Feast of Corpus Christi

John 6:51-58
LIKE ALL OF YOU I’VE RECEIVED THE HOLY EUCHARIST TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT. BUT THREE TIMES COME TO MIND TODAY.
THE FIRST WAS WHEN I RECEIVED MY FIRST COMMUNION. IT WAS THE SPRING OF MY SECOND GRADE. I HAD BEEN ANTICIPATING IT FOR MANY MONTHS. IN THOSE DAYS AND MAYBE EVEN NOW, YOU COULD BUY NECCO WAFERS WHICH WERE LITTLE SUGAR DISKS, AND I REMEMBER PRETENDING THAT I WAS A PRIEST AND HANDING OUT THE NECCO WAFERS TO MY SISTER AND COUSINS, WHO LOOKED AT ME WITH ENVY BECAUSE I WOULD SOON BE RECEIVING THE REAL THING. AND ON THAT DAY, DRESSED IN MY WHITE SHIRT AND BLACK TIE WALKING NEXT TO SANDRA ROOT IN HER PRETTY WHITE DRESS, THE LORD FED ME WITH HIS BODY AND BLOOD FOR THE FIRST TIME. I REMEMBER HOW I WAS CONSCIOUS OF HIS PRESENCE IN ME, AND I WENT THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY WITHOUT ANNOYING MY SISTER, AND TRYING TO BE GOOD.
THE SECOND TIME WAS AT MY WEDDING. JOAN AND I GOT MARRIED DURING THE TRANSITION TIME, WHEN THE CHURCH WAS MOVING FROM THE OLD TO NEW RITUALS. WE KNELT SIDE BY SIDE IN THE SANCTUARY OF THE CHURCH. IN THE PRESENCE OF THE PRIEST WE CONFERRED THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY ON EACH OTHER. AND THEN WE RECEIVED THE EUCHARIST TOGETHER. I WAS CONSCIOUS AT THAT MOMENT OF HOW SHE AND I HAD VOWED TO SHARE OUR LIVES WITH EACH OTHER, AND WITH US THAT DAY WAS JESUS, WHOSE BODY AND BLOOD WE SHARED AS FOOD AND DRINK, IN THE FIRST MEAL WE HAD AS HUSBAND AND WIFE. RECEIVING THE EUCHARIST TOGETHER CONTINUES TO HELP US LIVE OUT OUR MARRIAGE.
A THIRD TIME WAS WHEN I RECEIVED THE EUCHARIST AT MY MOTHER’S FUNERAL. AT THAT MOMENT I WAS CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD PASSED AWAY, SHE AND I HAD STEPPED OUTSIDE OF TIME WHEN WE RECEIVED THE EUCHARIST; IT IS THE SAME JESUS CHRIST IN ETERNITY WHO FED HER AND FEEDS ME. I LOVED MY MOTHER, BUT THERE WERE WOUNDS IN OUR RELATIONSHIP, FOR HER, I AM SURE, AS WELL AS FOR ME. BUT BECAUSE THE BODY OF JESUS WAS OUR FOOD AND DRINK, AND THE BODY IS ONE, WE BECAME ONE, HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ONE, AND THOSE MOMENTS OF HURT AND ANGER AND DIVISION ARE WASHED AWAY.
THINK OF THE WORDS OF CONSECRATION: THIS IS MY BODY, WHICH IS GIVEN UP FOR YOU. LIKE THAT FIRST COMMUNION, ONE REASON FOR THE EUCHARIST IS THAT JESUS WANTS TO BE UNITED WITH US, SO THAT WE WILL CAN BECOME ONE WITH HIM, SO THAT WE CAN LIVE IN HIM AND RECEIVE HIS GRACE HERE ON EARTH, AND SO THAT WE CAN DIE IN HIM AND RISE IN HIM TO SPEND ETERNITY IN HEAVEN.
THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT: THE COVENANT WHICH JESUS MADE WITH US IS A SACRAMENTAL ONE. ALL THE SACRAMENTS IN A SENSE FLOW FROM THE EUCHARIST, THE SUPREME SACRAMENT. IN A CONTRACT, TWO PARTIES AGREE THAT IF ONE DOES SOMETHING THE OTHER WILL DO SOMETHING. IN A COVENANT, THE TWO PARTIES AGREE THAT EACH WILL DO SOMETHING FOR THE OTHER UNCONDITIONALLY. JESUS GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR YOU AND I BY ENTERING INTO OUR LIFE, BY BECOMING ONE OF US, AND BY DYING ON THE CROSS FOR US. HE HAS UPHELD HIS END. WHEN WE RECEIVE A SACRAMENT, WE ARE SOLEMNLY PROMISING TO HOLD UP OUR END. IN BAPTISM, CONFIRMATION, MATRIMONY, AND HOLY ORDERS WE ENTER INTO THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT IN DIFFERENT WAYS, FOR OUR SAKE AND FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHURCH.
WHICH WILL BE GIVEN FOR YOU AND FOR MANY, FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN: SIN IS DIVISION. DIVISION COMES NATURALLY TO US. SOMETIMES THE DIVISION IS TRIVIAL – YOU ARE EITHER A MEMBER OF MY PARISH OR YOU AREN’T. SOMETIMES IT IS MORE SERIOUS; YOU ARE POOR, I AM RICH; YOU ARE A FOREIGNER, I AM AN AMERICAN. YOU ARE BLACK, I AM WHITE, YOU SPEAK SPANISH, I SPEAK ENGLISH. DIVISIONS MAY MAKE US NOT NOTICE EACH OTHER; MAY MAKE US TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EACH OTHER; MAY RESULT IN VIOLENCE TOWARDS EACH OTHER; DIVISIONS MORE OR LESS DIMINISH OUR HUMANITY. AND THAT IS WHY THE EUCHARIST IS GIVEN FOR YOU AND FOR MANY, FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN. WE EAT THE ONE INDIVISIBLE BREAD AND DRINK FROM THE ONE CUP OF WINE; AND DIVISIONS, EVEN THE DIVISIONS BETWEEN THE LIVING AND THE DEAD, THE PAST AND THE FUTURE, BETWEEN JEW AND GREEK, SLAVE AND FREE, MALE AND FEMALE, ARE ERASED IN CHRIST. WHEN WE EAT THIS BREAD AND DRINK THIS WINE WE PLEDGE TO OVERCOME THOSE DIVISIONS, WHICH ALWAYS LEAD TO DESTRUCTION OF LOVE.
ON FIRST FRIDAY I LIKE TO COME TO SAINT MARY’S IN THE EVENING. THE BLESSED SACRAMENT IS IN THE MONSTRANCE AND GOLDEN RAYS RADIATE FROM IT. I LOOK AT MY LORD FOR A WHILE WITHOUT WORDS. I TRY TO HEAR HIM SPEAK TO MY HEART, AND I TELL HIM WHAT IS ON MY MIND. AND THEN I READ A LITTLE, FROM A SPIRITUAL BOOK, OR A BIOGRAPHY OF A SAINT. SOMETIMES I EVEN DOZE OFF. THERE IS A GREAT PEACE IN BEING IN THE PHYSICAL PRESENCE OF JESUS, KNOWING THAT HE IS LOVES ME AND DOESN'T GIVE UP ON ME, KNOWING THAT HIS GRACES ARE GUARANTEED TO ME THROUGH THE COVENANT SACRAMENTS I’VE RECEIVED AS I GO THROUGH MY LIFE; AND KNOWING THAT WHEN I LOOK AT THE EUCHARIST I SEE MY WIFE, MY MOTHER AND FATHER, MY PATRON SAINTS, MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, -- ALL THOSE I LOVE TAKEN UP INTO THAT ONE BODY BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALL EATEN OF THAT ONE BREAD.
ON THIS FEAST OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST, THANK OUR LORD FOR THE FACT THAT HE GAVE US THIS SACRAMENT. AND IF YOU COME TO ADORATION ON FIRST FRIDAY, AND I HOPE YOU DO, JESUS WILL WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS.