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This Sunday’s celebration of Corpus Christi will be unlike any we have ever known. All church doors remain locked and no one will be gathering around the table of the Eucharist. As the image above suggests we might group those not attending
Mass this weekend into two major groups, those prevented from entering churches
because of Covid Pandemic restrictions and those who no longer choose to attend
church. The first group are truly hungering for the Bread of Life;
lets us hope that these restrictions now preventing them will soon be lifted. But what of those who’s absence from Mass has been for some
time a matter of their own choosing, what should be said of them? Their reasons
are many and complex, and regrettably many have made this choice because of the
influence of an extremely negative attitude toward religion generally found in
our culture today. What is needed here is not judgement but healing. Here I am drawn back to the scripture texts we have recently
reflected on during the Easter celebrations. One is the account of Thomas’
rejections of the witness given by his fellow disciples who have encountered
the risen Jesus. Another is the account of the two Disciples on the road to
Emmaus. There were two major views of a resurrection from the dead
held by people at the time of Jesus, that of the Sadducees who held that there was to be no
resurrection of the dead whatsoever; the other by the Pharisees who did expect
the dead to rise again, but back into this world in bodies exactly like those
they had before they died. Thomas whose heart has been broken by the crucifixion and
death of Jesus is not looking for some comforting idea of Jesus spiritual rising,
put forward by those looking for consolation. Thomas needs to see the real,
physical, living Jesus, back in his body, just like the Pharisees and all
resurrectionists would need to see. The two Disciples on the road to Emmaus had hoped Jesus
was the Messiah who would restore Israel to political freedom and greatness
once again, but then witnessed his death and burial, are now leaving Jerusalem
with heavy hearts to begin to look for another Messiah to come. Jesus’ appearance in his risen, glorified body to Thomas and
the two Disciples restores them again to convinced believers. But in the case
of the two Disciples a new dynamic is added to Jesus’ way of appearing and
restoring faith. Jesus will continue to remain and confirm the faith believers,
but it will be from now on by His real presence in the Eucharist. First people will need to be “Seekers”, or become Seekers
again. This remains the work of Evangelization. But once seeking has been introduced
into one’s heart, Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist will be the ever-present confirmation
of that faith; the same confirmation that Jesus’ appearance brought to His
disciples. When at last we are able to gather again around the Table of the Lord let us bring in our hearts all those we know who have chosen to deny themselves such a blessing, the blessing to be in the very presence of the Risen Lord Jesus, the blessing that was granted to Thomas and the two Disciples in their time of doubting. |
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