Corpus Christi 2016

Picture by John Synder

In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist “the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.”[Council of Trent (1551): DS 1651.] “This presence is called ‘real’ – by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be ‘real’ too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present.”[Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei 39]— from Catechism of the Catholic Church 1374

This is something that all Catholics are to believe.  We believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharistic species. I know that there are times when I give in to the temptation of ritualism and do not treat the Eucharistic sacrament with the honour and respect that it deserves. I am so caught up in making sure that the gestures at Mass are properly made and the prayers properly recited that I forget that the risen Jesus is really present. As a priest. if I truly believe that the risen Jesus is really present, then, I need to show it by the way the Mass is celebrated.

When the scriptures speak of the Eucharist as real food and real drink (John 6:47-58), it means that the Eucharist as Body and Blood of Christ gives us spiritual nourishment.  In the liturgy, the Word and the Eucharist provide us full spiritual nourishment.  To receive one without the other would lead to an ‘unbalanced meal.’ Yet I have observed that there are many who come in to Church just before the Sanctus is sung and leave almost immediately after receiving communion. Yet the precepts of the Church are as follows (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2042):

The first precept (“You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.”) requires the faithful to participate in the Eucharistic celebration when the Christian community gathers together on the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord. 

The second precept (“You shall confess your sins at least once a year.”) ensures preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation, which continues Baptism's work of conversion and forgiveness. 

The third precept (“You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.”) guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord's Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy.

Notice that the first precept speaks of attendance at Mass, (i.e. from its beginning to the end) and not the reception of Holy Communion on Sundays. While it is best to receive communion at the Mass one attends, the reception of communion without being present at the Mass does not satisfy the first precept.  Aha! Father, you might say, you are being Pharisaical; you are too legalistic.  Yes, I agree.  However, wanting to do the minimum just to satisfy the law can be seen as legalistic as well.  When we think that just receiving communion on a Sunday means that we have fulfilled the precept come  to Church on Sundays, are we not being legalistic as well? When we celebrate Mass as a community, the sign of communion becomes meaningful.  To receive communion just as food without giving any attention to community worship robs communion of its meaning.  In fact, when we bring communion to the housebound, it is seen as the extension of Mass.  Because they are not physically with us at Mass (for a very valid reason), they should be doing their best in prayer with an attitude of wanting to be with the community.  Communion given to them then becomes the sign that they are indeed one with the community at worship even when they cannot be physically present.  That argument cannot be used with the able bodied, especially when they do not have a valid reason for not being with the community in worship.

Corpus Christi is the celebration of the Body and Blood of Christ.  The sacramental Body and Blood of Christ becomes meaningful in the context of the Mystical Body of Christ (the Church present as community) at worship at Mass.  The Mystical Body of Christ receives the real Body of Christ in the Eucharist expressing the sign that they are indeed in communion as one body.

This week, as we celebrate Corpus Christi, I pray that we may all be able to reflect a little of how each of us is expressing the communion one has with the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ.  Receiving communion is important in our Catholic life.  However, the communion we live in the community, the Church, is more important. Let us pray that we will be able to authentically express our communion with others in the Church by our actions in life so that when we receive the real Body of Christ at Mass this week, we give it the proper significance it has.