Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), Year A: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

The Eucharist: Food for the Eternal Journey

Readings: Deut. 8:2–3, 14b–16a; 1 Cor. 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 contemplate the concrete and tender love of God for humanity. Through Christ and with Christ, God not only came down to dwell among us; He continues to nourish us with His very life in the Eucharist so that we do not grow weary on our journey towards our eternal home in heaven. The Eucharist is the food that gives spiritual strength and eternal life to all who partake of it. It is the source and summit of our Christian life—the very centre of our life as Christians.

As we know, food and nutrients are essential for all living things—plants, animals, and human beings. Without nourishment, life cannot be sustained. In today’s first reading, Moses reminds the people of Israel how God sustained them with manna in the desert when they were on the brink of death from hunger. They were fleeing Egypt, the land of slavery, and journeying towards the Promised Land.

For travelers to survive, food and drink are indispensable; they nourish the body and restore lost energy. Israel’s journey from Egypt to the Promised Land led them through the desert—a harsh terrain where the scorching sun made survival difficult. To cross such a place, extra strength was needed, and this strength came from food and drink. When the Israelites ran out of provisions, they cried out to Moses and to God. God intervened by feeding them with manna, a heavenly food that strengthened them for the journey. Moses urged them not to forget how God saved them from hunger and death.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus—like Moses—addressed the new people of Israel, who are on another kind of journey. They are not travelling to a physical land of promise, but to the heavenly home. Jesus teaches that just as those on a physical journey need material food to sustain them, those on a spiritual journey need spiritual food that gives unfailing strength and leads them to their eternal destination. This food, as Jesus revealed, is His Body and Blood, offered to us in the Eucharist.

Just as the desert is filled with thorns, wild animals, and scorching heat—realities that make survival difficult—so too is the world filled with temptations, trials, and tribulations for those journeying towards heaven. As desert travelers need material food to endure the realities of the desert, Christians need the spiritual nourishment of Christ’s Body and Blood to withstand the forces of evil on their journey towards eternity. The Eucharist is the food Jesus gives us to strengthen us against everything that seeks to deny us our heavenly inheritance.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus revealed the profound power of the Eucharist. He teaches that it unites the lives of those who receive it with His own life, making them one with Him and with God. Whoever eats this bread will live forever, for he carries within him the seed of eternal life. Jesus contrasts this heavenly bread with the manna of old. He said, “This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors ate and died. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” Therefore, anyone who desires to reach the heavenly home must never take the Eucharist lightly. We must approach it with worthy hearts and remove from our lives anything that prevents us from receiving it worthily.

In the second reading, St Paul reminds us that the Eucharist unites us not only with God but also with one another. Because we eat from one bread and drink from one cup, the Eucharist forms us into a communion—a people bound together in Christ. It is a meal that enables us to commune with God and with our neighbours. Thus, anyone who receives the Eucharist but refuses to live in communion with others fails to reflect the Christ whom he receives. To partake of this sacred meal, which strengthens us for the eternal journey, we must reject division, hatred, and selfishness. Instead, we must cultivate openness to God, love for our neighbours, and a deep commitment to unity.

Peace be with you, and happy Solemnity of Corpus Christi.

Rev. Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 

 SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI): REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN 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 honour of Jesus Christ, plea for forgiveness, protecting Jesus and preventing those who deny His Real Presence from doing so.

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

 

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), Year B: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: The Eucharist: our new covenant

Readings: Ex 24:3-8; Heb 9:11-15; Mk 14:12-16,22-26

Dear friends in Christ, today, we celebrate the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, popularly known by its Latin name ‘Corpus Christi’. This solemnity invites us to appreciate the love of God made concrete for us humans.

Historically, this Solemnity was introduced in the thirteenth century to promote a special form of adoration to Christ in the Holy Eucharist among the faithful. In 1264, Pope Urban IV extended the Solemnity to the entire Latin Church. Later, in 1312, it was declared an obligatory feast of the universal Church.

The three readings for today's Mass highlight some important aspects of the Holy Eucharist. They are referring to the Eucharist as a sacrifice and a covenant ratified with blood. The first reading described God's covenant with the people of Israel at the foot of the mountain, which was ratified with the blood of an ox sacrificed on the Lord's altar. The blood was sprinkled on the people and the altar. The priests of old repeated this sacrifice on the day of the renewal of the covenant.

Then, the second reading explains that the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross is the new covenant, which has replaced the old covenant we read about in the first reading. It tells us that this new covenant is superior to the old because it was ratified with the blood of the Son of God rather than the blood of an animal. This new covenant is also superior to the old because of its efficacy. While the old covenant provided temporal expiation of the sins of the people, necessitating the continuous offering of animals in subsequent gatherings, the new covenant, ratified with Christ's blood, secured an eternal redemption for humanity, eliminating the need for Christ to climb the Cross of Calvary again; He sacrificed Himself once and for all on the cross. Furthermore, in the Old Testament, the high priest sacrificed animals on an altar, whereas in the New Covenant, Christ, the new high priest, sacrificed Himself and is also the altar of the sacrifice. We are truly blessed to partake in Christ's new and everlasting sacrifice. What shall we do, then, to continue to partake of Christ's eternal sacrifice?

