Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
(Exodus 24:3-8; Hebrews 9:11-15; Mark 14:22-26)
Spouses should know what a covenant is. They
have entered into a covenant with one another in their marriage. A covenant
goes beyond a contract that is limited to specifically stated terms. The
covenant is a solemn promise by which one party promises to bless or serve
another in a more or less general way. In marriage the spouses promise to love
and respect each other for life. The first reading gives us another example of a
covenant.
Out of mercy God wanted to enter into a
covenant with humans. He has fulfilled this intention in stages. The reading of
Exodus shows a primary stage -- the Mosaic covenant. It specifies that the
people of Israel will be his people if they fulfill all the commandments of the
Law. In return, God will protect them from their enemies and give them the
fertile land of their ancestors. The Israelites don't shrink from making the
commitment. They say with one voice, “All that the Lord has said, we will heed
and do." Then Moses sprinkles the people with the blood of the burnt animal
offerings to seal the covenant.
In the gospel Jesus makes a final covenant
between God and humans. It is open not only to a small nation but to the whole
world. It also includes a holocaust or sacrifice, not of animals but of Jesus
himself. Those who share in this covenant instead of being sprinkled take his
body and blood in the consecrated bread and wine. The Eucharist then is the
means by which they participate in the new covenant. However, it is not simply consuming
His Body and Blood that makes it someone a party of the covenant. He or she
also has to promise to obey God's will as Jesus has taught.
The second reading from the Letter to the
Hebrews helps us understand the effect of the covenant that Jesus made. It says that Jesus’ shedding his own blood had
greater efficacy than the animal sacrifices of the Mosaic covenant. Sprinkling
with the blood of animals only cleanses sinners outwardly so that they might
participate in worship. But Jesus sacrifice of himself achieved forgiveness of
sins and cleansing of conscience. In this way Christians can offer sacrifices
of prayer and works that deserve eternal life.
Before we take the body and blood of
Christ, we must pledge our allegiance to Christ. It is a matter of accepting
both his doctrine and his way of living. Like the Israelites we have to say,
"Whatever the Lord says, we will heed and do." For this reason some
bishops oppose giving Communion to Catholic politicians who facilitate
abortion, which God condemns. Recently the debate has intensified because the
president of the United States, Joe Biden, a Catholic, has amplified access to
abortion. I will not say that a bishop should or should not deny a politician
the sacred host in his diocese. But I think that the reason for such a
significant step must be the concern for the politician's soul. If the motive
is just to force changes in the law, it seems to me to be the Church's undue
meddling in politics.
There used to be a general custom of processing
with the Blessed Sacrament on the Feast of Corpus Christi. The procession took place not only on the
parish grounds but throughout city neighborhoods or the fields of the countryside.
The motive was to bestow a free blessing to everyone whom the procession
encountered. It showed how Christ wants to offer everyone the covenant with
God. They could join with him in the pursuit of eternal life while he would
help them clear their consciences. The Body and Blood of Christ is an
invaluable treasure which we should never overlook. It is an invaluable
treasure.
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