Homily for the week of June 14, 2009

HOMILY: The Body and Blood of Christ, 2009

In the past few weeks President Obama and his wife Michelle have been visiting churches. On his stop over in Paris two weeks ago he visited Notre Dame Cathedral. Notre Dame Cathedral is the most popular church in Paris and all of France. It was built in the year 528., and then restored a thousand years ago. Michelle Obama and her two daughters a few days later visited Westminster Abbey in London. At the back of the church there is a tomb in memory of the Unknown Soldier set up after the first World War but to remember all those who died serving their country. And just a few yards away there is tomb with no body in it. It is in memory to those who have died in a war that has not ended. On the monument is written: In memory of the Innocent Victims of Oppression, Violence and War.

Memorials are important, and never more so than when they are to human lives, lived and lost. In Washington we have the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It represents the supreme sacrifice made by thousands of men and women, many of whose bodies now rest in unmarked graves. It is a reminder of the immense human cost of war.

This weekend Catholics also celebrate a memorial. We celebrate the gift of the Eucharist and Holy Communion at the Last Supper before Jesus was to nailed to the cross. There are many names besides Holy Eucharist and they all refer to the same action: Last Supper, Holy Sacrifice, Blessed Sacrament, Holy Mass, going to Mass are just a few names.

Christians and Catholics from the time of Jesus celebrated the Eucharist. Using bread and wine, and praying the same words used by Jesus at that Last Supper has been done from the time of Jesus. The structure you see today is the same as it was at the time of Jesus. At each Mass there will be prayers, readings from the Bible, the consecration of bread and wine by the priest, participation in Holy Communion. Each time that you participate in the Mass and receive Holy Communion you do this in memory of Jesus. When the priests holds up the cup he says DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.

In today's first reading, Moses reminds us of God's saving goodness. He reminds his people that God sent them food from Heaven called Manna when they were in the desert and had no food. Similarly, Paul emphasizes the importance of the Eucharist as a memorial which represents a sharing in the life of Christ, which binds people together.

In our last reading Jesus draws on the familiar tradition of God's provision for the people in the desert and takes it much further. It is not manna which now feeds and nourishes us, but Jesus says that he is the bread of life. And like a good teacher, he makes sure that they heard him, and so he repeats it: I am the bread of life. And he promises that those who partake of this food will live forever.

The mystery being made by Jesus is an astounding one. It is a message of transformation. The bread which comes from heaven, Jesus says, is unlike any other bread we will ever eat. All other bread is eaten by us and becomes part of us through digestion. This bread, instead, consumes us and we become part of Jesus. The bread and wine is not only a symbol of Jesus, but is transformed into the real and actual presence of Jesus. Jesus is present to us in every communion.

Such a miracle is beyond our power, but is not beyond the power of God. When you receive communion and I say to you: THE BODY OF CHRIST. Your AMEN says: I BELIEVE. That is why we must come to communion with dignity and reverence. You will notice in the bulletin I provided a recommendation as given to us by our bishop, that you bow your head as a gesture of reverence just as you receive communion either in your hand or on your tongue.

Persons often asked whether or not the consecration: that is when I say the words over the bread and wine, and then hold them up for all to see, if this is the most important part of the Mass. That is the time when the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus. The entire Mass is of importance, from the prayer of forgiveness at the beginning to the readings from the Bible, to the Eucharistic prayer, to all of you who share and participate in the Mass.

In each Jewish temple there was a golden box which was called the Ark of the Covenant in which was kept stone tablets on which the finger of God wrote the ten Commandments. That golden box is in each Catholic church and is known as the tabernacle in which is kept the Eucharist, and in front of which we pray.

Yet, there are other tabernacles. When you and I receive communion, Jesus lives and is present in each of us. He lives in you and me. Each of us who received communion become a tabernacle. Jesus lives in our souls and even our bodies. We carry the Blessed Sacrament into and through our homes, our neighborhoods, our work place.

By receiving Holy Communion a person indicates that he or she is united to and believes what the Catholic church teaches. That unity begins with Baptism and by preparing for and making one’s First Holy Communion either as a child or as an adult. It has nothing to do as to whether or not a person is worthy. The inside front cover of the Mass book in your pews gives you the guidelines for receiving Holy Communion.

We are all somewhat spiritually hungry. If we receive communion regularly and often, Jesus guarantees that we will receive spiritual nourishment here on earth and are guaranteed everlasting life. The answer comes just before communion when we pray: THIS IS THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD. HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO ARE CALLED TO HIS SUPPER.