Corpus Christi, 2005 (Year A)

 

On Holy Thursday we commemorate the institution of the first Mass. Today, Corpus Christi, we take a still picture, so to speak, of the consecrated bread and wine. It is as if the Mass were frozen in time at the point of consecration.

We do this, not to separate the Sacrament from the Mass, but to gaze in wonder and to adore that Sacrament, to try and take in this miracle, given by Christ until the end of time out of pure love for us. Much as one would gaze at a beautiful sunrise or sunset, simply for the joy of feeling its wonder and appreciating its beauty, so we gaze at the Blessed Sacrament, the ever rising and never setting sign of the Son of God, truly and substantially present among us.

I want to give a few reminders of basics about the Blessed Sacrament, since we are all inclined to forget and to take for granted what St. Thomas Aquinas called the last and greatest miracle of Christ, that is, the Eucharist.

We often use the word “Eucharist.” This word can mean two things. It can designate the whole Mass, from the sign of the Cross at the beginning to the final blessing at the end. But it also means the actual, consecrated host itself. So the host can be called the Eucharist, but also the Blessed Sacrament or Holy Communion.

All three of these expressions can be used to refer to the host, and also to the consecrated wine. Since the practice of receiving the consecrated wine from the chalice has only been reintroduced in recent years, common parlance usually refers only to the consecrated host when using those three terms I mentioned. But they can also be used to refer to the consecrated wine.

Remember this, however: if I receive just the host, I still receive the whole Christ, body, blood, soul and divinity. Likewise, if I receive only from the chalice, I receive the whole Christ. A small fraction of the consecrated host or a small drop of the consecrated wine contains mercifully within itself the whole Christ.

Receiving both of these expresses more fully the symbolism of the body and blood of the Lord, but I do not receive “less of the Lord” if I receive only one or the other, nor do I receive more of him by receiving both.

By the will of Jesus, only the priest can consecrate bread and wine, and he can only do so during the Mass. Bishop and priest are ordinary ministers of holy communion; lay people or religious are known as extraordinary ministers.

When the Mass is over, the hosts which remain are reserved inside the tabernacle. Christ remains truly present in the hosts so long as they do not decay. We recognize his presence by lighting the sanctuary lamp; this is a custom, among many others, which we inherit from the Jews who were instructed by God to light a lamp in the Temple to signify his presence.

More importantly, we recognize the real presence –and not a mere symbolic presence- of Christ by genuflecting before the tabernacle. The Church asks us to genuflect at Mass only twice: first, when we come in; then when we leave. If we have to move about the Church while inside, it is enough to make a profound bow from the waist if we walk in front of the tabernacle. Genuflecting is an act of faith in the real presence. Unless your physical health does not permit it, you should genuflect fully by making one knee fully touch the floor. I suggest that when you do that, you make a short prayer to the Lord, e.g. “Lord Jesus, I adore you!” or “Blessed are you, o Lord!” or some other such prayer. This helps to focus and give meaning to your physical gesture.

On coming to Holy Communion, the Bishops’ Conference has decided that the normal posture for receiving the sacrament should be to stand. Anyone who kneels will of course not be denied the sacrament, but they should be aware that this may cause inconvenience to those behind them. Everyone should show some sign of reverence before receiving, for example, a bow or a sign of the Cross.

The Church also celebrates the real presence of Jesus in the consecrated hosts in what we call exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. Exposition refers to the placing of the consecrated host into a tall vessel in such a way that the host can be seen. This vessel is called the monstrance, from the Latin word for “to show.” It is placed on the altar for people to gaze at and adore the Blessed Sacrament contained in it.

Exposition can be temporal, lasting anything from five minutes to an hour, or permanent, as exists in some Churches in our Archdiocese. Benediction is a rite or service during which the priest lifts up the monstrance and solemnly blesses the assembled congregation with it.

Exposition and benediction are two ways of showing our faith, love and gratitude to Christ for the humility of his presence among us. They are fruitful opportunities for silent prayer in which we can surrender to him all our needs, prayers and petitions.

