Becoming man, He makes men gods
Gen 14:18-20; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Lk 9:11-17
(12 /C)
“Our Lord instituted this sacrament at
the Last Supper” (St Thomas Aquinas)
Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and
Blood of Christ. At one time, this day was called Corpus Christi. It is a Latin
expression meaning “the Body of Christ.” The Feast owes its existence to
Blessed Juliana of Liege, Belgium, who began devotion to the Blessed Sacrament
around 1230. Largely through her insistence, Pope Urban 1V commanded its
observance by the universal Church in 1264. The Feast encapsulates three
crucial confessions about our Faith. First, God became physically
present in the person of Christ, who is both true God and true Man (1 Cor
11:27). Secondly, God continues to be present in his people as part of the
mystical body of Christ in his Church until the end of time. And thirdly, the
presence of God under the form of bread and wine is made available to us on the
altar at Mass and preserved there for our nourishment and worship.
During his ministry on earth, Jesus said, “I am the
living bread that came down from Heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live
forever, and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world”
(Jn 6:51). The bread into the flesh and the wine into the blood of Jesus in
every celebration of the Eucharist. This is known by a theological and
Doctrinal term called Transubstantiation. The substance of the species transforms
while its components remain the same, as we see color, measure, and taste by
the invocation of the Holy Spirit by an ordained priest. It is a mystery of
faith. It happens in many places and has been proven by the Vatican. In every
Eucharist celebrated by the Community, Jesus offers himself to the Father as a
special offering for the reconciliation of the world. From the time of the
miracle at Lantiano, Italy (730-750) to the miracle at Kerala, India (2013),
the Eucharistic Savior meets his devotees every day.
At every Mass, immediately before we receive
communion, the celebrant holds up the consecrated host and calls us to make a
profession of faith that this is Jesus, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God! Behold him who takes away the sins of the
world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb” (Jn 1:29). And we say, “Lord, I am not worthy that you
should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed”
(Mt 8:8). The celebrant does not say that this is a symbol of the Lamb of
God. He says that this is the Lamb of
God. This lamb of God bears our burdens and sufferings, being immanent in each
of us.
After his dramatic confrontation with the prophets of
Baal on Mount Carmel, Elijah is exhausted—physically, emotionally, and
spiritually. He flees into the wilderness, overwhelmed by fear and despair. In
this vulnerable state, God does not scold Elijah, nor does he demand immediate
action. Instead, he feeds him twice with heavenly bread and water, and then
gently tells him, “The journey is too much for you, unless you eat” (1 Kgs
19:7). Are you tired, like Elijah? Do you feel the road ahead is too long? Then
pause, and listen to God saying: “Eat. Drink. Rest. I will sustain you.”
“No other sacrament has greater healing
power” (St Thomas Aquinas)
No comments:
Post a Comment