Sunday – Feast of Corpus Christi

Gospel – John 6:51-58

It’s the Real Thing!

Church of All Nations, Gethsemane

My watch stopped working a couple of weeks ago.  But because of the ‘busy-ness’ of life, I had to wait even longer just to take it in to get fixed.  That may not seem like such a big deal but that watch is 52 years old; it belonged to my Dad and, ever since his death, I have worn it faithfully every single day.  I also wear a ring on my right hand, a class ring.  But again not mine, it was also my dad’s for his 1939 high school graduation.  It is 81 years old.

Both of them are a constant reminder to me of my dad, our relationship and all the memories I have of him.  They give me a feeling that my dad is still here with me, guiding me and encouraging me. But in the end, the watch is not my dad; the ring is not my dad.  They are reminders; they are symbols, memories of the past.  But it’s not the same as having him right here beside me.

I’m holding an unconsecrated host, simple unleavened bread, nothing more.  But in a few moments at Mass, it will be transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.  Not symbolically!  It’s not just a symbol, not just a memory, not just a reminder of the Last Supper.  It truly becomes Jesus’ Body and Blood.  It is real!

We celebrate today the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ!  The Eucharist, the gift of real spiritual food that feeds our souls!  All our readings today speak of God’s gift to His people – the gift of manna in the desert to Moses and the Hebrews.  Jesus proclaiming Himself the Living Bread that has come down from heaven; all who eat of it will live forever.  The cup of blessing and the bread we break!

They all speak to us of God’s great love and care for us.  It speaks of a great exchange of gifts!

God created all life, human and animal and plants.  He created the wheat in the field and the grapes on the vine.  And He gives it all to us to care for and to help it flourish.  And what do we do – we take that wheat and grapes and change them into bread and wine.  We then offer it back to God as we present the gifts at Mass.  And what does God do – He takes that bread and wine and transforms them into His Body and Blood and offers it back to us – to sustain us on our spiritual journey to eternal life.  What a gift!

A couple of years ago, we had a group of French visitors at the St. Kateri Center.  We celebrated Mass with them.  And I will never forget the experience of ministering Holy Communion to them.  The quiet awe and reverence they showed!  The prayerful care they took as they took the Host in their hands.  There was no rush, no hurriedness to just receive the Host and get back to their pew.  This was no assembly line or group racing to get their food.  It was meditative, prayerful, reverent, as if they were receiving Communion for the very first time!

Remember back during Covid when we were all separated – from friends and family, from our livelihood and even our income, from simple pleasures of going to the movies or a restaurant or the park or the library.  Separated especially from the Mass and Sacraments!  We were separated from the Eucharist, from the Body and Blood of Christ.

My hope, my prayer, is that as we continue to attend Mass and receive the Eucharist, we come with the same reverence, the same piety and hunger for the Eucharist that we saw in those French visitors.  And may we never ever take Holy Communion for granted.  May we always remember and BELIEVE that what we receive in the Eucharist is not some symbol or memory but truly the Body and Blood of Christ.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 11, 2023 at 10:06 AM

    Deacon Frere what a wonderful Homily Thank you I look forward to your Readings each Sunday If and when I go back to Mass I still would like to receive your readings please Please pray for my sister Sue that her MRI of her shoulder will show what is wrong with her besides the TIA and heart attacks and that she will live out a long life and this week get her life in order and get a used little car she likes and can drive Bless me to for I fell and must go to court with my grandson the 26 th of July to get back some of my monies he stold from me He cleaned out my checking account used credit cards even forged my checks May God have mercy on him and teach him a lesson or many lessons so he grows from the lessons and becomes agood member of society in the future God Bkess you and your family Robyn P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deacon BillJune 12, 2023 at 5:13 AM

      Thank you! Sending you prayers and blessings

      Delete

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