IN COMMUNION WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST

THE SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI - John 6:51-58/ 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

It is in difficult times that we reveal our true selves. A friendship that does not pass the test of hardship is not true friendship. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses tells the people that God put them to the test to “know your inmost heart – whether you would keep his commandments or not” (Dt 8:2). And the people proved to be unreliable and unfaithful. Face with difficulties, which seemed unsurmountable, they lost their trust in God and became convinced that God hat tricked them and brought them into the wilderness to starve them to death. They forgot all the wonders which God had made in their favour and accused Him of evil intent. Despite that, God heard their complaints and came to their rescue, giving them water to drink and food to eat. God sent them manna from heaven, which would be remembered forever as a sign of God’s care and compassion. As the hope for the coming of the Messiah became more and more intense, people were in great expectancy of being given bread from heaven. Jesus presented himself as the bread of life, the true bread, which “comes down from heaven” for us to get eternal life.

Presenting himself as bread, Jesus offers his body - his flesh and his blood - as the food that makes us alive. Hearing Jesus’ words, people were horrified and question Jesus about that. However, Jesus’ answer was very clear: 

“I tell you most solemnly,

if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,

you will not have life in you.

Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood

has eternal life,

and I shall raise him up on the last day.”

Jesus invites us to his table and he serves us his food. By eating his body and drinking his blood, we become one with Christ:

“He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood

lives in me

and I live in him.”

St. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, gives us the first narrative of the Last Supper, as it was celebrated in the liturgy of the Christian communities. Obeying Jesus’ command: “Do this in remembrance of me.” (1 Co 11:24), starting with the Apostles, the first Christian communities repeated Jesus’ gestures and words and they were well sure that, by Jesus’ words, they were receiving the body and the blood of the Risen Lord. Paul reminded the Corinthians that “the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ” and “the blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ” (1 Co 10:16).

This communion with Christ has implications for the community: “The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.” (1 Co 10:17).

As we celebrate the “Corpus Christi”, let us give thanks for this great gift and open our hearts to Jesus as we present our open hands to receive him, so that we may be transformed in Him and with Him form one body.