IN THE JOURNEY OF LIFE, THE LORD WALKS WITH US

SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI - Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16

The feast of Corpus Christi (the body and blood of Christ) is a special feast, in which we go in procession through the streets of our towns carrying the Blessed Sacrament. We may ask what is the meaning of that. The first reading gives us the meaning. 

Moses told the people: “Remember how the Lord your God led you for forty years in the wilderness” (Dt 8:2). It was not an easy journey. They got tired, exhausted, hungry and thirsty; and they complained and even revolted against the Lord. However, the Lord provide guidance and protection, water and bread. He never abandoned them and he was always in their midst. 

And this is the experience we want to have. In the procession, it becomes clear to us that life is a journey, and this journey is not a solitary journey, but one in which we walk together, in community, so that we can support each other and lean on each other. If anyone falls, the others will lift him up and give him encouragement to go on walking. And in this procession, we have the Lord in our midst, walking with us and being the centre of our attention. It is from him that our journey receives meaning; he is our source of hope and strength.

The Eucharist is the presence of the Risen Lord among us, dwelling in our midst. He sets the table for us and invites us to become satiated with his food - the bread of life. By eating this bread, we become one with him, sharing in his passion so that we may share in his resurrection.