Feast of Corpus Christi (Mk 14:12-16,22-26) “A Transformational Event.”
Feast of Corpus Christi (Mk 14:12-16,22-26) “A Transformational Event.”
The Eucharistic mystery can be overwhelming. The signs, symbols, actions described in scripture on this feast are like dots on a page that need to be connected so we can understand the big picture. We have the story of how the Israelites entered a covenant with God in the Book of Exodus. Animals are slaughtered. Blood is thrown at people. All this seems very violent. We also have the story of the Advent of the New Covenant in the Gospel of Mark. In this story, the friends of Jesus gather around a table to share a private meal together. Jesus’ followers are asked to eat his body and drink his blood. The one thing that is consistent in these stories is that the experience described is meant to be a transformative event.
We live in a polarized world. It is ironic that polarization carries over into discussions about the Eucharist. Is the Eucharist primarily a sacrifice or is the Eucharist primarily a meal involving Christians? Our understanding determines the orthodoxy of a believer for some. For some the meaning of the Eucharistic meal shared the night before he died must be tied to his death on the cross. The emphasis is on the fact that Jesus is physically present in the Eucharistic elements. For others the most important thing about the Mass is the fact that when we share the Eucharistic meal, we become what we consume. Christians become the Body of Christ.
Like so many things, however, the Theology of the Eucharist isn’t a choice between two opinions, but all this Eucharistic Theology is one truth. We see that the Theology of the Old Covenant is a precursor to the New Covenant. When we read about the institution of the Old Covenant, we read about the sacrifice of two young bulls on an altar by Moses. What is this ritual really? The act of worship is a meal with God. Part of the meat was burned completely, part of it was consumed by the priest, part of it was consumed by the people. The temple in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus was a gigantic butchering operation. People would come to the Temple to worship God by making a sacrifice. The animal was slaughtered and burned in a prescribed way. Some of the meat was always given back to the one who instigated the sacrifice. The idea was that the best way to interact with someone else is to have a meal with them. The people of Israel had meals with God.
The sacrificial meal Moses offered was a transformational event. Israel became God’s people. The blood sprinkled on them represented life. God was breathing new life into the people who were sprinkled. The Israelites were chosen. After the sacrifice the people were to act in ways that reflected God’s holiness.
When Jesus sat down with his disciples at the Last Supper, he was also having a sacred meal with them. We like to say that his meal was unbloody, but the New Covenant was sealed with the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.
The common denominator between the two meals is that people who took part were altered. The meals were meant to be a turning point
If the Eucharist we share doesn’t change us, then it means little. We have four actions that we engage in during the Eucharistic meal. Bread and wine are taken, blessed, broken and poured out, and shared. We are the Eucharistic elements. We are taken which means we are chosen. We are blessed, which means we are consecrated for a holy purpose. We are broken and poured out which means that we will be tested in our life by any number of circumstances. Finally, we are sent out to share our faith with others. Our brokenness makes us one with the rest of humanity. We share our confidence in the Lord amid the turmoil of the world.
In the Eucharist we repeatedly say amen to our Christian vocation. All of this is not meant to be confusing, but is meant to be a glorious sign of our life with Christ, a life that is holy, a life that will last for all eternity.
Reflection Questions:
1. Have I ever thought of the sacrifice in the temple as a meal with God? Why or why not?
2. Do I feel transformed when I leave Mass? Am I ready to go out and change the world?
Dear Parishioners,
During Lent we had a special program called His Heart our Hands. We asked people to pledge to the offertory. The offertory is the financial life blood of our parish. Without these monies we cannot function. During upcoming months, we will highlight certain activities that are funded by our offertory collection.
Recently, we celebrated the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation. Almost one hundred Children received these sacraments in April and May. It is important to emphasize the spiritual benefit to all involved. This is a sign of hope for our church.
Fiscally, there are expenses to these events. Receptions are held, musicians are hired to enhance the liturgy, programs are run, staff are paid to do the planning. Your donations to the His Heart our Hands offertory program have helped fund these sacramental events.
People often complement the liturgies that take place at Sacred Heart. The church teaches that the sacraments need to be celebrated with dignity and with a vibrancy that uplifts the faithful. Bless all of you who support our parish. Please continue to send your charity our way.
May Our Lady of Peace pray for us,
Fr. Mark
P.S. We received many prayer requests during the His Heart Our Hands offertory drive. Each Sunday at the 9:15 a.m. Mass the priest offers Mass for the intentions of the people. We will remember the prayer requests we received at that time. A lot of the prayer requests revolved around asking God to inspire relatives to return to the practice of their faith. The clergy will be praying for that in a special way in the weeks ahead as we preside at Mass.