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 SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI), YR C: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: THE EUCHARIST: POWER OF TRANSFORMATION

(Luke 9:11b - 17)

Today, the Church invites us to stop and ponder on the meaning of the Eucharist, its healing, nourishing and transforming power, and the challenge of living a Eucharistic life.

The Corpus et Sanguinis Christi celebration is a liturgical way of celebrating the Real Presence of the Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ in the elements of the Eucharist. It was St Thomas Aquinas, the composer of the famous 'pange lingua gloriosi' that made the proposition for the celebration of this Solemnity to Pope Urban IV. The procession of the Blessed Sacrament is supposed to be held today, but due to Pastoral reasons, it is moved here in Nigeria to be celebrated on Christ the King Sunday. Meanwhile, we celebrate today within the Mass the Great Mystery of the Body and Blood of the Second Person of the Trinity. Good a thing this celebration comes Thursday following the Trinity Sunday or Sunday after the Trinity Sunday.

Let us with the aid of today's Gospel Reading delve into some aspects of this Holy mystery.

 

 INSIGHTS FROM THE GOSPEL

From today's Gospel, a lot of messages can be drawn concerning the Eucharist discuss. Let's limit ourselves to talk on the transforming elements of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is a great miracle. It is a wondrous act. It is a divine manifestation. It is God's involvement in human life. It is a celebration of Thanksgiving for Divine self-giving. Hence, in the Gospel, Jesus gives us a foretaste and foreknowledge of the meaning and message of the Holy Eucharist. Let's consider the transforming power of the Eucharist as testified to today. The Eucharist is efficacious in bringing about the following transformations:

 

EARTH TO HEAVEN

The Eucharist is called food from heaven, food of angels (panis angelicus). It is a link between heaven and earth. It is the ladder that takes us up to heaven and brings God to us. Hence, Today's Gospel Reading was an event that took place within the context of teaching about the kingdom of God. Jesus came from heaven to take us from our earthiness to make us heavenly. To take us from our sinfulness to lead us to holiness. To bring about a communion (mmekorita, oriko, mbikoma) and reconciliation or re-embracing of human and Divine at the table of love. He did this through taking our flesh. Oh, what a Divine exchange! Yes, divine exchange. Jesus took our flesh, purified it, deified it, and handed it to us.

 

SICKNESS TO HEALTH

Jesus didn't just teach, but He healed the sick. The Holy Eucharist is the source of heavenly therapy. It is never accidental that healing was incorporated in this discourse. The Eucharist is a 'medicine for the soul.''

It heals us of venial sins and helps us purify ourselves of every form of mortal sin ahead of receiving it. May our participation in this celebration today bring us healing of body and soul.

 

WORD TO FLESH

We see the harmony between the word and the flesh. Jesus was in the beginning, the Word. The Word took flesh and dwelt among us. Today, He started with the Word, and having nourished the crowd with the Word, He links the Word with bread. His flesh is indeed food.

 

NOTHINGNESS TO SOMETHING GREAT

Jesus is indeed God. It is in the nature of God to create out of nothing (ex nihilo). Just as the people were fed in the barren desert with manna, Jesus gives us His Body. From their nothingness, Jesus used His apostles to feed the crowd with food they themselves never knew how it came about, only that they believed Him and followed His instructions. This power of transformation has never ceased in the Church. It is the powerful force that transforms a man into a priest, making Him Alter Christus. Thus made another Christ, He is empowered by Christ with the authority of 'transubstantiation'. This is the transformation that takes place when the priest imposes His hands on the bread and wine, making it change from ordinary to Real Body and Blood of Christ. Great transformation; of the bread and wine and of the minister too.

As you partake in this sacred mystery, may you be transformed from nothingness to greatness.

 

 SCATTERING TO GATHERING

The Eucharist carries the mark of making us one in Christ. Today, Jesus didn't want to leave the crowd to scatter. He never listened to the twelve who asked Him to send them away. Let us learn from this and remain in union with Christ. Let us learn from this and live well with others. Let us not be like wandering Cain. God has settled us in Christ. let's not be gallivanting, looking for food where there is no food. Let us sit at the table with Jesus and be fed by Him. May God arrest every situation, making us feel like moving away from Him.

 

LONELINESS TO LOVELINESS

Jesus is able to transform your loneliness into loveliness. We are celebrating His real presence, His ever-abiding presence, His Emmanuel nature. The apostles said that the place was lonely, but Jesus taught them to be lovely, that He is lovely, and that in His love, He will never leave us alone nor abandon us to hunger and thirst. He fills the emptiness of your life.

Are you lonely? Do you feel deserted? Are you hungry and weak? Receive Jesus in your heart, visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament. Taste and see that He is good. You will experience a deep sense of love, yes! you will feel Him taking you deeper in love with Him.

 

LESSON: BE TRANSFORMED

Let this celebration help us to live as transformed children of God. Let us be transformed from sinfulness to godliness, from selfishness to selfless charity, from ingratitude to gratitude since Eucharist means thanksgiving. Let's learn to always give thanks. May we be transformed from doubt to faith and from dying to living forever and ever.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

EUCHARISTIC BLESSINGS

May the Soul of our Saviour sanctify our breast,

May the Body of Christ be our saving guest

May the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bathe us in His tide.

May this celebration bring us to the reality of experiencing God on earth in communion and dwelling in union with Him in heaven. Amen.

 

Happy Solemnity of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh