Homily: Father Paul Beach
June 10, 2007
Today the Church celebrates the feast of Corpus
Christi: the Body and Blood of the Lord. Today we are reminded of our
foundational belief as Catholics that the Lord is present: body, blood, soul,
and divinity, in the Eucharist. Under the appearance of Bread and Wine, our Lord
gives us His very Body and Blood.
A deep belief in the presence of Christ in the
Eucharist has been held from the very earliest times of the Church’s history.
St. Paul once said: "the bread we break, is it not a sharing in the body of the
Lord? The cup we drink, is it not Christ’s blood poured out for us?" This belief
in Christ’s presence in the Eucharist motivated so many early Christians, in the
midst of persecution and danger, to risk even death to celebrate the Mass. They
did so secretly, in catacombs and in homes.
While this belief in the Eucharistic presence of the
Lord has been there from the beginning, the feast we celebrate today has its
origins in the 13th century. A priest from what is modern-day Prague
was journeying to Rome on pilgrimage. Almost all the way there, he stopped near
a small town in Italy called Orvieto. While celebrating the Mass, he prayed our
Lord to deepen his belief in the real presence. At the consecration a miracle
occurred, and small drops of blood began to appear on the host. Awe-struck by
what he was seeing, the priest wrapped the host in the corporal (the white cloth
on the top of the altar) and presented it to Pope Urban, who in turn used it as
impetus to institute the feast of Corpus Christi. This feast continues to this
day, and is marked by processions, special songs to honor the Blessed Sacrament,
and a general attitude of thanksgiving to God for giving us such an opportunity
to have His presence with us. As a side note, I had the special privilege
several years ago to celebrate Mass on the very altar in Orvieto where the
miracle occurred.
What we celebrate today is the single most important
event that takes place in our entire world. It signifies the breaking of God
into our existence in a real and tangible way. In palaces and castles throughout
the world, kings and presidents sit surrounded by splendor and wealth. But here
on our humble altar, the king of the universe comes to us.
If I were to tell you that next week the Queen of
England would be here to visit, or Tiger Woods, or Michael Jordan, or Bill
Gates, or whoever, then you can imagine how many hundreds if not thousands of
people would turn out for the event, anxious to get a glimpse of the celebrity.
It would also be my guess, that given the opportunity, every single one of us
would love to go over to Ft. Knox, go into the gold depository, and pick out a
bar to take home all for our own. Movies have been made, people have dreamed of
doing such a thing. But we have something far more precious here. What more
valuable, what more significant gift could we receive? Something more precious
than silver or gold, platinum or diamonds. More special than kings and queens,
presidents or celebrities. The Eucharist that is placed upon our altar is the
very presence of the Lord, and yet how few of us in comparison are here.
The time has come for us Catholics to better cultivate
an appreciation for the Eucharist. We need to do those little things that
reinforce our fundamental belief in Christ’s presence with us. Little things
like genuflecting to the Eucharist in the tabernacle, keeping an atmosphere of
prayer before and after Mass, being attentive to the way we dress and speak in
church. We need to be more purposeful about how we receive Communion. Things
such as making a good Confession on a regular basis, to prepare in my heart a
worthy dwelling for God. Other, simple things such as the way in which I receive
Communion at Mass. Doing so with reverence. If you receive Communion in the hand
then fold them nicely. If your preference is to receive on the tongue then do so
with reverence (and please, try not to lick my fingers!). When the priest or
Eucharistic minister says to you: "the Body of Christ" say "Amen." Think of it
as a question. The person is asking you: "do you believe this is the Body or
Blood of Christ?" "Amen! Yes, I believe." These simple things, things that don’t
take much effort or energy to do, can drastically reinforce within us an
awareness of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist.
The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord was
established in the thirteenth century to promote respect and reverence for the
Eucharist. The celebration has retained its purpose. We need to stop today and
consider our reception of communion. We need to ask God to rekindle in us and in
all our people the awe, the respect, and the reverence that is fundamental to
understanding the reality of the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Jesus
Christ. Let us pray that the Lord will enkindle in us a deep love for Him, in
all the ways that He comes to us.
| Intercessions Response: Lord, hear our prayer
Procession
Congregation follows the server to the altar in the
cemetery,
where Benediction will take place.
|
 |
Prayer
Benediction
Divine Praises
Blessed be God
Blessed be His Holy Name
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man
Blessed be the name of Jesus
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood
Blessed be Jesus in the most holy sacrament of the
altar
Blessed be the Holy Spirit the Paraclete
Blessed be the great mother of God, Mary most holy
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception
Blessed be her glorious Assumption
Blessed be the name of Mary, virgin and mother
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse
Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints
Closing Hymn: I Am the
Bread of Life
I am the bread of life. You who come to me shall not
hunger;
And who believe in me shall not thirst. No one can come
to me
Unless the Father beckons.
Refrain: And I will raise you up, and I will raise you
up,
And I will raise you up on the last day.
The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of
the world,
And if you eat of this bread, you shall live forever,
You shall live forever. Refrain
I am the resurrection. I am the life. If you believe in
me,
Even though you die, you shall live forever. Refrain
