Homily (Reflection) for the Solemnity of
the Body and Blood of Christ (B) (03rd June, 2018) on the Gospel and
the Solemnity
Ex 24:3-8;
Ps 115:12-13.15-18 (R. V. 13);Heb 9:11-15;
Mk 14:12-16.22-26.
The universal Church celebrates
today the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). It is
also known as the Holy Eucharist among so many other names. We celebrate our
belief based on the scripture that the Holy Eucharist is the Body and Blood of our
Lord Jesus Christ, cf. Mk 14:22,
24; 1Cor 10:16. The
dogmatic constitution on the Church of the Vatican II (Lumen Gentium) rightly
calls the Holy Eucharist “the source and summit of the Christian life” (no.
11).
Note that in some parts of the
world like Europe, this solemnity is accompanied by Eucharistic procession but
in other parts the Eucharistic procession is shifted to the solemnity of Christ
the king because of the rainy season.
Topic: Christ’s Body and Blood (cf. Mk 14:22, 24).
“The old covenant was sealed with the
blood of the sacrifice which Moses sprinkled on the people. The new covenant
was sealed with the blood of Christ who offered himself as a perfect sacrifice
to God” (The Sunday Missal: A new edition (1995). London:
HarperCollinsReligious, p. 576).
Today’s gospel reads in part:
While they were eating, he took a loaf of
bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘Take;
this is my body’. Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to
them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, ‘This is my blood of the
covenant, which is poured out for many (Mk
14:22-24).
We are celebrating the solemnity of Christ's giving of His body
and blood for our both spiritual and temporal nourishment. The body and blood
of Christ is the foretaste of the heavenly banquet. Hence, we read from the
book of Revelation those words we proclaim at every Mass “Blessed are those who
are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9). In the Eucharistic celebration, we obey the Lord’s
command: “… Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk
22:19; cf. 1Cor 11:24, 25). The Holy Eucharist is therefore the
re-enactment of that supreme sacrifice on mount Calvary, cf. 1Cor 10:16.
In our everyday life, some are asked to abstain from some food
item/s not as a result of hatred but out of love. This is because doing the
contrary will worsen their state of health. In the same way, the reception of
the Holy Communion can be both beneficial as well as harmful to the recipients.
Hence, St Paul sternly warns:
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or
drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the
body and blood of the Lord. Examine
yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning
the body, eat and drink judgement against themselves. For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But
if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged (1Cor 11: 27-31).
But if eating of the body and drinking of the blood of Jesus
Christ might bring damnation, is it not better not to eat and drink at all? Jesus
has the answer:
‘Very
truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his
blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood
have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is
true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood
abide in me, and I in them (Jn 6:53-56).
No matter how “holy” one thinks he or she is, no one is worthy to
receive the body and blood of the Lord. Accordingly, we always express this unworthiness
just before the reception of Holy Communion: “Lord, I am not worthy that you
should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed”,
cf. Matt 8:8. Bearing this in mind, GOOD CONFESSION is sine qua non for all
who wants to receive worthily.
Out of love for us, Jesus instituted this sacrament and also
sealed it with his death on the cross, cf. Rom
5: 6-11. Just as Christ gives us His body and blood for our salvation, each
of us ought to give his or her own body and blood for the good of others, cf. Jn 13:15. This must be out of love lest
it will be in vain, cf. 1Cor 13:3. So
as we eat the body and drink the blood of our Lord, we must ask ourselves how
far we have allowed ourselves to be broken for the good of others because we
are the body of Christ and individually members of the body of Christ, cf. Eph 5:23; 1Cor 12:27.
Let us conclude with this: One day, a mad woman sitting outside
the church watched with keen interest every part of the Mass. Occasionally, she
muttered some unintelligible words, laughed and sometimes very calm. When it
was time for the reception of the Holy Communion, the mad woman was shocked to
see a woman named Mgbeke stood up. With bare hands the mad woman cleaned her
eyes as if to confirm that she was still seeing correctly. She was shaking her
head in disapproval as Mgbeke moved to join the line of those who would receive
the Holy Communion. At a point, she began to murmur in her dialect (Igbo):
‘Mgbeke echedị na ihe nụnwa bụ bisikiti? Ka o che na ọ bụ chịngọm? Ọ madịkwọ na
a na-akwado akwado tupu e jee nata ya? Ewo!, ewo!, asịkwọnụ na ụkọchukwu maara
onye Mgbeke bụ, ọ gaghị enye ya ihenụnwa. Hei, ọ ka na-ejekwọ, ọ na-ejesikwọ
ike, ọ na-ejesikwọ ike, o rue, o sekpuru, o mepee ọnụ ya, e nye ya, o loo-o-o.
Ewo! Jesu ndo, Ị hụsiela anya n’aka ụmụ mmadụ’ (For those who do not understand
Igbo language: the mad woman could not understood why Mgbeke of all people
should receive the Holy Communion. She wondered whether Mgbeke thought that
Holy Communion was biscuit or chewing gum. As she watched, she also commented
on her movement to the altar, her kneeling down, opening of her mouth,
receiving the Holy Communion, and her swallowing it. According to her if the
priest knew Mgbeke, he would not have given her the Holy Communion).
Bible Reading: Lk 22:14-23; Jn 6:22-71; 1Cor 6:12-20; 1Cor
10:1-22; 1Cor 11:23-32; 1Cor
12:12-31; 1Cor 13:1-13; 2Cor 6:14-7:1; Rom 7:1-6; Eph 4:1-16; Rev 19:5-9.
Thought for today:
Should
that same mad woman who spoke about Mgbeke speak about you, what will she say –
that you are another Mgbeke, worse than Mgbeke, or...?
Let us pray: Eucharistic Jesus, help us to receive
you out of the love we have for you. May we break ourselves and let our blood
flow for the salvation of our brothers and sisters just as you did for us – Amen.
May the Body and Blood of Christ bring us to
life everlasting – AMEN!
You are
free to share this reflection with others if you consider it worthy.
For more
homilies (reflections):
Visit our website: www.thepulpitonline.com
Join our WhatsApp Group via: +234 810 298 6313
Tel: +234 813 305 0302
+234 905 655 4466
May God bless you all+
Post a Comment
Post a Comment