SUNDAY HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI, YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: THIS IS MY BODY!
BY: Fr. Benedict AGBO
Ex 24: 3 – 8, Heb 9: 11-15, Mk 14: 12 – 26
A. PREAMBLE
“For anyone who is in Christ Jesus, there is a new creation; the old order has passed away and the new being is there to see. It is all God’s work. He reconciled us to Himself through Christ Jesus and He gave us the ministry (sacrament) of reconciliation”, 2 Cor 5: 17.
How does this work? There is a new configuration through His Word and Sacraments that we must have to understand.There is so much in the world that ruffles our spirits, depresses us and defiles us. Today, the church draws our attention to how much our salvation could also depend on what we eat: ‘Unless you eat my body and drink my blood, you will not have life in you’, Jn 6: 54. Sorry to mention at this point that the 1st protestant revolution recorded in the bible started immediately after this teaching.
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B. ORIGIN OF THE EUCHARIST
The origin of the Eucharist was from the Passover meal, Ex 12: 12. There we see the enacting of the Old Testament Eucharistic covenant. There was a communion sacrifice with evangelical underpinning and they promised to observe all that the Lord has decreed. A curse was placed on those who disobey, Deut 28: 1-15.
The New Testament Eucharistic covenant was enacted by what Christ did on the feast of unleavened bread (Passover). He took bread and said the blessing (matter & form of the sacrament) and said: ‘Take and eat all of you…This is my body!’, Mk 14: 12 – 26. The letter to the Hebrew says: If the blood of goats & bulls sacrificed in the old dispensation was able to restore bodily purity, how much more effectively will the blood of Christ purify our consciences from dead actions so that we can worship the Lord?, Heb 9: 11-15.
C. INTERPRETATION
The doctrine of Transubstantiation is the supernatural understanding that follows a theological reflection on the above statements of Christ. Once these words of Christ have been uttered in memorial of him, the substance of bread & wine changes spiritually into the Body & Blood of Christ. That is why you see Catholics worship Christ in his Eucharistic presence.
D. FUNCTIONS OF THE EUCHARIST
The Body and Blood of Christ saves us by participatory faith not by nominal or mechanical usage. It is valid ‘ex opera operatum’ (irrespective of the holiness of the priest who ministers it) but efficacious on individuals ‘ex opera operantis Dei’ (according to the faith of the worshippers). For a proof of the former, confer 1 Corinthians 10: 16- ‘The blessing cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ’. For a proof of the latter argument, confer Mattew 7: 21- ‘Not those who call me Lord, Lord…but those who do the will of my father in heaven’. The Eucharist therefore has different effects on the good and the bad people, 1 Cor 11: 29:
(a) Unifying effect- See works of St Ignatius of Antioch.
(b) Purifying effect- It is a regulatory meal that controls our sinful proclivities, Heb 10: 19f and frees us from any trace of bad conscience, Jn 13: 11-13- Not all of you are clean…
(c) Sanctifying effect- Quoting Fr Emma onuh: ‘Since man ate himself out of paradise, it is necessary that he eats himself back to paradise. It is the food of pilgrims – like the manna in the desert’.
*See today’s sequence from St Thomas Aquinas.
* Quote Mark Link: ‘The Eucharist was prefigured at Cana (Jn 2), promised at Capernaaum (Jn 6), instituted at Jerusalem (Lk 22: 19 – 20) and celebrated at Emmaus” (Lk 24: 13 -35).
* Quote Fulton Sheen: ‘In the beautiful Divine economy of Redemption, the same 3 things which co-operated in the fall shared in the redemption: For the disobedient man Adam…JESUS, Eve…MARY, tree of the garden…CROSS. For the forbidden fruit, there was the EUCHARIST’.
E. PRACTICE OF THE EUCHARIST
In obedience to Christ’s words: ‘Do this in memory of me’, Lk 22: 20, Paul says: ‘As often as you do this…you are proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes again’, 1 Cor 11: 25 -26.
Eucharist is the mystery of mysteries. Its acceptance means welcoming completely the message of Christ, Jn 6: 58. The problem of Protestantism began when some Christians rejected the Eucharistic teachings of Christ, Jn 6: 26 – 68. The practice of excommunication from the Eucharist was necessary but problematic in the early church, 1 Cor 5: 1-13 – the sexually immoral, greedy, idolaters, slanderers, drunkards, dishonest, etc, were excommunicated until around the 5th century when the disciplinary measures became overbearing even among the clergy. Study the origin of monasteries and auricular confessions in the church. Today the service of auricular confessions makes the Eucharist more available for penitent sinners. BUT it must not be abused!
F. CONCLUDING PRAYER
Our Achilles heels in the Catholic Church is simply the abuse of the Eucharist. Once the Eucharist is celebrated well everything squares up. The devil understands this and has continued to make sure that we don’t celebrate the Eucharist well. Let me conclude with this great traditional hymn : Guide me O thou great redeemer Pilgrim through this barren land I am weak but thou art mighty Hold me with thy powerful hand Bread of heaven, Feed me now and ever more Bread of heaven. Feed me now and ever more. Happy Sunday dear friends!
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