Homily from Corpus Christi, discussing what it actually means when Jesus said He gave us His Body and His Blood.
Today we celebrate Corpus Christi, the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus. This is the ONE truth that we held onto and protect while other Churches dropped it. Jesus Himself, in the VERY beginning, gave His Body and His Blood to His Church, the Catholic Church. In fact, Jesus was so adamant that we have to believe this, that in John chapter 6 … people were walking away from Him when He said, unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you do not have life within you. Yeah … Jesus had been so captivating and even performing miracles! But … People were grossed out and confused that they left … miracles or not. Even though they were walking away from Him … Jesus. Didn’t. Backtrack! He didn’t say, “No everyone come back! It’s just a symbol!” Instead, He doubled down. He said it … 14 TIMES. Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you do NOT have life within you.
A lot of times we hear this combination of body and blood sooo often in mass we might not stop and think about what it means. That’s why today, we will first examine what it means when Jesus gave us His body and His Blood in the Eucharist. And then second, maybe a meditation that might help your prayer life and your thoughts about The Eucharist.
To begin, what does it mean when Jesus gave us His Body and His Blood. Well first and foremost, we actually have to remember that Jesus said these things back 2,000 years ago. So, we kind of have to put these words, body and blood, into context at the time He said them. Like with Body: back at the time of the last supper, the terminology of “body” does not just indicate a physical body. Instead, “body” signified the person’s whole life. When Jesus is giving us His Body, everyone around Him understood that as Jesus is entrusting them with every moment of His life. This is explained better by a priest named Fr. Cantalamessa: (Book?) Fr. Cantalamessa says, QUOTE “In instituting the Eucharist, Jesus left us the gift of his whole life, ... including all that had made up his life: silence … hardship, prayer, struggle, joy, humiliation.” END QUOTE What might help is the idea of marriage. When a couple says, “I do” on their wedding day, they’re saying that all the experiences in my past, present, and future … are shared WITH you! Same when Jesus gave us and GIVES US His Body. His life before the Last Supper, during the Passion, and currently in Heaven.
We’re meant to think about everything that Jesus did … because you’re supposed to think about it like: wow, HE did that for me. Personally. Individually. The decades He spent as a carpenter … working in the desert. The advice He gave that’s in the Bible … He’s actually advising me in daily problems or confusions. The humiliation and torture. He really willing did that … because it saves me.
While the gift of Jesus’ body is outstanding/humbling, He also gives us His blood. Again, at the time of Christ, people understood the giving of blood as really only one thing … we were offered His death. Just as someone jumps in front of a bullet to save their loved ones, that’s what Christ is teaching us He’s doing for us … when He says He’s giving us His blood. When we choose to spite God or hurt our relationship with Him in sin, there used to be nothing we could do. We were doomed. But now, we have forgiveness WAITING For us for FREE in the confessional. As Jesus gives us His blood, He is giving us the sacrifice on Calvary, the freedom to always come back to God … no matter what sin.
So, that’s one meditation when we say that Jesus is giving us His body and blood. That brings us to our second point, how do we meditate on this reality to change our lives? In short, I want to look at what happens to us when we receive Communion. First, it is important to understand that even if we receive just the host, which is the body of Christ, we also receive the blood as well. The body and blood are fully received even if we just receive the host. Because if someone is ALIVE, their body and blood are together and that’s Christ who is fully alive, risen from the dead. Either way, I want to talk about what happens in Communion in practical terms.
Fr. Cantalamessa gives a great analogy, relating Christ to the heart of a human. First, the heart brings back to itself blood that has been circulated in the body. This is the blood that is empty or lacking the things that keep us alive…such as oxygen and nutrients. In addition, this blood is also carrying different toxins that need to be removed from the body. Once brought back into the heart, the toxins are removed and the blood is replenished with oxygen and everything it needs. Then the heart sends the blood back out into the body. Well in a similar way, the same thing happens when we receive Communion. During the week, the routine and the world might tire us out. We could feel spent or we might feel far away from God or even begin to doubt Him because MAYBE we haven’t really thought about Him much during the week. In addition, we might have some venial sins…which would be equivalent to the toxins we previous talked about. But here, Christ the Heart of the Church draws us back. WE receive the Eucharist which IS the life and death of Christ. Much like the nutrients given to blood, we are given gifts, such as patience, kindness, joy, understanding…just to name a few. But … it’s enough to just come to come here … we have to unpack what we’re given by the heart. Understand what I need and where those gifts should go. That’s a good question for prayer. What does the heart want to give me, to become more fully alive.
Today, pray for understanding just what it means to accept the gifts of Christ’s life, death, and Resurrection in His body and blood at Communion. Then, when you receive Him…pray for everything you need. Patience and love for those you meet this week. Strength to get through something that might be difficult. Or just be in silence and listen for any promptings from our Lord. But always…pray for faith…so that when you see the host you are about to receive today…you can come to believe more and more what Jesus wants and desires for you to see…His Body and His Blood as a total gift…for you.
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