Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), Year A: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima
Theme: The Eucharist: food for the eternal journey
Readings: Deut. 8:2–3,14b-16a; 1Cor 10:16–17; Jn. 6:51–58
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, each year, the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ invites us to appreciate the love of God made concrete for humans. Through Christ and with Christ, God not only came down to live with us human beings, he also continues feeding us with his own life through the Eucharist, so that we will not weary as we journey towards our eternal home in heaven. The Eucharist is a food that gives spiritual strength and eternal life to those who partake of it. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian life, it is at the centre of the Christian life.
As we all know, food and nutrients are a vital necessity for all living things: plants, animals and human beings; without food and nutrients, it will be practically impossible for living things to survive. In the first reading of today, Moses reminded the people of Israel, as they journeyed through the desert, how God sustained them with manna when they were about dying from hunger. The people of Israel were running away from Egypt, the land of slavery, and were heading towards the Promised Land.
For travelers to survive on their journey, food and drinks are of vital importance, they serve to nourish the body and replenish lost energy. Israel’s journey from Egypt to the Promised Land was through the desert, a rough plain where the scorching heat of the sun did not make it easy for living beings to survive. To cross such a terrain, extra strength was needed and this could only come from food and drink. When the people of Israel ran out of material provisions (food and drink), they cried out to Moses and God. God intervened by feeding them with manna, a food that strengthened them for their journey to the Promised Land. In the first reading of today, Moses could be heard urging his people not to forget how God saved them in the desert from hunger and death.
In the gospel reading of today, Jesus, like Moses in the first reading, addressed the new people of Israel who were on another journey to a land of promise. They were not a physical journey to a Promised Land here on earth like the old people of Israel, but on a spiritual journey to the heavenly home. Jesus reminded them that just as people who are embarking of a physical journey need material food to sustain and renew their strength, people who are on a spiritual journey need a spiritual food that will give them undying strength that will lead them to their spiritual destination (heavenly home). The food for this spiritual journey, as we heard from the mouth of Jesus, is his body and blood which the Church offers us in the Eucharist.
Just as the desert is filled with thorns, wild animals and the scorching heat of the sun, realities that make it extremely difficult for those who walk across it to survive, the world is also full of temptations, trials and tribulations for those who are making a spiritual journey across it to their heavenly home. Just as those who are crossing the desert need material food to fill them with strength to conquer the realities of the desert, Christians who are en route heaven also need the spiritual food of the body and blood of Christ to strengthen them against the forces of the evil one. So, the Eucharist is the food that Jesus has given us to fill us with enough strength to conquer the realities that want to deny us our heavenly home.
In the gospel of today, Jesus revealed to us the power of the Holy Eucharist. He says it unites the lives of those who receive it with His (Christ’s) own life, thus, making them one with Christ and God; whoever eats it will live forever, he will never die, for he has the seed of everlasting life in him; and unless one eats this food, he will not have life in him. To bring the efficacy of the Eucharist closer to his audience, Jesus told them: “This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors ate and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.” Therefore, all those who want to reach the heavenly home will never joke with this Eucharistic meal, they will never miss the opportunity to receive it with worthy hearts. So, we should do away with any lifestyle that stops us from receiving the Eucharist.
In the second reading of today, St Paul reiterated that the Eucharist unites those who receive it with God. Then, he added that it also unites them with themselves, thus, showing us the communal aspect of the Eucharist, because in the Eucharist we eat of one bread and drink from one cup. The Eucharist is a communion; it is a meal that helps us to commune and communicate with God and our neighbours. So, whoever is making this communion and communication with God through the Eucharist but fails to commune and to communicate properly with his neighbor has failed to reflect the Christ in the Eucharist. This means that whoever is partaking of this Eucharistic meal, which fills us with strength and life for the eternal journey, must avoid any form of division, hatred and self-centeredness, but must be open to God and to his neighbours, and also value the life of unity.
Peace be with you and happy Solemnity of Corpus Christi
Rev. Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima