May 25, 2008
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a
Psalms 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-58
Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.
We celebrate today the solemn feast of Corpus Christi. It is a doctrinal feast formally established in 16th century for three purposes: 1) to honor Christ who is present in the Holy Eucharist, 2) to strengthen our devotion to the Eucharist, that makes us one. 3) to appreciate and make use of the great gift of the Holy Eucharist.
The Eucharist teaches us the importance of communion – being united as One Body of Christ. Just as numerous grains of wheat are pounded together to make the host, and many grapes are crushed together to make the wine, so we become unified as one Body.
Our Lord chose these elements in order to show us that we ought to be united with one another and to transform ourselves into Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is symbolized by our sharing in the same bread and the same cup. Hence, Holy Communion strengthens our sense of unity and love.
Communion means exchange, partaking or sharing of oneself to become one. We know the fundamental rule of sharing: that which is mine is yours and what is yours is mine. It’s entirely different from the animal instinct of survival of the fittest: what is mine is mine, what is yours is still mine.
I remember I used to have three dogs at home. Feeding time was always difficult especially if you had three dogs bullying each other. I had to feed them miles apart from each other as they always fight over their food. They were not content of their share. They wanted others' food. They were willing to fight over it. They dont follow the basic rule of sharing and partaking. For them is this, what is mine is mine, what is yours still mine.
We, humans have to intellectual capacity to know the value of communion, sharing and partaking - what is mine yours and what is yours is mine. We will see its greatness when we try to apply this rule to Eucharistic Communion.
What do I have that is truly “mine”? Human as we are what do we really have? Misery, failure, sin, worry: This alone belongs to us exclusively.
What does belong to Jesus? What does Jesus have that is “his” if not holiness, the perfection of all the virtues?
So, communion consists in the fact that I offer Jesus all that I have my sin and my poverty, my loneliness, sinfulness, fear and everything, and in return he gives me holiness, love, healing and peace. This is what the Church Liturgy defines in Latin the “admirabile commercium,” or “wonderful exchange” that being is realized in Mass.
In the every celebration of Mass there is a “wonderful exchange” happening. We offer our time to God, we offer everything in our mind and hearts, and then Jesus offers his Body and Blood to give us eternal life.
Pope John Paul II
The late Holy Father wrote beautifully in one of his daily meditations what our disposition should be whenever we celebrate the Eucharist:
How important it is, then, for the faithful, as they take part in the Eucharist, to assume a personal attitude of offering. It is not sufficient that they listen to the word of God, nor that they pray in common. It is necessary for them to make Christ’s oblation on their own, offering up their pains, their difficulties, their trials, and even more themselves, together with Him and in Him so as to make this gift rise even to the Father, with the gift which Christ makes of himself.
Priest’s Silent prayer
This wonderful exchange (admirable commercium) in Mass is beautifully expressed when the priest mixes the water and wine during the preparation of gifts. Have you ever wonder why the priest does it? While the priest mixes the water and wine he says this prayer quietly:
By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.
We, the people are designated by water, the blood of Christ by wine. Mixing water and wine in the cup shows our union with Christ, and all the believers' union with Him in Whom they believe. After the mixing of water and wine after in the Lord's Cup they become closely united that they cannot be separated one from another. In just this way that nothing can separate us (the Church) from Christ, that is, we become firmly and unshakeably joined together in Christ by God’s eternal love.
Conclusion
Our Lord Jesus loves us so much that he will do everything possible for us to always belong to him, to be closely united with him. For the last two thousand years the People of God has always been nourished by our Lord’s Body and Blood at the altar of God.
Jesus says in the Gospel: “I am the living bread come down from heaven. [...] My flesh is true food. [...] Whoever eats my flesh will have eternal life.”
We can only receive our Bread of Life in the Eucharist. It is only in the Eucharist where we can offer intimately ourselves to God. If every Catholic would realise the mind blowing reality of what we receive in the Eucharist no one will ever miss Sunday Mass. We will make Mass as our number priority in life. It is only in the Eucharist where we can enter the mystery of communion and the “wonderful exchange” between God and humanity. What is mine is yours, what is yours is mine.
Let us ask the Lord to strengthen our will to make the Eucharist the center of our life and our the lives of our loved ones.
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Painting by Fr Conrado "Badong" Santos
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[1] St. Cyprian of Carthage (Letter to Cacaelius)
Readings Fr Tony's homily, Fr Cantalamesa, Daily Meditation of Pope John Paul II
http://www.zenit.org/
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