Corpus Christi Sunday
Intro: Jesus describes Himself as "the living bread" which feeds us. Present among us today sacramentally, He gives Himself en tirely to us, Body, Blood, soul and divinity, in the Eucharist.
Readings: Melchisedech the priest greets Abraham with bread and wine in thanksgiving for the blessing of peace, as he returns from battle.
Because of the inappropriate behaviour of some of the Christian community in Corinth, Paul is forced to remind them of the real meaning of the Eucharist as a sacrament of unity, and of how they should behave as a result
Genesis 14:18-20;
1 Corinthians 11: 23-26;
Luke 9: 11-17
In the previous paragraph to one we've just heard, of his Letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells them off in no uncertain fashion that they weren't truly celebrating "the Lord's Supper" as it was meant to be celebrated. Instead, they were seeing it as party time (shades of Downing Street?!), with many simply eating with their friends in stead of the whole community; others were drinking too much, to the point of drunkenness (more shades of ...!); while others were going hungry. Paul calls them to account, as he relates what Jesus said on the night that He was betrayed: He took bread, and said, "This is My Body, which is for you;" and added over the cup of wine, "This cup is the new covenant in My Blood." Every time we gather to celebrate Mass, we are doing exactly what Jesus commanded, and doing it in memory of Him.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Jansenist heresy arose. It took a very serious and rigorous view of original sin and denied the role of human free will; the implication being that very few people were considered worthy to receive Holy Communion, and consequently few people would be saved and go to Heaven.
At times, many of us can feel unworthy of receiving Our Lord in communion. Wherever those feelings come from, whether from within ourselves or others assuring us of our unworthiness, when we come to Mass, Our Lord is inviting us to be in perfect union, communion, with Him. As we come together to remember what He did for us, we share the message of His Kingdom as we pray for healing; and as we eat the bread and wine which have become the Body and Blood of Christ, we make present once more the mystery of the cross and resurrection.
No one here today receives Our Lord's Body and Blood because he or she has been is totally worthy We're all sinners - something which we acknowledged and confessed at the beginning of Mass. However, Jesus is inviting us to come to eat and drink - not because we're good, but to help us to become good!
Today, when you come forward to receive Holy Communion, just take a moment to prepare yourself properly
- familiarity can breed contempt! - and remember that this is Jesus giving Himself to you and me, wholly out of love for us. And furthermore, as St. Paul again reminds us, every time we eat this bread and drink this cup, we are proclaiming Christ to our world.
God loved us so much that He gave us everything, including His very self. As we celebrate that great gift today, we pray for a hungry world which thirsts for more than food:-
1. For the Church, the body of Christ. May She always been seen as a source of blessing, and an authentic messenger of the good news
- Lord, hear us.
2. For our world. May its governments and leaders become more aware of their duty and responsibility to work for peace, justice, mutual understanding and tolerance - Lord, hear us.
3. For our brothers and sisters throughout the world who suffer the pangs of hunger and thirst, and the effects of poverty and disease. May we strive on a personal level to create a more just world through our personal sacrifices and almsgiving - Lord, hear us.
4. We pray for our children who have made their first communion, in the hope that it will not be their last; we pray too that more of our young people may answer the call to serve you in the priesthood or the religious life in some way, so that we may never be deprived of the Bread of Life - Lord, hear us.
5. For our loved ones, David Macdonald and Margaret Berrie who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, and for James Armstrong and James Carr, whose anniversaries we celebrate. May they now enjoy eternal peace - Lord, hear us.
God our loving Father, we thank You for the gift of Your Son made present in the Eucharist. Through its reception, strengthen us in the love of our brothers and sisters.