Theme: God comes to stay in us through the Sacrament of Eucharist
Scripture Readings: Deut. 8:2-3, 14-16; Ps. 147: 12-15, 19-20; 1 Cor. 10:16-17; J. 6:51-58
I was recently conversing with a family who lives abroad, and they were blessed with a baby girl during the lockdown. However, the newborn had a very high C-reactive protein (CRP) owing to some kind of infection in her body, therefore, the doctors had to administer injections to the baby. And because of which, the baby used to cry in pain, and the parents used to wrap their arms around the baby to comfort her. Eventually, the baby recovered from the infection and the injections were stopped, but the baby developed a habit to remain in the arms of the parents, which became a difficulty for the parents. I learnt a lesson in their sharing. The child was finding security in the arms of her parents. As a matter of fact, all of us need the presence of someone in our lives. We cannot remain in silence for more than five minutes. The silence kills us; I once visited a lady who was working in the kitchen but her television set was on. I questioned her for what she had kept the television set on. She replied that she wanted to have a feeling that she was not alone but someone was around her. We all need some presence around us.
God understands our difficulties and needs. The book of Genesis tells us that Adam and Eve our ancestors lived with God. (Gen. 3:8) When they sinned, God sent them away from the garden. (Gen. 3:23) Man was put away from the presence of God but not eternally. God made constant efforts to be with man. There are many references where God made His presence known to man. He would appear in the cloud. He was present in the ark of the covenant. He was present in the leaders. He also made his presence known when he rescued the Israelites from Pharaoh; he also fed the people with manna and gave them water to drink in the wilderness.
We heard it the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy, that many times it was foretold that God wanted to live among the people of Israel. (Ex. 29:45; Ezk. 37:27; Zech. 2:10; Is. 57: 15). Jesus is the fulfilment of that promise made by God to the people of Israel. Jesus’s birth and the ascension show the fulfilment of God’s promise. St. Mathew, the evangelist tells us, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel which means (God with us)” (Mt. 1:23). Jesus also promised his apostles just before the ascension, “I will be with you always, even until the end of the world” (Mt. 28:20).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, Jesus fulfils the promise of staying with us by His words and in his Spirit (CCC no. 1378). The Eucharist is the ultimate expression of Jesus being present with us. Many saints have expressed their thoughts on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. St. Jean Marie Vianney is one of them. People noticed that he was in ecstasy while celebrating the mass. His eyes would tear up when he spoke about this gift of Jesus. He would often only be able to point to the tabernacle and repeat, “He is there!” Often he made pauses while praying his office and looked at the tabernacle with eyes that were filled with joy so alive that people believed that he was seeing Our Lord!
The Eucharist is a multi-faceted gift of Jesus to all of us. Vatican II has taught us that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our lives. Our faith sprung from the Holy Eucharist. All the sacraments are celebrated in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Therefore, it is called the most august sacrament. The Eucharist helps us to remember Jesus’ sacrifice. It gives us spiritual nourishment. It gives us salvation. It makes us one family. It also gives us a mission. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that the Eucharist is thanksgiving and praise to the Father, it is a sacrificial memorial of Jesus Christ and the real presence of Christ.
God in his divine plan made the Holy Eucharist a means by which he would abide perpetually in our midst. Jesus is really present in the Sacrament of Eucharist is the belief of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is one of the few churches that believe in the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Today’s feast of Corpus Christi gives us a chance to celebrate our faith in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Apart from the teaching of Jesus in the Gospel on the Eucharist, there are numerous Eucharistic miracles are reported and accepted by the Catholic Church from centuries. This feast was instituted in the late thirteenth century. A German priest, Peter of Prague was on his pilgrimage to Rome. He had serious doubts on the real presence of Christ in the form of bread and wine. While celebrating Holy Mass at the Church of St. Christina, at the time of consecration, the blood started flowing from the host. It dripped on his hands and then on the corporal (linen). He could not continue the sacrifice. He approached Pope Urban IV who was then residing in Orvieto, Italy, not in Rome. The pope pardoned him for his unbelief. The corporal and the host was solemnly received in the Cathedral of Orvieto. The corporal is still preserved in a glass case in the Cathedral till this date. Pope Urban requested St. Thomas Aquinas to compose prayers for the feast. One year later the feast was installed in the liturgical calendar. St. Paul VI during the liturgical renewal after the Vatican II clubbed feast of body and blood of Christ and is now celebrated on the Thursday after the Holy Trinity Sunday. Some countries have shifted this feast on the following Sunday.
This feast is a reminder to all of us to have faith in the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus tells us in the Gospel today “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him.” (Jn. 6: 56). It was God’s marvellous plan that He wanted to live among us. He comes to dwell in our lives through the Eucharist.
The baby cannot live with her parents’ presence. She wants her parents to be around her. That gives her security. Can we be like this little baby in the arm of our dear Jesus so that we may feel His presence? Let us pray that we may grow in the presence of Jesus with the gift of Eucharist.
