Corpus Christi (Body of Christ)

A FEW MONTHS UNDER TWO YEARS AGO I WEIGHED 35 POUNDS MORE THAN I DO NOW. MY USUAL PATTERN WAS TO FAST DURING LENT, LOSE MY WEIGHT, THEN GRADUALLY GAIN IT BACK, PLUS A FEW EXTRA POUNDS, BY THE TIME THE NEXT LENT CAME. EVERY DAY I FAITHFULLY EXERCISED BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM TO HELP. FINALLY I DECIDED THAT I JUST HAD TO CHANGE THE WAY I ATE. SO I ELIMINATED BAD THINGS FROM MY DIET. THAT MEANT NO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. I DON'T THINK I EVER TURNED DOWN A CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE. THE FIST ONES I REMEMBER EATING WERE WHEN I WAS ABOUT FOUR. WHERE I WORK, THEY ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE, WHENEVER PEOPLE ARE HAVING A MEETING, OR EVEN IN THE CAFETERIA – FRESHLY BAKED, LARGE, SOFT AND CHEWY.
AND WHEN I WENT ON MY DIET, I BEGAN TO FEEL SORRY FOR MYSELF. I WAS A LITTLE ANGRY. IT DIDN'T SEEM FAIR. I COULD GIVE MOST FOOD UP, BUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES?
BUT THE WEIGHT CAME OFF, AND I FELT BETTER, AND I HAD TO PUT NEW NOTCHES IN MY BELTS. I HAVEN'T EATEN A CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE SINCE THE DAY I STARTED MY DIET.
ITS INTERESTING HOW WE RESENT DOING WHAT IS GOOD FOR US. TELL A SMOKER THAT CIGARETTES ARE BAD FOR HIS HEALTH, AND HE GETS ANGRY. TELL SOMEONE WHO IS OVERWEIGHT THAT HER LIFE COULD BE SO MUCH BETTER IF SHE COULD LOSE WEIGHT AND SHE WILL TELL YOU ITS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, WHICH, I GUESS, IT ISN'T. TELL A COUCH POTATO THAT IF HE DOESN'T GET UP AND GET MOVING, HE'S SETTING HIMSELF UP FOR A HEART ATTACK. THAT WILL MAKE HIM MAD. I KNOW BECAUSE I AM A PHYSICIAN, AND I TELL PEOPLE THESE THINGS AS PART OF MY JOB, AND THEY GET MAD OR MAKE EXCUSES BUT VERY FEW TRY TO CHANGE.
IT IS THE SAME WAY IN OUR SPIRITUAL LIVES. WE CATHOLICS BELIEVE THAT THE HOLY EUCHARIST IS THE SUMMIT OF OUR CHRISTIAN LIVES. WE BELIEVE THAT THE BREAD AND WINE BECOME THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. AND WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS LEFT HIS CHURCH WITH THIS MIRACLE, NOT TO SHOW OFF, NOT TO PROVE HE WAS GOD, BUT BECAUSE OUT OF LOVE FOR US HE WANTED TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO BECOME ONE WITH HIM, NOT JUST IN A SPIRITUAL WAY, BUT IN A WAY THAT ENCOMPASSES ALL OF ME, AND ALL OF HIM. WHEN JESUS IS PRESENT AS EUCHARIST, IT IS HIS BODY AND BLOOD, HIS SOUL, HIS DIVINITY; SINCE HIS DIVINITY IS THERE, SO IS THE FATHER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. SINCE HIS HUMANITY IS THERE, SO IS EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER BECOME ONE WITH JESUS – HOPEFULLY YOUR ANCESTORS AND MINE; CERTAINLY THE SAINTS, THE BLESSED MOTHER, THE APOSTLES, THE HOLY ANGELS. WHEN WE RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST, WE RECEIVE HEAVEN.
AND MORE THAN THAT. THE EUCHARIST OFFERS US JESUS' OWN STRENGTH, HIS WISDOM, HIS LOVE. THESE ARE ALL THINGS JESUS PROMISED.
BUT ST. THOMAS TELLS US THAT IF A PIECE OF THE EUCHARIST FELL ON THE FLOOR AND WAS EATEN BY A MOUSE, THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE MOUSE IS THAT HE WOULD GAIN A COUPLE OF CALORIES. THE BENEFITS OF THE EUCHARIST ARE IN DIRECT PROPORTION TO THE PREPARATION AND THE DISPOSITION OF THE PERSON RECEIVING. BECAUSE SO MANY ARE NOT PREPARED AND NOT DISPOSED, THEY NEVER CHANGE, THEY NEVER RECEIVE THE MIRACLES THE EUCHARIST PROMISES. AND OF COURSE WHEN PEOPLE HEAR THAT THEY MAY NOT BE RECEIVING THE EUCHARIST PROPERLY, SOMETIMES THEY GET MAD OR MAKE EXCUSES.
