Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
When it comes to the Eucharist, we as Catholics have our own language. That language, once understood, helps us to open up the riches of our faith when it comes to the Eucharist. We use words like transubstantiation, which means that the bread and wine truly become, in their substance, the Body and Blood of Jesus. We use words like host, Holy Communion, chalice, paten, and we use the word sacrifice.
That word, sacrifice, is the key to understanding the Eucharist. Now, after Vatican II, there was a lot of emphasis on the meal aspect of the Eucharist. And certainly, Jesus did institute the Eucharist at the Last Supper, which took place in the context of the Passover meal. But even the meal of the Last Supper recalls the sacrifice of the lamb on the doorposts of the Israelites, the sacrifice which saved them from the death of the firstborn.
The Eucharist is not a community meal that celebrates the unity of the assembly. The Eucharist is not a social gathering of like-minded people who share fellowship. The Eucharist is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, the truly unblemished Lamb of God whose Precious Blood, poured out for us, saves us from eternal death. That is why the place where the sacrifice of the Mass is offered is called an altar, which is, by definition, a place of sacrifice. On that altar, Jesus’ one, perfect, and unique sacrifice is made present for us in an unbloody way, so that we can share in what Jesus’ sacrifice made possible for us: life in heaven. That is why those who offer the prayer are truly called priests, whose central job it is to offer sacrifices.
When we understand the Eucharist as a sacrifice, it opens up for us the Old Testament. Today’s first reading highlights the sacrifice of Melchizedek, king of Salem, who offers bread and wine to God Most High on behalf of Abram, our Father in Faith, after he had won the victory of foreign kings. When we hear about a sacrifice of bread and wine, we should immediately think of the Eucharist. And, as the Letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament states, Melchizedek is himself a prefigurement of Christ, as he has no beginning and no end (as evidenced by no genealogy); his name means King of Justice; and he is the King of Salem, that is, King of Peace. And even Jesus’ miracles, like the one we heard in today’s Gospel, point to the sacrifice to which the Eucharist points. Jesus offers loaves and fish, which is clearly different from bread and wine. But, in an early mosaic at the place where this miracle happened, there are two fish, and a basket with four loaves, right in front of the altar, because the fifth loaf was understood to be the bread that was offered on the altar.
Understanding the Eucharist as a sacrifice also changes our approach to it. If the Eucharist is merely an old thanksgiving meal, then how we act, how we approach the Eucharist, how we prepare for the Eucharist, doesn’t really matter. Yes, preparations are necessary for Thanksgiving dinner, but it has to do with the food, not so much with the people attending. If the Eucharist is simply a thanksgiving meal, then our attendance doesn’t really make a difference; sometimes family members make other plans on Thanksgiving than spending it with all their extended family. If the Eucharist is merely a thanksgiving meal, then you might have special dishes or special entertainment on TV, like watching the Lions lose, or you might decide to make things easier and go with chinette plates, and you might change up what you watch or what you listen to.
If, instead, the Eucharist is the sacrifice of our salvation, the means by which we are cleansed of our sins and heaven is opened to us, then we prepare by making sure that we are in communion with each other and communion with God through the Sacrament of Penance regularly. We prepare by fasting from most food and drinks for one hour before we receive Jesus. We show up because we are grateful for what Jesus did for us then, and what He continues to do for us each day. We use special clothes and special vessels, and special music, because it is made for a sacrifice, not for entertainment. We might even read the Sunday readings ahead of time as a way of preparing, or attend daily Mass as an overflow of our gratitude to God.
Without sacrifice, we cannot understand the true nature of the Eucharist. And understanding the Eucharist as a sacrifice also helps us to unite our daily sacrifices to Jesus, because we know that He already did that for us, and we want to return to the favor, even in our own daily ways, big or small. Understanding the Eucharist as a sacrifice allows us to approach the Body and Blood of Christ, not as if we’re in a line at the grocery store, waiting to get a handout, but with wonder and awe and reverence as we receive Jesus, our Lord, on our tongues and on our hands, as He brings us into union with Him in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood.
