THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI)
Readings: : Ex. 24:3-8; Ps.115:12-13, 15-18; Heb. 9:11-15; Mk 14:12-16, 22-26
The Pride of Catholicism
May the Lord give you His peace!
What in your candid opinion is the greatest miracle the Lord Jesus Christ worked prior to His death and resurrection? According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, which we celebrate today, is the utmost of all the miracles the Lord Jesus ever performed. And the essence of that miracle was to imprint the immensity of His love more deeply in the hearts of the faithful; and for us to always remember in His memory this unprecedented act of love. (cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, Opuscula 57, 1-4). This eternal legacy has become the source and summit of the Christian life and the pride of Catholicism (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1324).
Let us now reflect on some of the details given by the Evangelist Mark in his narrative of the Last Supper which we read today. Firstly, the conversation on the prior preparation for the celebration of the Passover feast is intriguing: “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” (cf. Mk. 14:12-16). It appeared that unknown to the disciples, the Lord Jesus had already arranged everything for the celebration. How do we know this? It was unusual in Jewish culture for men to carry a pot of water publicly; it was the responsibility of women to actually do that. Thus, the act of the man gave the disciples an easy clue to locating the house where the celebration was to take place in order to complete the preparations for the celebration. This explains why every good and fruitful liturgical celebration follows an uncompromising tripartite principle of preparation, preparation and preparation!
We live in a world where the reverence for the sacred is waning at a supersonic speed. Many choirs put special emphasis on prior preparation only when they are going to have a concert more than the celebration of the Holy Eucharist; some Lectors depend on their ability to read and as such care less about the rich proclamation of the Word of God at the liturgical assembly; some often rush in at the last hour to look for the Lectionaries. Even more disturbing is that some priests do not take time to prepare for the celebration of the holy Mass and they add salt to injury by coming late! What about the faithful who come to Church after the homily; and yet have the effrontery to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus without any prior preparation towards that holy encounter? Can you imagine the faithful who do not remember the last time they went to Confessions and yet are the first to start the queue for Holy Communion?
Beloved, to benefit fully from the daily celebration of the Holy Eucharist, there is the need for personal, ministerial and communal preparations. Let us always remember that just as we will not ordinarily go for a party without prior planning and may not want to be embarrassed by arriving late, so the holy Eucharist is a holy banquet; and the pride of Catholicism, hence, the need for an intentional and conscious prior preparation. If the Lord Jesus and His disciples had prior preparations before the first celebration of the Holy Eucharist, who are we to reenact it in the 21st century in a state of unpreparedness?
The next inescapable detail of the Markan text we read today is the material (matter) and the actions (form) of the main Celebrant, the Lord Jesus at the Last Supper. He used unleavened bread (bread without yeast or any rising substance); and wine (drink with alcoholic content; not a fruit juice). These were the materials the Jews used for the Passover celebration. Thus, the celebration was a must for every Jew! However, the difference lies in the words the Lord Jesus used at the celebration. After saying the blessings upon the species, He solemnly declared that the bread has become His Body; and that the wine has become His Blood (cf. Mk. 14:22-25). This is exactly what takes place at Holy Mass. The transformative power that was at work at the Last Supper is the same power at work whenever we gather for the celebration of Holy Eucharist. At the consecration, the Holy Spirit transforms the substance of the bread and wine into the substance of the real Body and Blood of Christ. Therefore, the Catholic Church does not just commemorate a Passover or a communion service as is done in the other ecclesial bodies. The Church instead by the power of the Holy Spirit brings here and now that which the Lord Jesus instituted before His death and resurrection with its salvific effect. We, therefore, consume and adore the real presence of Christ. This is the pride of Catholicism. According to St. Justin: “No one may share the Eucharist with us unless he believes that what we teach is true, unless he is washed in the regenerating waters of baptism for the remission of his sins, and unless he lives in accordance with the principles given us by Christ.” (2nd Office of Reading, 3rd Sunday of Easter). Causa finita est!
Another important detail in the Markan Eucharistic narrative is the expression: “The blood of the covenant” (cf. Mk. 14:24). It is a relational metaphor; an indication of a new way of relating to God, which is no longer based on the fulfilment of the law but on love. Thus, at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist we reenact the love of God for humanity as well as the divine call to love one another as Christ loved us. It reminds us of the communion we share.
In a nutshell, we celebrate today the pride of Catholicism. Let us by the grace of God receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus with great faith so that we may receive its full blessings. This means that an intentional preparation before the celebration of such a great heritage remains a conditio sine qua non! May the Lord give you His peace!
