Corpus Christi, 2009

MARK 14:12-16; 22-26
TODAY IS THE FEAST OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. ALTHOUGH WE CELEBRATE MOST SUNDAYS AND HOLY DAYS IN COMMON WITH OUR PROTESTANT AND ORTHODOX BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THIS FEAST IS A PECULIARLY CATHOLIC FEAST. ALTHOUGH THE ORTHODOX AGREE WITH US ON THE NATURE OF THIS SACRAMENT, FOR SOME REASON IT IS ONLY IN THE WESTERN CHURCH THAT DEVOTION TO THE EUCHARIST REACHED THE HEIGHTS IT HAS. SO WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT THE EUCHARIST THAT HASN'T BEEN SAID? IT IS THE BODY AND BLOOD, SOUL AND DIVINITY OF JESUS CHRIST, AND IT IS GIVEN TO US FOR OUR SPIRITUAL FOOD. HOW PRIVILEGED WE ARE, AND YET, HOW LITTLE WE FEEL IT, HOW LITTLE WE APPRECIATE IT. BUT I THINK IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO TURN TO OUR MOTHER MARY, THE FIRST PERSON TO RECEIVE WITHIN HERSELF JESUS CHRIST, TRUE GOD, TRUE MAN.
FIRST, MARY TEACHES US THE PROPER ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE EUCHARIST; WHEN THE ANGEL COMES TO HER SHE RESPONDS, “DO UNTO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.” WE RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST TO BE TRANSFORMED, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT WE MAKE THIS PRAYER OUR OWN, THAT IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE WILL BE TRANSFORMED.
AT THAT MOMENT, WE LEARN, JESUS WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT; AN EMBRYONIC STEM CELL WAS CREATED FROM THE SUBSTANCE OF MARY'S BODY, WHICH BECAME AN EMBRYO, A FETUS, AND FINALLY A BABY. BECAUSE JESUS WAS LIKE US IN ALL BUT SIN; HE WENT THROUGH THE SAME DEVELOPMENT YOU AND I DO; AND THE SCRIPTURES TELL US THAT AT THE MOMENT MARY GAVE HERE CONSENT, JESUS WAS CONCEIVED. SURELY IF WE UNDERSTAND THIS, WE UNDERSTAND THE CHURCH'S UNDYING OPPOSITION TO ABORTION.
SECOND, MARY GOES TO ELIZABETH. THE SCRIPTURES TELL US THAT ELIZABETH WAS ALSO PREGNANT, AND THE PURPOSE OF MARY'S VISIT WAS TO HELP OUT HER ELDERLY COUSIN. WHEN WE RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST, WE RECEIVE GOD'S OWN SELF, FREELY, AS A GIFT WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO HAVE. AND A PERFECT SOUL, LIKE MARY, CAN'T HELP BUT GET UP AND GO GIVE HERSELF TO OTHERS; TO OFFER OURSELVES TO OTHERS IS THE VERY NATURE OF CHRISTIANITY.
THIRD, WE HEAR THAT WHEN THE CHILD JESUS WAS BORN, A PERSECUTION TOOK PLACE, AND JOSEPH, MARY, AND JESUS HAD TO LEAVE THEIR HOME AND LIVE IN A STRANGE LAND. ONCE WE ACCEPT JESUS, ONCE WE EAT HIS BODY AND DRINK HIS BLOOD SERIOUSLY AND FAITHFULLY, WE ALSO CAN BE EXPECTED TO UNDERGO PERSECUTION, JUST AS JESUS DID, JUST AS MARY AND JOSEPH DID. JESUS PROMISED IT, AND SOMETIMES I THINK WE SHOULD BE VERY ANXIOUS IF WE ARE NOT EXPERIENCING SOME SORT OF PERSECUTION – BECAUSE IT MAY MEAN THAT WE DON'T TAKE OUR CHRISTIANITY SERIOUSLY, OR EVEN WORSE, THAT THOSE AROUND US THINK WE ARE JUST LIKE THEM, JUST PRETENDING.
