Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), Year A: Reflection by Fr Julian O Ekeh

Theme: I AM… COME!

(John 6:51–58)

Today, we celebrate a great solemnity. We celebrate the source and summit of the Christian Life (C.C.C 1324, Lumen Gentium no. 11) We celebrate the mystery of transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. We celebrate in thanksgiving to Jesus for the institution of the Holy Eucharist. We celebrate the joy and satisfaction, the miracles and empowerment we draw from the Eucharistic table.

We recall the purpose behind the institution of this great solemnity by Pope Urban IV which included the honor of Jesus Christ, plea for forgiveness, protecting Jesus and preventing those who deny His Real Presence from doing so.

This solemnity was inspired historically by the visions of St Juliana of Liège a Norbertine Canoness of the 13th Century. She was an orphan at 5 years old and she lived and was taken care of with Agnes, her sister, by the Augustinian Sisters. She developed a special devotion to the Holy Eucharist. She had a vision of the Church under the appearance of the full moon, having one dark spot, signifying the absence of the Eucharistic Solemnity.

In 1208, she reported a vision in which she was instructed by Christ to make a request for the institution of the feast of Corpus Christi. After 20 years, the same message came to her, and she reported to her confessor who relayed it to the bishop.

Juliana petitioned also to Hugh of St Cher (A learned Dominican) and the Bishop of Liège Robert de Thorete, who in 1246 ordered it to be held on Thursday after Trinity Sunday.

When Jacques Pantaleon one of the devotees of the feast of the Holy Eucharist became a pope with the name Urban IV, following the proposals of Thomas Aquinas the Doctor of the Church he instituted the Solemnity of the Corpus Christi to be celebrated Thursday after Pentecost. During the revision of the General Roman Calendar, Corpus Christi, and Trinity, Sunday were the feasts of devotion that were kept. In that calendar, Corpus Christi was celebrated Thursday after the Trinity Sunday.

This feast is a moveable one. When it is not a day of obligation on a Thursday, it is moved to Sunday after the Trinity Sunday.

The celebration is usually followed by a procession of the Eucharist to conclude with a benediction.

Be it as it may, in Nigeria, the procession aspect is moved to Christ the King solemnity because of weather.

This feast proclaims the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. It focuses on the Holy Eucharist as the Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ.

MESSAGE FROM THE GOSPEL

In the Gospel of today, we saw Jesus teaching about the Holy Eucharist. He did not only teach His disciples but the crowds of the Jews.

He begins with “I am.” He says: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever…” This should have initiated a flashback to Divinity. This is meant to make them reflect on the wondrous doings of God in the wilderness and how He fed them with bread from heaven. But because the Jews were in the flesh, they were unable to understand the teachings.

Jesus continued: “Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of man and drink his Blood, you have no life in you” He went ahead to differentiate between the food that He is and that which their fathers ate and died.

Today’s celebration is, therefore, an invitation to:

COME AND EAT

Happy are those called to the supper of the lamb. Do you still receive the Holy Communion? Do you still do that in the state of grace? Do you feel the hand of Jesus waking you up as he woke Elijah to come and eat to be strengthened for the journey ahead.

COME AND DRINK

Life is in the blood. Giving us His blood, opening His side for us like the Pelican is suggestive of the fact that Jesus does not want us to die of thirst of eternal life. When one lacks blood, he dies. Let us go to eat and drink of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

COME AND SHARE

As we share in the life of God, partake of the heavenly banquet, we are encouraged to be sharers of love. The Eucharist is a unifying force. Let us see each other as one with whom we have something to share.

COME AND BE FORGIVEN

The Eucharist draws us to pray for the forgiveness of our sins and those of the whole world. It helps us to prepare ourselves and remain in the state of Grace. It removes venial sins from our hearts and gives us grace to avoid mortal sins. Let us not take the grace of God for granted.

COME AND ADORE

“Venite adoremus” is an important invitation we receive. The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in all the tabernacles of the world, indicated by the light that burns endlessly, there calls for profound adoration.

How serious is your devotion to the celebration of the Holy Mass?

How many times have you visited Jesus in the Holy Eucharist on your own?

Do you still genuflect deeply when you enter the Church with the Eucharistic Lord in the tabernacle?

Do you still maintain the great silence accorded to the Blessed Sacrament?

COME AND BE TRANSFORMED

The Eucharist comes into Being by Transubstantiation. Transubstantiation implies transformation. In receiving the Eucharist, we are transformed into what we consume. Are you open to the benediction and transformation that flows from the Body and Blood of Christ?

COME AND LIVE FOREVER

Do not starve to death. Do not perish eternally in hell. Without Jesus, you’re lifeless. Without Jesus, there will be no life in you. Obtain the grace of enjoying eternal bliss from here.

Jesus insists that He lives for us, and since He lives, we too shall live.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

LET US PRAY

We pray in this celebration that the Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus epitomized in the Eucharist may be our strength and our joy, our refuge, and our salvation.

We pray that we may not be distracted by the poisonous food of the world but heed the Divine word and ever enjoy here and hereafter at the Holy altar set before us through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday, Happy Corpus Christi Celebration (Year A)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh