HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI YEAR C
THEME: SANCTIFIED BY CHRIST ON OUR JOURNEY OF FAITH
BY: Fr. Arthur Ntembula
HOMILY FOR SUNDAY JUNE 19 2022
(Genesis 14:18-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 9:11-17)
The Eucharist is the very presence of Christ in our lives. In the Eucharist, Christ is truly, really and substantially present, Body and Blood. He is truly present in every particle of the Eucharistic bread. The Eucharist is a banquet that Christ himself has prepared for his believing family. When we gather around the table of the Lord to feast, we are unified into one Eucharistic family, the Church. We become a transformed community from strangers to brothers and sisters. In the Eucharist, Jesus offers his own body and blood as a ransom for us. That is why he says at the last supper, “This is my body…this is my blood…” This culminates in his self-sacrifice on the cross. Thus, at Mass, it is Jesus Christ offering himself for humanity through the action of the priest.
On the journey of faith where we meet different experiences, Jesus accompanies us. Sometimes we come across things that weigh us down, making us even question the existence of God in our lives. Our communion with Christ gives us the strength to continue walking even though we do not understand many things and why certain things happen. As Christians, we believe that our life is always in the hands of God. Jesus, the food for our journey, does not abandon us to face life alone, but when we remain open to his guidance, we are always led to a place of refuge, where our faith is strengthened by God.
The Eucharist is the summit of our faith. And when we participate in holy communion, it is the real person that we commune with, that sanctifies us, and that accompanies us in every experience of life. It is Jesus, substantially present, not only in the Eucharistic bread but also in our ecclesial communion as brothers and sisters. Now the Eucharist is not like medicine that does everything mechanically. It must be received with faith, accepting all the commitments that come with it. We have to understand and appreciate what we are receiving for it to have meaning in our lives. And when we respond “amen” as we receive, we affirm that we know, understand and accept what we are receiving. Our responsibility, therefore, is to take the Christ that we have received to others by living a life of faith and love in communion with the people that we meet.
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ENJOY YOUR LITURGY
Fr. Arthur Ntembula