It was in 1264, Pope Urban IV instituted the feast of “Corpus Christi” for the whole Church, a special feast day to recognize and to celebrate the great gift of the Blessed Sacrament. It is the fruit of a vision by an Augustinian Nun – Juliana of Liege, who in her vision saw a wonderful shining moon but with a hollow dark spot on it. In her prayerful effort to find out the reason for the dark spot on the moon, it was divinely revealed to her that the moon represents the Church and the dark spot symbolised the absence of a great feast in honour of the Holy Eucharist in the Church’s liturgical calendar. On a second note, the miracle at Bolsena plunged the institution of this great feast.
Fr Pietro da Praga at some moments of his priestly life had lukewarm attitude and doubted the real Body and Blood of Christ. On a faithful day in 1263 while celebrating Holy Mass in the Church Santa Cristina in Bolsena, at the breaking of the Bread, the precious Blood of Christ flowed from the Host, filled on the Corporal and Altar clothe. To this effect, Pope Urban IV ordered that the precious cloth and Corporal covered with the Blood was to be sent to St Mary Church in Orvieto where he was residing at that time. Till date the Church site has being a place to venerate the miraculous trueness of the Holy Eucharist. In the Gospel passage of today, Jesus shows us what took place during the Last Supper and takes place at every Eucharistic Banquet of the Holy Mass. It is a very unique and Holy experience that we should relish to get a fuller understanding of this Sacrament of Christ love, sacrifice and our Christian faith. At the Passover meal, Jesus took bread and said: “This is my Body.”
Then He took a cup of wine, and said “This is my Blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which is poured out for many”. This sacred meal has a nexus with God’s provision of Manna, Quail and water to sustain the life the Israelites as they journey to the promised land. However, in the New Testament Jesus Christ became the living bread that came down from heaven to satisfy our hunger and the blood that redeems us from sin and death as Sacrament of the new covenant as seen in today’s Gospel Acclamation. This Eucharistic Sacrifice of new covenant can only be celebrated by a validly ordained Catholic Priest. Little wonder in the second reading from the letter to the Hebrews, Jesus Christ is recognised as the High Priest of the good things that have come and the Mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.
The Celebration of Corpus Christi gives us an invitation to remain with God and a positive challenge to ponder as well. As Saint Thomas Aquinas tells us: “No sacrament contributes more to our salvation than this; for it purges away our sins, increases our virtues and nourishes our minds with an abundance of all the spiritual gifts. It is truly the sacrament above all others whereby Christ’s kingdom of justice, love and peace is made visible and incarnate within the Christian family and in the world.” Our Eucharistic celebration has no meaning, if it does not save us and if it does not help to form us into a community of God’s people who see the needs of others and come to their help. Indeed, it is a Sacrament that unites, saves and enlightens us on the true Path of life.
In Pope Francis’ homily on the celebration of Corpus Christi in June 6, 2021 he admonished us that In the participation and reception of this spiritual gift from God we become united to God. In celebrating and experiencing the Eucharist, we too are called to share in this love. For we cannot break bread on Sunday if our hearts are closed to our brothers and sisters. We cannot partake of that Bread if we do not give bread to the hungry. We cannot share that Bread unless we share the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in need. In the end, and the end of our solemn Eucharistic liturgies as well, only love will remain. Even now, our Eucharistic celebrations are transforming the world to the extent that we are allowing ourselves to be transformed and to become bread broken for others.
A famous atheist and materialist, Ludwig Feuerbach, said: “Man is what he eats.” This statement that we become what we eat is never more true than in the Eucharistic experience. Without knowing it, he gave a perfect definition of the Eucharist. Thanks to the Holy Eucharist, man truly becomes what he eats: the body of Christ! By eating the body and drinking the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, a marvellous union takes place between ourselves and Jesus Christ, and also between ourselves and every other member of the Church throughout the world and throughout time. This union is brought about because together we are taken into the perfect offering of Jesus and because we take into ourselves his real presence. What we eat and drink becomes part of us and in the Eucharist we become part of the body of Christ both by joining ourselves with the worship and by the intimate action of sharing the meal.
Dear people of God, today’s liturgy and celebration of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi was born precisely to help Christians be aware of the presence of Christ among us, to keep alive what Pope St. John Paul II called “Eucharistic wonder.” We give thanks not only for this supernatural bread from heaven on which we feed in Holy Communion, but also for the abiding presence of Christ in the tabernacle. As the Holy Eucharist is the center of the Church, so must it be the center of our being Christians and of our priestly, kingly and prophetic life in union with Christ our head. It is worth wondering and cherishing how God unites with us to himself in this Holy Communion.
Scripture says “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” (John 6:56). His name truly is “Emmanuel” God is with us. Dear Friends in Christ, on this great day we are called to go out and make others experience Christ through our words and actions. Let us break the bread of our lives in compassion and solidarity, so that through us the world may see the grandeur of God’s love. We need to be Eucharistic witnesses in our home, schools, place of work, Church, in the different systems and public places of service in our country and world at large. We cannot be true ministers and followers of Christ if we are not primarily authentic witnesses to what we celebrate.
O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.
