Solemnity of Corpus Christi
As disciples of Jesus, we need to be charged. The call to follow Christ in all areas of our life takes a lot of work to die to our fallen selves. We need to recharge ourselves on a regular basis, or we’ll be spiritually dead. And the way we do that is through the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the food that strengthens us for our daily pilgrimage with Christ. It gives us the spiritual nutrients we need to die to our fallen self and live for Christ. It is, as we could say, plugging in to the source of our spiritual power. How often do our young people (and perhaps ourselves) make sure that their iPhone has power so that they can text, chat, gram, and tweet? But do we take care to make sure that our spiritual batteries are charged, and that we don’t run out of juice? You cannot be the Catholic that Jesus wants you to be without the Eucharist. Even with the Eucharist, we can reject Jesus, but without the Eucharist, we have no chance to have the fulness of Divine Life that God wants to communicate to us.
But into what are we plugging ourselves? Why is the Eucharist so powerful in helping us to be whom God wants us to be? Our readings for today’s celebration of Corpus Christi remind us of the most important fact of the Eucharist: that it is the sacrifice.
In our first reading, we hear about the sacrifice that foreshadowed the sacrifice of Jesus. The people belong to God and show that they will be faithful to Him by being sprinkled by the blood that was sacrificed “as peace offerings to the Lord.” Jesus’ perfect sacrifice was truly the peace offering that reconciled us to God as His People.
The author of the Letter to the Hebrews also takes up this theme that, while the sacrifices of the Old Covenant could bring some holiness, some sanctification, how much more does the Blood of Christ make us holy? St. John Chrysostom also said that, if the blood of the Passover lamb could cause the angel of death to Passover the doors of the Chosen People, how much more will the Blood of Christ on our lips keep eternal death away from us?
As we listened to the Gospel, perhaps we think that we moved away from sacrifice, and went to a meal only. But the meal that Jesus held was a Passover celebration, a celebration of a sacrifice. And it is in the context of a sacrifice that Jesus institutes the Eucharist. Yes, it is in a meal, but in the sacrificial meal of Passover.
Jesus knew that we needed a connection to His once-for-all sacrifice, which only one apostle would attend. And He wanted that connection to last through the centuries, not just for the lifetime of the first apostles. So Jesus instituted this way that we could always connect to Him, connect to His sacrifice that saved us from sin and death, His sacrifice which reconciled us to God and brought the possibility of peace for all people.
It is that sacrifice which recharges us, because it is that sacrifice that is the source of all of our power in Christ. Baptism changes us because of the sacrifice of Christ; we are forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance by the sacrifice of Christ; we are able to receive the Holy Spirit in Confirmation because of the sacrifice of Christ, who said that if He did not leave, we could not receive the Holy Spirit; the anointing of the sick heals us by the sacrifice of Christ; marriage finds its fullest expression and model in the death of the bridegroom from His bride; and the Sacrament of Holy Order exists to connect us to the ministry of Jesus through the work of Jesus’ bishops and priests, as well as Jesus’ service through deacons. All of our life in Christ goes back to the sacrifice of Jesus. The meal of the Eucharist means nothing without it being connected to the sacrifice of Jesus.
And that is why we have the crucifix behind the altar: because through the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ, we are connected to the sacrifice of Jesus that is before our eyes in the sacred image. We look upon and remember what is made present for us and what we receive in our mouths as we consume the Eucharist. And if we receive it in a state of grace, not aware of any mortal sins, then it recharges us; the Eucharist gives us power.
Don’t let your spiritual batter run out! You will not be as effective, and you may even run out of any power to communicate Christ in your daily life. Keep your soul like you keep your iPhone or Apple Watch: keep it fully charged by worthily receiving the Eucharist at least each week. You will be charged by the saving sacrifice of Jesus!