ST. THOMAS TELLS US THAT IF WE WANT TO RECEIVE THE BENEFITS OF THE EUCHARIST, WE MUST NOT BE “FALSE PERSONS”. FALSE PERSONS ARE THOSE WHO SAY ONE THING AND DO ANOTHER. IF WE ARE TO GET THE MOST FROM THE EUCHARIST, WE MUST BE TRYING TO LIVE LIKE JESUS. THE CLOSER WE ARE TO JESUS, THE MORE THE EUCHARIST WILL BENEFIT US. AT THE SAME TIME, TO RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST WITHOUT THOUGHT, TO RECEIVE WHILE WE ARE IN THE STATE OF SIN, TO RECEIVE WITHOUT BELIEF – THEN THE EUCHARIST DOESN'T DO US ANY GOOD AT ALL AND MAY EVEN HARM US. ST. PAUL TELLS US THAT IF WE EAT AND DRINK THE BODY AND BLOOD UNWORTHILY, WE WILL BE EATING AND DRINKING JUDGMENT ON OURSELVES.
NOW YOU AND I KNOW ALL THIS. IF WE ARE HERE SUNDAY AFTER SUNDAY, THERE IS AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT OF US THAT REALIZES THAT SOMETHING SPECIAL GOES ON HERE DURING MASS. BUT SOME OF US NEVER QUITE MAKE IT TO MASS ON TIME. SOME OF US LIKE TO LEAVE EARLY SO AS TO BEAT THE TRAFFIC. SOME OF US READ THE BULLETIN DURING THE PARTS OF THE MASS WE FIND DULL. A LOT OF US DON'T SING, WHICH MEANS THAT WE DON'T PARTICIPATE FULLY. SOME OF US LET OUR MINDS WANDER TO OTHER PLACES AND TIMES.
AND SOME OF US COME TO CHURCH IN BEACH CLOTHES, AND SOME OF US COME TO RECEIVE AND SHOW NO REVERENCE AT ALL FOR THE MIRACLE THAT IS BEFORE US; AND I'VE SEEN PEOPLE RECEIVE WHILE CHEWING GUM.
THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO IF WE ARE TO RECEIVE WORTHILY. FIRST, WE HAVE TO BE FREE FROM MORTAL SIN. IF WE ARE CONSCIOUS OF MORTAL SIN, WE NEED TO GO TO CONFESSION. SECOND, WE HAVE TO BE ENGAGED IN THE MASS. THAT MEANS SINGING, RESPONDING, JOINING OUR VOICES WITH EACH OTHER IN THE COMMON PRAYERS. THIRD, WE NEED TO ACTIVELY BELIEVE. THAT MEANS THAT WE OFFER OURSELVES, OUR JOBS, OUR FAMILIES, OUR TROUBLES, OUR JOYS, WHEN THE PRIEST IS OFFERING THE BREAD AND WINE. WE BELIEVE THAT EVERYTHING WE OFFER IS TRANSFORMED, JUST AS THE BREAD AND WINE ARE TRANSFORMED, AT THE CONSECRATION. THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO WHO TRANFORMS THE BREAD AND WINE, CAN TRANSFORM EVERYTHING IN OUR LIVES SO THAT IT FULFILLS GOD'S PLAN. AND FINALLY, WHEN WE RECEIVE JESUS IN THE EUCHARIST, WE BELIEVE THAT HE SATISFIES OUR HUNGRY HEART, AS THE SONG GOES. ST. AUGUSTINE SAID THAT OUR HEARTS ARE RESTLESS UNTIL THEY REST IN JESUS. WHEN WE RECEIVE JESUS IN THE EUCHARIST, WE MUST DESIRE THAT HE SATISFY THAT RESTLESSNESS, THAT HE MAKE US MORE LIKE HIMSELF, THAT HE MAKE US MORE THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF HIS FATHER; BECAUSE THAT IS WHY HE GAVE US THE EUCHARIST.
AND PLEASE, BE REVERENT; BOW YOUR HEADS BEFORE YOU RECEIVE. THE HOLY EUCHARIST IS NOT A THING; HE IS ALIVE, HE IS JESUS. HANDLE HIS BODY LIKE YOU WOULD HANDLE A PRECIOUS DIAMOND OR A HELPLESS BABY. AND AFTER YOU FULFILL HIS COMMAND, AFTER YOU EAT HIS BODY AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, REST WITH HIM AWHILE. CLOSE YOUR EYES AND LISTEN; OFFER THE DEEPEST PRAYERS IN YOUR HEART; ASK HIM TO BECOME ONE WITH YOU.
TODAY MY GRANDSON DREW AND MY GRAND DAUGHTER MARYA SQUIRE ARE RECEIVING THEIR FIRST HOLY COMMUNION. THEY ARE INVITING JESUS TO LIVE IN THEM, TO WORK ON THEM, AND TO MAKE THEM INTO SAINTS.
LET US ALL PRAY THAT WE WILL APPROACH THE HOLY EUCHARIST TODAY, AS WE DID SO LONG AGO, WHEN WE RECEIVED OUR FIRST COMMUNION. AND LET US PRAY THAT JESUS THROUGH THIS COMMUNION WILL MAKE US ALL INTO SAINTS.