🙏 SUNDAY INSIGHTS - THE SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI 🙏

First Reading - Exodus 24:3-8 

Second Reading - Hebrews 9:11-15 

Gospel - Mark 14:12-16,22-26

Today, we celebrate the solemn feast of Corpus Christi. It is three feasts in one: the feast of the Eucharistic sacrifice, the feast of the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the feast of the Real Presence of Jesus. It is a doctrinal feast established for three purposes: 1) to give God collective thanks for Christ’s abiding presence with us in the Eucharist and to honor him there; 2) to instruct the people in the Mystery, Faith, and devotion surrounding the Eucharist, and 3) to teach us to appreciate and make use of the great gift of the Holy Eucharist, both as a Sacrament and as a sacrifice. 

Today's readings for the Feast emphasize the theme of Covenant blood because the ancient peoples sealed Covenants with the blood of ritually sacrificed animals, and Jesus sealed his New Covenant with his own Blood shed on Calvary. 

The first reading describes how the ancient Israelites were established as God’s special people through a Covenant commitment. The text recounts the solemn enactment of this Covenant at the foot of Mount Sinai. This Covenant (agreement) was decidedly weighted: God promised to give everything; Israel had only to accept and obey. When Moses recited “all the words (the Ten Commandments) and ordinances of the Lord,” he was declaring the Covenant that God wanted to make with Israel. It came down to this: “I will be your God, you will be My people, and this is how you’ll behave as you live out this Covenant.” Moses commanded that the animal blood (representing the blood of the people doing the offering) shed during the Sinai covenant be divided into two parts: half splashed on the altar, half splashed on the people. Since the altar symbolizes Yahweh’s presence, all the Covenant-makers now have blood splattered on them. It’s both an outward sign they’ve made the Covenant and a sign they’ll benefit from the life the Covenant offers.

The second reading compares the sacrifice offered by the High Priest in the Temple on the very solemn Day of Atonement, with the sacrifice of true and infinite atonement offered by Christ for us. This passage reminds us and all Christians that this was a new Covenant, one which Jesus entered into the heavenly sanctuary with God and us, not with the “the blood of goats and calves but with his own Blood.” This represents a symbol of great sacrifice even greater than the sacrifice of the old.

Today’s Gospel details how Jesus converted this ancient ritual into a Sacrament and sacrifice. Instead of the lamb’s blood, Jesus offered his own Divine/human Body and Blood and, instead of sprinkling us with blood, Jesus put It into our hands as food. Mark recounts the institution of the Eucharist — how Jesus said to his disciples, gathered for the Seder: “Take, … eat … this is my Body” — not “represents,” or “memorializes”, but “IS”! A little later, He said: “Take this … drink from it, for This is … my Blood — again, “IS” — which will be poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins. ” 

Dear friends, the Eucharist, (the Body and Blood of Christ), teaches us the importance of community, the bond that results from this sacrifice. John Chrysostom says: “What is the Bread actually? The Body of Christ. What do communicants become? The Body of Christ. Just as the bread comes from many grains, which remain themselves and are not distinguished from one another because they are united, so we are united with Christ.” Just as numerous grains of wheat are pounded together to make the host, and many grapes are crushed together to make the wine, so we become unified in this sacrifice. Our Lord chose these elements in order to show us that we ought to seek union with one another, to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into Our Lord Jesus Christ, and to work with Him in the process. Christ is the Head and we are the Body. Together we are one. That which unites us is our willingness to sacrifice our time and talents to God in our fellow members in Christ’s Mystical Body. This is symbolized by our sharing in the same Bread and the same Cup. Hence, Holy Communion should strengthen our sense of unity and love.

By receiving Holy Communion we become Christ-bearers as Mary was, with the duty and privilege of conveying Christ to others at home and in the workplace, as love, mercy, forgiveness, and humble and sacrificial service.As we celebrate this great feast of Faith, let us worship what St. Thomas Aquinas did not hesitate to call, “the greatest miracle that Christ ever worked on earth .”….. My Body …….. My Blood“. Before the greatness of this mystery, let us exclaim with St. Augustine, “O Sacrament of devotion! O Sign of unity! O Bond of charity!” Let us also repeat St. Thomas Aquinas’ prayer of devotion in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament: “O Sacrament most holy! O Sacrament Divine! All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine!”