Solemnity of Corpus Christi
We all have a share in the sources for these depressing facts. We priests have not always preached about the Eucharist, and what a beautiful and sacred treasure we have. Some priests have not reminded the faithful of the Church’s teachings and disciplines concerning the Eucharist, and some have celebrated Mass in an irreverent way and admitted to Mass things which have no place there. Some bishops, too, have not always demonstrated respect for the Eucharist in making sure that their priests celebrate according to the way the Church wants Mass celebrated, or admitting to Holy Communion those who, according to our own post-Vatican II Code of Canon Law, should be refused Holy Communion because of the public way they live and the public policies they openly support which are contrary to the Catholic faith.
But it’s not just clergy. How do you approach the Eucharist each week? Do you make it a priority, or something you get to if it doesn’t conflict with your other activities or schedule? Do you prepare for Mass by reading the readings ahead of time, fasting for at least an hour before receiving the Eucharist, and showing by your posture at Mass and especially as you approach the sanctuary that you are receiving the King of Heaven?
So we all have a hand in a lack of due devotion and demonstration of just how sacred the Eucharist is, without pointing out any individuals. And I certainly cannot solve issues which have arisen in the Church over the past sixty years in one homily. But I do want to focus, as we celebrate Corpus Christi, on a phrase we use for the Eucharist: Holy Communion.
Holy Communion as a phrase slides easily off our tongue. We probably say it without really giving it a thought as to its meaning. Holy is probably obvious enough, but still worth saying: belonging to God or associated with God. God is utter holiness, which is why in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah and the Book of Revelation, the angels cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts.” Communion comes from two Latin words, cum and unio, which, when put together, means union with. When we are in communion with another, we are united to that person. So Holy Communion is our union with God, who is the source of all holiness.
Imagine a woman whose husband goes to strip clubs and repeatedly sleeps with many other women, and she knows about it. The husband comes home and wants to have dinner with his wife, acting as if nothing was wrong. He is indifferent to the many ways he has hurt and wounded her. […] Let’s take this a step further. The cheating husband now wants to be intimate with his wife. Again, he shows no remorse for the ways he has hurt her. At the very least, shouldn’t the husband first apologize to his wife? […] In a similar way, Holy Communion is a sacred banquet in which Jesus becomes intimate with us. He desires to be one with us in Holy Communion, much like a married couple becomes one flesh. Jesus has a heart. […] When we commit mortal sin or “cheat” on God, we must first apologize and beg for his forgiveness. We know he will grant it in the saving sacrament of confession. And then, once our broken relationship has been healed, we can return to the intimate banquet of the Eucharist.
Not discerning whether or not we should receive the Eucharist based upon our actions is like being the cheating husband. Only when we have confessed our sin in the Sacrament of Penance can we one more return to the intimacy and union that God desires with us.
But Communion is not only with God. It is also with the rest of the Church. The Catholic Church has taught many things which are required beliefs and ways we live our life in order to call ourselves good Catholics. Some are present in the creed. Others are present in papal pronouncements or documents of ecumenical councils. Others are so basic that they are presented in the Catechism, but often taken for granted. When we come forward for Holy Communion, we are saying that we agree with all those things that are part of the Catholic faith, revealed for our salvation. We may not always understand it fully (like our belief in the Trinity), but if we reject that belief, or the call to live our life a particular way (like the prohibition against abortion or support for abortion), then we are not truly in union with the Church, and our act of receiving Holy Communion becomes a lie at the most sacred time of any person’s day. St. Justin Martyr, whom we just celebrated on 1 June, wrote around AD 155: “And this food is called among us Eucharistia, of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins.” It’s not just that a person is baptized, but that they also believe what the Church teaches is true.
This applies to Catholics and non-Catholics alike. No matter whether a person is Catholic or a baptized non-Catholic, if they do not believe the major teachings of the faith, then they should not present themselves for, and should not be given, the Eucharist. If we are not united in major teachings, then we cannot claim to have the graces of communion with God and the Church that the Eucharist desires to impart.
Again, I can’t cover everything about the Eucharist in this one homily, though I will try have more homilies on the Eucharist throughout the Eucharistic Revival. To be clear, this has nothing to do with being a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or anything else. Our teaching on the Eucharist is not aligned to a political party or persona. Our practice around the Eucharist is based upon what the Church believes and how the Church lives, which is based in Christ. Since the Eucharist truly is the Body and Blood of Christ, and not just a symbol, how we treat the Eucharist is how we treat Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.