The gospel reading gave us an account of what Christ instructed us to do in memory of his eternal sacrifice for our redemption so that we could partake in it. On that night before he offered himself on the cross, He took bread, gave thanks to God and gave it to his disciples as his body. He also did the same with wine and gave it to his disciples as his blood, the blood of the new covenant. Then, He instructed them to do the same always in memory of Him.

So, the Eucharistic sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus, which we offer in every Mass with the elements of bread and wine, is that sacrifice of Christ which replaced the sacrifice and covenant of the people of old. We are, therefore, invited to honour Christ, who is present in the Eucharist, and to worthily and actively participate in its celebration. As partakers of this new covenant, we are reminded that every covenant has conditions which must be strictly followed. One of the conditions of this new covenant is that we should keep ourselves free from sin any time we want to partake of the meal of this new covenant. The Eucharist is a meal that challenges us to live holy lives every day in order to receive it in the state of grace.

Let us pray in this Mass for the grace to always participate worthily in this Eucharistic covenant and to worthily receive the body and blood of Christ.

Peace be with you

Fr. Isaac Chima

 

CORPUS CHRISTI SUNDAY, YR B: REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: TAKE; EAT, DRINK, AND ADORE

(Mark 14:12-16.22-26)

Today, the Church calls on us to pay attention to the Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus offers Himself to us. He replaces the old covenant and makes Himself the centre of all we do as Christians. He gives us to eat. He gives us to drink. Let us, therefore, pay attention to the message of our Lord Jesus Christ hidden behind the Eucharist. Let us allow the Eucharist to influence all we do. Let us adore forever The Most Holy Sacrament.

 

THE HOLY SACRIFICE

The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ is celebrated every day since its institution by Jesus Christ except on Good Friday. It is the Holy Eucharist, it is the Holy Mass. It is the source and summit of our Christian faith. It is the greatest sacrifice made by Christ, the High Priest, and commanded to be carried out in His memory in perpetuity. It is the New and Everlasting Covenant. It is not like those of the Priests of the old covenant made with the blood of bulls and calves. It is a pure, unblemished Sacrifice made by Christ Himself to His Father. A sacrifice that made God wipe away the sins of mankind. It is, therefore, an invitation by God for us to participate in His Holiness. It is a Sacrifice that wipes away our attachments to the devil. In it, we enjoy on earth what awaits us in the heavenly banquet.  Thus, Jesus takes us up to where He has prepared for us to dine with Him. Let's therefore know:

 

WHY WE MUST EAT AND DRINK

It was within the context of the Passover meal that Jesus Christ took over the Jewish celebration and made it an eternal, salvific, and redemptive celebration. Thus, it brought about a new beginning.

We must eat for strength to journey on, to overcome temptations, to live in God and God in us, to make heaven. We must eat and make our flesh and blood one with the Lord.  We must eat to share in the life of Christ and be able to become what we eat. We must eat because our battle has been fought and won by Christ. We must eat and drink for fortification against principalities and powers. When we eat and drink, we proclaim the death of Christ until He comes again in glory. We eat and look forward to the coming of God's kingdom. We eat in order not to hunger for perishable food. When we fail to eat from the table of the Lord, the enemy of the Lord presents his unholy food to stop us from the Holy Communion.

 

WHY WE FAIL TO TAKE

The Lord stretches out His hands to give us. But we seem not to open our hands to receive. Why? Sin. Because of the sacredness of the Body and Blood of Christ, it is required that it must be taken in the right disposition; state of grace. To stop us from participating in this gracious meal, temptation takes us to those sins we have denounced for which Jesus paid the greatest price on the altar of the Cross. Thus, we are made to still be owing when, from His side, Jesus paid for us and set us free.

We fail to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ when we adamantly receive Christ in the State of mortal sin. In this situation, Jesus will be giving another thing while we receive another. He will be giving life, and the individual will be receiving death. May this never be our case.

We starve ourselves of the blessings that flow from the Holy Communion when we fail to take the Sacrament of Reconciliation seriously.

But when we receive Jesus in a pure heart, we feel peace and joy, we become tabernacles of the Most High. We become abodes of the Holy Spirit. We move about carrying Jesus to people around us. We indeed become mobile monstrances showing Jesus to the world. We live in appreciation of the Eucharistic Lord.

 

ADORE

After eating in the African context, appreciation follows. The appreciation is not just done collectively. In Igbo land, all the children will individually say: 'Mma/ mpa, I meela', 'I shiela', 'mma mma'; "Thank You". This is because: Ekelee onye akidi, ya agwota ozo (It is right to give thanks and praise).

 

This is indeed what we do in adoration. After receiving the Holy Communion, adoration is evoked. In adoration, we thank and praise the Eucharistic Jesus for His love and for feeding us. We listen to Him speak to our hearts. We observe a reverential and meditative silence. It is not a time for empty noise. It is not a time to chat and discuss. It is not a time to be absent-minded. It is a time to live in the presence of The Immanuel, who is the Real Presence. It is a time to be convinced by the words: I am with You till the end of time, He who eats me lives in me and I in him etc.

May God bless this word in our hearts and make it take flesh to abide within us.

 

LET US PRAY

Thank You, Jesus, for the wondrous gift of Yourself in the Holy Eucharist. As we receive Your Body and Blood, help us to be united to You in soul and body. May we become what we eat. May we live in adoration of Your abiding presence and be brought to enjoy the vision of Your glory in heaven where you live and reign forever and ever. Amen

Happy Sunday/ Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Yr. B)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh