CORPUS CHRISTI

(Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ)
June 14,2009

Before I received my driver’s license, I spent a few hours practicing my driving skills. Charlie was my guide and instructor. He had me drive the free-ways, the highways, the city streets, all kinds of roads. I did all the driving. Charley just sat beside me. Never once did I feel any sort of nervousness. A few weeks later, after securing my driver’s license, I went for a drive. This time I was all alone. All at once my legs and hands started to shake. My heart began to beat rapidly. “Why?” I asked myself,“ I have my license now…before I had no license ... but I never experienced any fear at all”. I started to rethink. Then I came to the insight that I needed. When I drove before I was not alone. Beside me was a person who was an expert in driving and he could control the car in case of any danger. Though he was not driving, his mere presence gave me confidence. Presence of the other is a great strength.

The awareness of God’s presence is the most powerful strength that I can have on my journey of life. The example of Peter walking over the water is a telling example of this fact. As long as he was in the presence of Jesus, Peter could walk on water. The moment he got distracted, he began to sink.

We can think of experiencing God’s presence in a numerous ways. The Eucharist, however, is the only place where we can experience the real presence of Jesus. As we celebrate Corpus Christi, the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus, it is highly desirable to reflect on this aspect of the Eucharist.

The institution of the Eucharist was the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise. He said’ “I will not leave you alone. I will be with you till the end of the world.“ After the institution of the Eucharist Jesus said, ”Do this in memory of me.” His promise of staying with us is made permanent through the mystery of the Eucharist.Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist strengthens us in different ways। I would like to mention three of them. Jesus gives us:-

1. A sense of being loved through the active memory
When we celebrate the Eucharist we make the redemptive story alive, active and experiential. Active memory is something that evokes in our minds the feelings and responses that are similar to the original one. For example, the death anniversary of my Father and death anniversary of my neighbor evoke totally different emotions and feeling in me. The remembrance of my father is almost like reliving my life with him. Similarly the breaking and sharing of the Bread and Wine bring to our memories the unparallel love and sacrifice of Jesus that brought us back to life. The awareness of this unfailing love of God is our hope and comfort. If we can make this memory alive every time we celebrate the Eucharist, then we live in the presence of God all the time.

2. A sense of purpose through right direction
The major problem that we are facing today is self-ism, ego-ism, individual-ism. Here Jesus gives us a model to follow. In the Eucharist we have an action plan. First of all, this is a mechanism of breaking, sharing and empowering. When I am willing to break and share, I reveal my God given talents and share them with others bringing us to the fullness of life. Secondly, Sharing makes Eucharist. When Jesus took the bread it was a lifeless material thing. When He broke and shared it, it became Jesus himself. When we share our life, they become Eucharist. Again, everything in the world has the potential to become the Eucharist. The sacredness is hidden in the secular. It is our responsibility to unfold the sacredness in the secular and to change the world into Eucharist. This kind of understanding of the Eucharist not only give us orientation for a better life but also makes us feel good about ourselves as we become more and more useful servants.

3. A feeling of connectedness with the divine
Body cannot survive without food. A branch cannot exist unless it is connected to the main tree. The soul cannot function without being connected with its source. The Eucharist is not only the food that nourishes the soul but the bread that connect us with the Divine. In this sense it is the breath of God. Our sharing in the Divine life though the Eucharist gives us the strength and confidence to face the temporalities of life with courage and hope.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus was physically present in the world to lift up the people from their miseries. He continues his saving presence through the mystery of the Eucharist. Eucharist is his saving gift to each one of us. Approach him in faith and with confidence, you will be a different person. Bishop Sheen said, “My stay before the Blessed Sacrament changed my human ways into divine.” Stay with Jesus who is willing to stay with us.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------