The Holy Eucharist, Our Spiritual Food
HOMILY FOR SUNDAY 23rd June, 2019: THE FEAST OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI)
First Reading Gen.14:18-22
Second Reading 1Cor 11:23-26
Gospel Luke 9:11-17
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, today we celebrate the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Corpus Christi. It is a day set aside for us in order to reflect on the meaning and importance of the Holy Eucharist. The Holy Eucharist is central in our lives as Christians; it is the source and summit of our life and worship. In the Eucharist, we receive Christ whole and entire; he nourishes and strengthens us on our journey to eternal life.
The three readings of today invite us to reflect on the meaning of the Eucharist and how it is prefigured in the Old Testament. The Eucharist is not a medicine that acts automatically; it must be received with faith, that is, by accepting the commitment that the act of eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ entails.
The first reading presents us with the account of the sacrifice of bread and wine offered by Melchizedek. The bread and wine offered by Melchizedek prefigured the Eucharist which we offer to God today. Melchizedek is today seen by Christians as the figure of Christ and of the priests of the new covenant who offer up bread and wine on the altar.
The Gospel reading is about the feeding of the five thousand. By feeding the five thousand people, Jesus shows that he is not only concerned with the spiritual well- being of the people; but their physical well-being as well. The feeding of the five thousand also foreshadows the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist is the bread of life which satisfies our spiritual hunger. Just as bread is necessary for our bodies to survive so also is the Eucharist necessary for our souls and for our salvation.
In the second reading, St. Paul gives an account of the institution of the Eucharist as he received from the Lord. At the institution of the Eucharist Jesus said this is my body and this is my blood. He did not say this is like my body or this is like my blood. This means that what we are receiving is the real body and blood of Christ in the form of bread and wine. The church teaches and believes that once the words of consecration are said, the bread and wine change into the body and blood of Christ even though the colour does not change. When we celebrate the Eucharist, not merely is Christ present, but we re-enact the death by which he saved us. The Eucharist not only looks to the past, but also looks forward to the fulfillment of the kingdom.
The Eucharist is not just food for our hungry spirit. It is also a sign of the millions of people in the world who are hungry for material food and hence is a constant reminder that those who come to the Eucharist to be fed spiritually by God are bound to do their utmost best to feed the hungry stomachs of the poor in the world. The Eucharist which we share and celebrate should be a bond of unity among us Christians. Just as the bread is obtained from the mixture of different wheat and water, and the wine is crushed from different grapes; so also as Christians we must put aside our differences and be united. The second reading stresses mainly the incompatibility between the “breaking of bread and the dissensions and divisions in the community.
The body and blood of Christ which we received daily is to draw us closer to Christ. As people who break the bead, we must live holy lives by loving, forgiving and bearing with one another. We have to live holy lives because being in a state of grace is a condition for receiving the Eucharist. St. Paul in 1Cor 11:27-31 says, before we eat the body and blood of Christ we must examine ourselves. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment upon themselves. Preparation before receiving the body of Christ is therefore necessary. It is also necessary to live our lives modeled around the Eucharist. Unfortunately today many of us fail to prepare ourselves for it, even if we do, only for a short while, we fail to live out the life fully.
The reception of Eucharist has today become a routine. Many people receive it not because they believe in it but because they see people doing it. Many receive it for social reasons. Today, there are few people in the confessional but almost all the church goes for communion on Sundays. The question one may ask is, are people no longer sinning today? The reason for this is that there is a lost of the sense of sin in our society, many people do not see the need to repent or go to confession, because they think that they are not sinful because everybody is doing it or committing the kind of sins they are committing.
Dearly beloved in Christ, as we celebrate this feast let us examine ourselves and see our attitude towards the Eucharist. What does the Eucharist mean to me? What difference has it meant in my life? When last did I receive the Eucharist? When last did I go for confession? If I am not receiving it what is stopping me and what effort am I making to receive it?
As we reflect on these questions, let us ask the Lord to give us the grace to appreciate the Eucharist in our lives. May we always receive it worthily and may it transform our lives so that we will have the opportunity to celebrate the eternal banquet with our Lord in heaven, through Christ our lord.