AT THE WEDDING FEAST OF CANA, MARY, THE FIRST PERSON TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION, DEMONSTRATES GREAT SENSITIVITY – SHE IS AWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND HER, AND A CATASTROPHE SEEMS TO BE ABOUT TO HAPPEN. SHE NOTICES, AND SHE DOES SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THE RICH MAN IGNORED LAZARUS, THE BEGGAR AT HIS VERY FRONT DOOR; MARY NOTICES THAT A YOUNG COUPLE'S PARTY IS ABOUT TO BE RUINED, EVEN BEFORE THEY DO, EVEN BEFORE, IT SEEMS, JESUS DID. AND MARY CALLS ON JESUS TO WORK A MIRACLE – EVEN THOUGH THIS MOMENT WILL BE THE BEGINNING OF SEPARATION OF JESUS FROM MARY; IT WILL SET INTO MOTION THE WHOLE CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT WILL LEAD TO THE CRUCIFIXION. BUT OUR FIRST COMMUNICANT GLADLY MAKES THE HARD CHOICES, BECAUSE THEY ARE RIGHT. HOW OFTEN DO WE NOT NOTICE OUR NEIGHBOR'S DISTRESS, OR NOTICING IT, FAIL TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? HOW OFTEN DO WE MAKE COMPROMISES RATHER THAN TAKE THE ACTION THAT WE KNOW WE SHOULD, THE DIFFICULT CHOICES THAT WE'D RATHER NOT FACE?
AND MARY, THE FIRST COMMUNICANT, WAS NOT SPARED SUFFERING. SHE SUFFERED WHEN SHE FLED TO EGYPT; SHE SUFFERED AT THE TEMPLE WHEN SHE AND JOSEPH SEARCHED FOR THEIR SON. SHE SUFFERED WHEN SHE MISUNDERSTOOD HIS MISSION, AND SHE AND SOME OF JESUS' RELATIVES CAME TO TAKE HIM HOME WHERE THEY COULD CARE FOR HIM, BECAUSE THEY ALL THOUGHT HE WAS MAD, HAVING LEFT HIS ORDINARY LIFE AS A CARPENTER TO BECOME A WANDERING PREACHER. AND SHE SUFFERED WHEN SHE SAW HIM CONDEMNED AND NAILED TO A CROSS, AND WHEN SHE HELD HIS LIFELESS BODY IN HER HANDS. BECAUSE THE EUCHARIST IS A PROMISE THAT IF WE ARE TO BE UNITED TO JESUS, WE MUST EXPECT SUFFERING; PERHAPS THE SUFFERING IS IN PROPORTION TO THE DEGREE TO WHICH WE ARE UNITED TO HIM. EVEN THOSE WHO DO NOT SEEM TO SUFFER – MOTHER THERESA COMES TO MIND – DID SUFFER GREATLY WHEN ALL WAS MADE CLEAR. IF JESUS SUFFERED, WE MUST; FOR HE SAID, “WHERE I AM, THERE WILL MY SERVANT BE.”
AND FINALLY, MARY, THE FIRST TO RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST, SAW THE RISEN LORD, AND EVERYTHING WAS MADE CLEAR TO HER. FOR THE EUCHARIST, WHEN WE OPEN OURSELVES TO IT, REVEALS THE PLAN OF THE FATHER; THAT WE ARE MADE INTO CHRIST, SO THAT WE CAN LIVE FOREVER IN THE FATHER'S LOVE, IN THE HEART OF THE TRINITY.
TO RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST IS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GREATEST ADVENTURE OF WHICH WE ARE CAPABLE. BUT LIKE ANYTHING WONDERFUL, WE CAN CHOOSE NOT TO INVEST WHAT IT TAKES TO PARTICIPATE. WE CAN COME TO MASS UNPREPARED, LET OUR MINDS WANDER, GO THROUGH THE WHOLE MASS WITHOUT ACTUALLY PRAYING FROM OUR HEARTS. WE CAN RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST, NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGING HIS PRESENCE INSIDE OUR BODIES. WE CAN WALK BACK TO OUR PEW ALREADY THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO NEXT, WHERE WE WILL GET BREAKFAST, AND SO ON.
BUT WHEN MARY RECEIVED THE FIRST EUCHARIST, SHE GAVE HER FULL CONSENT, AND LATER PRAISED GOD WITH HER IMMORTAL SONG, “THE MAGNIFICAT.” SHE SANG, “MY SOUL MAGNIFIES THE LORD, MY SPIRIT REJOICES IN GOD MY SAVIOR.” AND ALL HER LIFE SHE NEVER FORGOT THAT WITHIN HER BODY THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE HAD TAKEN UP RESIDENCE.
ON THIS SUNDAY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST, PRAY THAT THE NEXT TIME WE RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST, WE WILL DO SO WITH GREAT ATTENTION, WITH FULL PARTICIPATION, AND WITH OUR CONSENT TO BE TRANSFORMED BY THIS HEAVENLY FOOD INTO ANOTHER CHRIST.