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♦ Corpus Christi ♦ 2025-June-22 ♦ Genesis 14:18-20 ♦ Psalm 110 ♦ Luke 9:11b-17 ♦
[1] Opening & Liturgical
This Sunday is Corpus Christi, celebrated 1 week
after Trinity Sunday. Corpus Christi means “Body of Christ” — the feast of the
Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus. You might ask, “Isn’t every Sunday about this?”
Yes — at every Mass, we the bread and wine are consecrated for Holy Communion,
which is the re-presentation of Jesus’ sacrifice, also called the Holy
Eucharist.
[2] Vocabulary / Theology
A
quick note on vocabulary: Holy Eucharist and Holy Communion refer to the same
sacrament. Eucharist means “thanksgiving”; Communion emphasizes our union with
God and one another. This sacrament is celebrated by a priest, who stands in
the person of Christ. That’s why you stand as Mass begins — to honor Christ
entering — and why you bow or kneel at Communion, receiving Jesus, our High
Priest.
As a priest, I’m humbled by this role and
grateful for your prayers. A mentor once told me: the words of consecration —
“This is my body, given up for you” — aren’t just to be recited, but lived. I
am called make them my own. And so are you. These words are for all of us: to
give of ourselves in love, as Christ did.
[3] Walgreens
I was reminded of the meaning of this
sacrifice recently in Newark - not in the cathedral, but in a CVS pharmacy. I
was standing in line, several people behind a woman at the register. Her
transaction was clearly taking longer than usual. At first, I felt impatient,
wondering about the holdup. Then I noticed her age, she was elderly moving
slowly and strictly buying health care items that medical necessities — clearly
not for herself but for someone else at home. A spouse? Relative? Friend?
She was a public and silent witness of love to the words: this is my
body given up for you.
[4] Marriage & Daily
Life
These
words — This is my body, given up for you — apply to husbands and wives,
mothers and fathers, as they strive to love and care for one another, faithful
to their vows: in good times and bad, in sickness and in health. Corpus Christi
reminds us that Jesus loved us not only unto death, but beyond death.
[5]
Genesis Connection
A brief note on our first reading from
Genesis: The Eucharist re-presents Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection,
celebrated with bread and wine brought to the altar.
Why bread and wine? Yes, the bread and
wine come from Passover, but they also come from Genesis
In
Genesis 14, we meet Melchizedek, a priest who offers a sacrifice of bread and
wine after Abraham’s victory in battle. Melchizedek prays, and Abraham prevails
in recovering stolen goods. In gratitude, Abraham gives him a tithe — 10% of
his possessions. From this ancient encounter, two important traditions emerge:
the offering of bread and wine as a peaceful sacrifice, and the practice of
tithing. Melchizedek does not bring weapons or precious metal, but only the
simple gifts that foreshadow the Eucharist. His actions point us to Christ, the
eternal high priest, who offers himself as the true bread of life
[6] Eternal Life, Soul,
Heaven
Jesus offers peaceful gifts of bread and
wine, saying, This is my body… This
is my blood. Through the Eucharist, we are called to a life of prayer
and to recognize God’s living presence within us. It’s easy to forget that we
are not just physical bodies—we have immortal souls, destined for eternal life.
Even when life seems stable, we are called to remember that our time on earth
is brief. We are called to repent, receive God’s mercy, and prepare for the
life to come.
But do we truly imagine heaven as it is?
Often, we picture it as a better version of this world—greener grass, cleaner
air, faster Wi-Fi. But heaven is not comfort; it is communion with God. Like an
unborn child who cannot fathom life beyond the womb, we struggle to grasp the
glory beyond this life. Yet through Christ’s death and resurrection, we glimpse
eternal life.
We glimpse eternal life not only in the
Eucharist but also in moments when love conquers fear. (1st John:
perfect love casts out fear). Think of
rescue workers or firefighters in times of crisis. Facing danger, they act not
for reward, but out of love. Their courage reflects the heart of eternal life —
where love, not fear, rules. In such moments, we see what it means to give
oneself for others: This is my body, given up for you.
[7] "Mass is Not a
Repeat"
The
Holy Eucharist is not a repeat of last year’s Corpus Christi or even last
Sunday’s Mass. You might say, “Padre, I know that — the readings and Gospel change,
the homily changes, maybe even the priest changes.” And you’d be right. Each
week, the Liturgy of the Word is different: Genesis one week, Exodus or the different
Gospels. The reflections offered are different too, shaped by the priest, the
season, and what’s happening in our lives.
But even the part of the Mass that seems the
same — the Eucharistic Prayer, the consecration — is not simply a routine. Why?
Because you are not the same. I am not the same. Each week, we come with new
needs, wounds, hopes, and burdens. We are in continual need of Jesus' healing,
of His Body and Blood to strengthen us.
Yes,
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was once for all — for past, present, and
future sins and sinners — but the Eucharist makes that one sacrifice present to
us here and now. It is not repeated, but re-presented — offered again for our
healing and conversion today.
[8] Mozart Analogy
How
does Christ’s sacrifice continue — and why does it matter? Father Ronald Knox
once offered this analogy based on the composing of music. Consider Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart. I remember this about the movie, Amadeus that Mozart – brilliantly –
would first have the notes of music complete in his mind. Then, he would write
it on paper — still complete, but not yet heard. When performed, the music
becomes fully alive, reaching and moving those who listen. And though Mozart
died centuries ago, his music lives on, brought to life each time it is played.
So it is with Christ’s sacrifice. It was
completed once and for all on the cross — but through the Mass, that sacrifice
is made present again. Not repeated, but re-presented. The plan for our salvation was complete and
perfect in God’s mind, then visible in Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross.
Each Eucharist is like the symphony of His Passion
performed anew — the same offering of love, alive and active, touching hearts
in the present moment.
At Corpus Christi, we don’t just remember or
listen to Jesus’ gift. We receive it. His Body. His Blood. His living sacrifice
— here and now.
[9] Conclusion
Jesus offers himself in mercy and love for
us so that we might change, so that we might be converted back to him, so that
we might recognize and hear these words, this is my body given up for you, and
that we might go and do likewise.
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