Here at St. Andrew’s, we have exposition and benediction in our parish on the first Saturdays of the month after the 8.30 am Mass. Usually, we have only 10 or 15 people present. I know you all have busy lives. Even if all 2,000 or so parishioners came only once per year we should have some 150 people every Saturday! And yet ... Christ is the meaning of our life; Christ is our life!

Can we really be so busy that one first Saturday in the year we cannot come and spend an extra hour of prayer, praise and adoration before him? Think how often we complain about being so busy: why not try to remedy that, by coming and being quietly engaged in his consoling presence and love?

One of the words for the consecrated host is Holy Communion. Christ comes among us not merely to be gazed at, but to be consumed, to commune with us. Holy Communion also refers, then, to the act of being made one with him. The whole point of the Mass is such communion.

He died and rose again, not to show off what he could do, but so that all men and women would enter into communion with him, and so find eternal life. The consecration takes place for the sake of Holy Communion.

Of course, the kind of communion in question is not only nor primarily some private communion between Jesus and me: it is the communion of all of us with Jesus and, through him, with one another. This is how the Church, the true Church, grows. Holy Communion is first and foremost the communion between the three Persons of the Trinity: through the consecrated host, we are absorbed into that communion if we receive the host with the proper disposition.

Communion is not something human beings create by their own efforts. It is a gift which descends from above and is given to us through Holy Communion. Holy Communion literally makes us divine, because it gives to us an ever deeper share in the communion of life and love of God himself.

The true parish spirit, then, is not created from social initiatives, even although these be good and welcome. It is not the school which gives real life to St. Andrew’s! It is the Holy Communion of God transmitted to each and to all who receive the Eucharist. Such deep communion cannot be created by us, no matter how good or sincere our efforts. It is a gift which lies and lives at the deepest level of who we are which may, or may not, show itself in external feel-good activities.

Holy Communion shows itself rather in our individual and communal faith; it shows itself in how we give hope and encouragement to one another in the midst of life; it shows itself above all in the charity with which we speak to and about one another, with which we consider and act for one another and, perhaps most of all, with which we forgive one another.

Holy Communion begins with each one, but does not end there: if it does, it is neither holy nor communion. Holy Communion has two related effects: to understand and to thank the Lord for the depths of his love for me and to show that love to one another.

Clearly, for this reason, one should be very well prepared for receiving Holy Communion. If you are conscious of mortal sin, you must ordinarily receive sacramental absolution before coming to Holy Communion. What sense can it have if you know your heart is far from God and yet you come to receive the sacrament which is the sign of closeness to God? If your desire to come closer is sincere, you will be anxious to find a confessor.

To prepare for Mass, you should try and look at the readings before it begins, even at home, and focus your attention on the seriousness of what you are about to do.

You should be here on time. What sense does it make to be late for Calvary, for the Last Supper, for the Resurrection, for Eternity? What are you going to do with those extra five or ten minutes that you linger at home before coming out? Far better spend them on your knees before Christ.

Try to pay attention with head and heart when you are at Mass; it can be difficult, but it can be done. Try to stay a few minutes afterwards to say thankyou to Christ and to make resolutions about how you will better love during the coming week.

When you come to Church, try and observe silence. I know that some of you cannot, because you have to prepare things for the congregation. Try to come looking your best, as a sign of respect and love for Christ and for your brethren. They deserve it and you deserve it.

One day the Blessed Sacrament will be transformed into the actual bodily presence of the Lord. Let, then, your soul and your body be ready now to receive him as he deserves.

Catholic Christian, know your dignity and present yourself worthily and lovingly before your Redeemer who comes to you in the breathtaking humility of the Eucharist.

Let me end quoting the old prayer that used to be said around communion time in some parts of the world. It was written by St. Thomas Aquinas:

 

“O sacred feast in which we partake of Christ:

his sufferings are remembered,

our minds are filled with his grace and

we receive a pledge of the glory that is to be ours. Amen.”

 

 

Msgr. Peter Magee

Sunday, May 29^th, 2005