gave his own body and blood to his disciples as real food and real drink. He mandated us to celebrate the Eucharist, in remembrance of him. The Eucharist is Jesus' real self (body and blood). The Eucharist is food for our spiritual nourishment. It is food for our salvation. Unfortunately, some of us seem to be too familiar with the Eucharist in such a way that we don't value it. When the prayer of consecration is said the ordinary species of bread and wine become Jesus' real body and blood.
The Holy Eucharist and the Word of God sustain us spiritually, now and until we inherit eternal life. We all need proper nourishment/balanced diet (the Holy Eucharist), to be strong enough to bear credible witness to Christ.
Jesus has broken himself for many to be nourished. How many people do I feed physically or spiritually? Do I allow others to benefit from me or feed on me?
We are to accept Jesus' real presence in the species of bread and wine. The greatest miracle and the legacy that Jesus left for us as Catholics (Google Eucharistic miracles for more details). We need to jealously and reverently cherish this treasure. Do I receive the Holy Eucharist as any ordinary bread or food? As we receive Christ today and take Christ out to show to the world in procession, let us pray, sing and dance like King David (2 Samuel 6:14ff) and ask God to intervene in every situation of our lives. Let's pray for all communicants to have the sense of the Sacred and value the Eucharist. We should always prepare well to receive our spiritual nourishment. We also pray for all those who are not communicants, for one reason or the other, that God should intervene. BE BLESSED.
Fr. Gaa (0206854323/0240308878)