Rev. Fr. Solomon P. Zaku
Chaplain, All Saints Catholic Chaplaincy University of Maiduguri.
First Reading Gen.14:18-22
Second Reading 1Cor 11:23-26
Gospel Luke 9:11-17
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, today we celebrate the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Corpus Christi. It is a day set aside for us in order to reflect on the meaning and importance of the Holy Eucharist. The Holy Eucharist is central in our lives as Christians; it is the source and summit of our life and worship. In the Eucharist, we receive Christ whole and entire; he nourishes and strengthens us on our journey to eternal life.
The three readings of today invite us to reflect on the meaning of the Eucharist and how it is prefigured in the Old Testament. The Eucharist is not a medicine that acts automatically; it must be received with faith, that is, by accepting the commitment that the act of eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ entails.
The first reading presents us with the account of the sacrifice of bread and wine offered by Melchizedek. The bread and wine offered by Melchizedek prefigured the Eucharist which we offer to God today. Melchizedek is today seen by Christians as the figure of Christ and of the priests of the new covenant who offer up bread and wine on the altar.
The Gospel reading is about the feeding of the five thousand. By feeding the five thousand people, Jesus shows that he is not only concerned with the spiritual well- being of the people; but their physical well-being as well. The feeding of the five thousand also foreshadows the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist is the bread of life which satisfies our spiritual hunger. Just as bread is necessary for our bodies to survive so also is the Eucharist necessary for our souls and for our salvation.
In the second reading, St. Paul gives an account of the institution of the Eucharist as he received from the Lord. At the institution of the Eucharist Jesus said this is my body and this is my blood. He did not say this is like my body or this is like my blood. This means that what we are receiving is the real body and blood of Christ in the form of bread and wine. The church teaches and believes that once the words of consecration are said, the bread and wine change into the body and blood of Christ even though the colour does not change. When we celebrate the Eucharist, not merely is Christ present, but we re-enact the death by which he saved us. The Eucharist not only looks to the past, but also looks forward to the fulfillment of the kingdom.
The Eucharist is not just food for our hungry spirit. It is also a sign of the millions of people in the world who are hungry for material food and hence is a constant reminder that those who come to the Eucharist to be fed spiritually by God are bound to do their utmost best to feed the hungry stomachs of the poor in the world. The Eucharist which we share and celebrate should be a bond of unity among us Christians. Just as the bread is obtained from the mixture of different wheat and water, and the wine is crushed from different grapes; so also as Christians we must put aside our differences and be united. The second reading stresses mainly the incompatibility between the “breaking of bread and the dissensions and divisions in the community.
The body and blood of Christ which we received daily is to draw us closer to Christ. As people who break the bead, we must live holy lives by loving, forgiving and bearing with one another. We have to live holy lives because being in a state of grace is a condition for receiving the Eucharist. St. Paul in 1Cor 11:27-31 says, before we eat the body and blood of Christ we must examine ourselves. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment upon themselves. Preparation before receiving the body of Christ is therefore necessary. It is also necessary to live our lives modeled around the Eucharist. Unfortunately today many of us fail to prepare ourselves for it, even if we do, only for a short while, we fail to live out the life fully.
The reception of Eucharist has today become a routine. Many people receive it not because they believe in it but because they see people doing it. Many receive it for social reasons. Today, there are few people in the confessional but almost all the church goes for communion on Sundays. The question one may ask is, are people no longer sinning today? The reason for this is that there is a lost of the sense of sin in our society, many people do not see the need to repent or go to confession, because they think that they are not sinful because everybody is doing it or committing the kind of sins they are committing.
Dearly beloved in Christ, as we celebrate this feast let us examine ourselves and see our attitude towards the Eucharist. What does the Eucharist mean to me? What difference has it meant in my life? When last did I receive the Eucharist? When last did I go for confession? If I am not receiving it what is stopping me and what effort am I making to receive it?
As we reflect on these questions, let us ask the Lord to give us the grace to appreciate the Eucharist in our lives. May we always receive it worthily and may it transform our lives so that we will have the opportunity to celebrate the eternal banquet with our Lord in heaven, through Christ our lord.
Rev. Fr. Solomon P. Zaku
Chaplain, All Saints Catholic Chaplaincy University of Maiduguri.
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