CORPUS CHRISTI. 26 May 2008

Deut: 8: 2-3 14-16 Psalm: 147 1 Cor 10: 16-17 John 6: 51-59

1. Today a trip from the Red sea into Israel would take a few hours in a nice comfortable luxury coach. Even a “uncomfortable” journey on a camel would not take more than a few days. It took 40 years with Moses leading for the People of Israel to reach the promised land on foot. It would an experience that formed the soul of the People. It last till today. It is remembered even now.

It showed a God who provided for the basic human needs of food and drink. But it also pointed to a deeper truth. The People of Israel could look beyond the bread they ate. God not only provided for life, God was also the source of life. However, the idea of life after death was a theology that had not yet been developed.

2. In our gospel, Jesus offers the same hope and promise. But Jesus introduces a new element. If we can look beyond the bread we eat - we will see a God who provides for life, a God who is the source of life itself, and finally the promise of eternal life after death. John uses a language that will shock us.

eat my flesh

drink my blood.

In most cultures and traditions this is both shocking and ghastly. But it is a symbolic and metaphysical truth. It is not literal, but nevertheless, it is real. Jesus like the God of the exodus experience, is providing us with our basic human needs: he multiplies the loaves and fish; but he invites and challenges us to go beyond. Jesus is the very source of that life. Jesus will invite us on Holy Thursday to abide in him as branches in the Vine if we want life that will last forever.

3. Jesus will lift the invitation to a higher level. He offers us divine life, he wants us to partake in his own divine nature. That is physically impossible for our limited human nature. But mysteriously that is very true.

Over the last 2000 years our understanding of the Eucharist has broadened and deepened. In that course of time, beautiful Eucharistic devotions have developed like Corpus Christi processions, holy hours, visits before the Blessed Sacrament. At times we have stopped right there.

However, we have realised that Eucharistic Devotions are a part of a wider and much bigger picture. These devotions are only a preparation for a more dynamic and alive perception of the Eucharist. These devotions are a preparation for the celebration at the Table of the Lord. These devotions are a celebration of the presence of Jesus within the Christian community. These devotions are there to build up the union of the Christian Community. They being the individual members into the “body of Christ.”

4. These Eucharistic Devotions is a celebration of the Eucharist which is truly prophetic. A prophet is one who speaks in God’s name and gives us God’s message. The Eucharist proclaims the glory of God as seen in the talents and beauty of all the members who form the Body of Christ, that is you and me.

A lady came to me and said, there is a dirty beggar sleeping in the last bench of the church. You must get him out of here. Why, I replied, do you want to sit in that bench, then I will ask him to move. Oh, no, she replied I am going to pray before the Tabernacle. But you must get him out of the church. Well, I replied, if you cannot see Jesus in that dirty beggar as you call him, you won’t see Jesus in the tabernacle either. This is the spirit of 1 John ch. 4.

5. The people of the exodus experience were invited and challenged to see God not only as a provider of our daily bread , but also as the very source of life. The Eucharist in a prophetic way invites us to see the Bread of life and the cup of eternal salvation as the very source of life and to eternal life when our earthly journey is over.

Appendix:

same ideas in a different format.

Eucharistic piety consisted of visits to the Blessed Sacrament, benediction, processions, holy hour. Many of our present generation long for the good old days. However, we have gradually matured. Eucharistic piety relates to the Eucharist at Mass, to the presence of Christ in the Church, to the Eucharist as a source of unity among us Christians.

What we have gradually realised is that it is the Eucharist that forms the Church, not the Church that forms the Eucharist. Our devotions like time before the tabernacle, Corpus Christi Processions and holy hours, are preparation for the Eucharist at Mass where we become one with Christ who said, “Abide in me.” It is the Eucharist that unites us in the Church and makes us concerned about one another. These Eucharistic devotions broadens and deepens our understanding of the Real presence of Jesus in and among us.

We have to look beyond the bread we eat, and look beyond the Cup we drink and we see that there is new life in us that makes Us, who are the Body of Christ to grow and live. We cannot remain with just the remembrance of Holy Thursday and the Last Supper when Jesus took, bless, broke and gave the bread. We have to remember that this continue in the Passion, Death and resurrection of Jesus. It is in the hope of our own Resurrection through the carrying of the Cross, that we take, we bless, we break and we give the Eucharist to one another.