Corpus Christi - 2024

 

As the Easter celebration come to a close, the liturgy adds two special feast days, Corpus Christi and the feast of the Sacred Heart. The last chapters of the gospels give the accounts of Jesus resurrection and the disciples encounter with the risen Lord. In Matthew we read: “And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted.” Mtt. 28.17

Luke tells it this way; 

As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them. But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have." And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. Lk. 24.36

The key here is REAL. “…See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see;” St. Paul tells us that if Christ is not raised, our faith is useless. This is the real truth upon which the very existence of church stands. The feast of Corpus Christi focuses on this essential truth; Jesus is really and truly present in his Church for all ages.

There were three main characteristics that made up the first encounters with the risen Lord, and these continue to be with us today. They are:

·       THE GATHERING IN CHRIST’S REAL PRESENCE

·       THE REVELATION OF GOD’S PLAN

·       THE COMMISSIONING OF THE CHURCH

“When two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in their midst. Mtt. 18:20. Jesus is gathering and forming his church around his real presence. He remains with them to lead and guide them in every age to come. The principle sign/sacrament of that “gathering in his presence”, is the liturgy of the Eucharist. Only Jesus himself can cause such a profound personal faith to arise in another. It is essential that we “encounter the risen Christ”.

 (The two disciples on the road to Emmaus) returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. Lk. 24:33

The SECOND ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTIC of the Easter encounters is the instruction. Jesus teaches the disciples the meaning of his resurrection; for them and for the whole world. He guides them through the scriptures, showing how he is the fulfillment of all that has been promised, and how he has been sent to lead them into the fullness of all truth. 

Then he said to them, "These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, Lk. 24.46

Now with their hearts refreshed by this "communion" in Jesus presence and enlightened by his instruction, the THIRD ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTIC follows; the commissioning of the Church to go out into the whole world and proclaim this good news of salvation. “Go and announce the gospel of the Lord!” With these words the Mass ends and the work of evangelization begins.

It is impossible to overstate the importance of the Eucharist to the very existence of the Church. Clearly, as the gathering at the Eucharist declines so does the very existence of the church decline with it.