This Sunday the Church celebrates Corpus Christi, or the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. On this occasion, we, believers, profess our belief on the true presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. In faith, we eat the bread as Jesus’ own body and drink the cup of wine as Jesus’ own blood – for the forgiveness of our sins and in remembrance of Him who saved us. True, there are other beliefs about this sacrament in Christendom, ranging from true presence to mere symbolic presence, but instead of becoming a source of disagreement as in the past, we pray that the Lord’s Supper serve as a banner to unite all Christians into the one body of Christ in the world today, his Church.
The gospel (Mk 14:12-16; 22-26) contains the very words of Jesus’ institution of this sacrament. Of the bread, he said, “Take it, this is my body,” and of the cup, he said, “This is my blood of the covenant which will be shed for many.” Elsewhere, he commanded, “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor 11:24; Lk 22:19).
One reality is worth pondering – that in receiving the body and blood of Christ, we become one with him. He lives in us and we live in him. By extension, we become united with our brethren who, like us, received Christ’s body and blood. We thus become brothers and sisters, not by blood or familial bonds, but by the holy God who lives in each one of us.
If we only realize the profound meaning of this spiritual truth, we will always value our dignity as children of God and members of his Church. God, who finds his abode in unworthy vessels as ourselves, also helps us grow in holiness. He inspires us to mature in our love of God with all our heart, mind, and soul, and of our neighbors, as ourselves.
Life on earth is never easy. Temptations, tests, and trials abound our way. There are many times when we fall short of God’s lofty standards; we struggle and we faint in our weaknesses. The good news is that Jesus always offers himself as the nourishment of our bodies and souls. He is our eternal high priest whose offering to the Father of his own body and blood, is the perfect offering for the healing of our bodies and the salvation of our souls – the body and blood that truly satiate our hunger and quench our thirst.
On this day, let us then worship, praise, and thank God who, in his immeasurable love for us, provided us recourse to the Holy Eucharist.