SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, YEAR B: HOMILY BY REV. FR. JUSTIN ADIELE

THEME: “UNITING WITH CHRIST IN THE HOLY EUCHARIST”

INTRODUCTION:

There is a common saying that; ‘you are what you eat’. And what you constantly eat either nourishes you or destroys you. The Eucharist is the spiritual food Jesus left for us on the night before his passion, as a covenant food with him and his passion; a covenant food that unites us with Him. The more we approach and partake of the Holy Eucharist (the most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ) in adoration or in communion, the more we are united and nourished to life by Him.

 

THE FIRST READING (EX. 24: 3 – 8)

In the first reading, the Eucharist was prefigured in the blood of the lamb sacrificed at the altar to Lord, built with twelve pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Half of the blood, Moses sprinkled at the altar, and half of the blood, he sprinkled at the people and said; “Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” Similarly, and more efficaciously, Jesus the spotless Lamb of God and the author of the new covenant with his blood, sprinkled half of his blood at the altar of the Cross representing the four corners of the world, and left half of his blood in the chalice of the Eucharist for the peoples in all ages.

 

THE SECOND READING (HEB. 9: 11 – 15)

In the second reading, we are meant to understand that the blood of goats, claves and bulls used in the Old Testament/covenant to sanctify us in the flesh is far more inferior to the Blood of Jesus used in the New covenant to purify our consciences from dead works to serve the living God. In addition, the Eucharistic Blood secures an eternal redemption for us. That is why by the mere pleading of the Blood of Jesus Christ, evil works, powers and strong holds are nullified in and around us. Then partaking/drinking of the Eucharistic Blood of Jesus, invariable restrains/prevents the works and powers of evil in and around us; opening up channels for our promised eternal inheritance. Our Igbo catechism puts it better: “Ole gratia Oriri Nso na- enye anyi? Oriri Nso na ebu gratia na edo aso, na ihunanya nke Chineke n’ ime anyi, nke na ewepu njo di mgbaghara, bia nyere anyi aka izere njo ogbugbu.”

 

THE GOSPEL READING (MK. 14: 12 – 16. 22 – 26)

In the gospel reading, in the place of sacrificing a Passover lamb, Jesus offered His Body, as the unleavened Bread and His Blood as the wine, to his disciples. He became the real/new Passover Lamb to be slain the next day, whose Blood will enact the new covenant with God; whose Blood is poured out for many and for all generations. And we must continue to mingle/sprinkle ourselves with the saving and sanctifying Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, and remain united with Jesus in and through the Eucharist.

 

CONCLUSION

We conclude with our Igbo catechism which inquired: “Olee ihe Oriri Nso na- eme? Oriri Nso na ejiko anyi na Onyenweanyi onye kwuru si, onye riri Ahu m bi n’ ime m, mu biri n’ ime ya.” The Eucharist really unites us with Christ in the New and eternal covenant with God. We must accept to be sprinkled, washed and nourished by the Blood of the Lamb of God; walking daily by our Saviour’s side, dining daily by the Saviour’s table of the Eucharist; and uniting ourselves with him for the eternal Eucharistic banquet in heaven.

Happy Corpus Christi!

May the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ keep us covenanted and united with God forever!

Fr. Justin.

 

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