Feast of Corpus Christi, cycle A

JOHN 6:51-58
WHEN I WAS IN GRADE SCHOOL, I READ A BOOK CALLED “MR. BLUE” BY MILES CONNOLLY. THE TIME WAS THE FAR FUTURE, AND THE ENTIRE WORLD WAS LIKE THE OLD SOVIET UNION IN SPADES. EVERYONE'S LIFE WAS PLANNED AND THERE WAS LITERALLY NO FREEDOM. PEOPLE WERE NOURISHED ON A TASTELESS ARTIFICIAL SUBSTANCE AND GIVEN WATER FROM RUNNING PIPES. THE BOOK OPENS WHEN THE VERY LAST HOLD-OUTS HAD BEEN CAPTURED AND ADDED TO WHAT WAS BASICALLY A WORLD-WIDE CONCENTRATION CAMP. MR. BLUE SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS NOT LOST HIS SPIRIT. HE GOES ABOUT HIS CRUSHING PHYSICAL LABOR CHEERFULLY. HE SINGS UNDER HIS BREATH. HE CHEERS UP HIS COMRADES. HE TEASES THE GUARDS. AND NOW AND THEN HE GETS BEATEN. IN HIS RARE MOMENTS WHEN HE IS LEFT TO HIMSELF, HE GOES TO AN AREA BEHIND A CLUMP OF ROCKS. ONE DAY, MR. BLUE TAKES A FEW GRAINS OF WHEAT WHICH HE HAS MANAGED TO GROW AND GRINDS THEM INTO A PASTE WHICH HE ALLOWS TO DRY OUT IN THE SUN. HE HAS A SMALL CLUMP OF GRAPES WHICH HE SQUEEZES, AND ALLOWS THE LIQUID TO FERMENT. AND WHEN EVERYTHING IS READY, HE BEGINS THOSE ANCIENT PRAYERS, AND WHEN HE PRONOUNCES THE WORDS OF CONSECRATION, THE SKIES DARKEN AND THE HEAVENLY HOST DESCEND, AND JESUS COMES IN ALL HIS GLORY TO JUDGE THE WORLD AND BRING ABOUT THE END OF TIME. FOR MR. BLUE WAS THE LAST PRIEST ON EARTH.
TODAY WE CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. WE CATHOLICS BELIEVE THAT WE AND THE ORTHODOX, AND A FEW OTHER CHRISTIAN BODIES, MAKE JESUS TRULY PRESENT WHEN OUR PRIESTS CELEBRATE THE EUCHARISTIC LITURGY, BECAUSE WE HAVE MAINTAINED THE PRIESTHOOD INSTITUTED BY JESUS. WE ALSO BELIEVE, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT, THAT WHEN JESUS BECOMES PRESENT, THE BREAD AND WINE ARE NO LONGER PRESENT. ALTHOUGH EVERYTHING LOOKS AND TASTES AND FEELS THE SAME AS BEFORE, THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE IN THE SUBSTANCE. WE TAKE LITERALLY THAT JESUS MEANT WHAT HE SAID WHEN HE TOLD HIS APOSTLES TO TAKE BREAD AND PROCLAIM THAT IT WAS HIS BODY, AND WINE WAS HIS BLOOD. JESUS IS REALLY PRESENT TO US IN THIS SACRAMENT, JUST AS HE WAS TO THE DISCIPLES AT THE LAST SUPPER, JUST AS HE WAS TO THE WORLD AT THE END OF TIME WHEN THE LAST MASS IS SAID BY THE LAST PRIEST, MR. BLUE.
I DO NOT AT ALL QUESTION THIS TEACHING. TO ME THE EUCHARIST IS THE REASON TO BE A CATHOLIC. FLANNERY O'CONNOR, A CATHOLIC WRITER DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE LAST CENTURY, WAS CHALLENGED BY A FRIEND OF HERS WHO SAID THAT THE EUCHARIST WAS A USEFUL SYMBOL. SHE REPLIED “IF IT IS A SYMBOL, THEN TO HELL WITH IT.” I AGREE. I HAVE NO USE FOR MERE SYMBOLS, AND YOU SHOULDN'T EITHER.
BUT LET'S FACE IT. I CAN SAY THAT THE EUCHARIST IS THE REAL PRESENCE, BUT DO I REALLY BELIEVE IT? I THINK THE ANSWER IS THAT MOST CATHOLICS DON'T. THERE ARE MANY CATHOLICS WHO GO TO MASS ON SUNDAY AND PARTICIPATE IN THE LIFE OF THEIR PARISH WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN THE “REAL PRESENCE”. THAT'S BEEN SHOWN BY POLLS. BUT THERE ARE MANY MORE WHO WOULD SAY THAT THEY DO BELIEVE, BUT THEIR ACTIONS WOULD ARGUE DIFFERENTLY. SOME OF US MAKE NO PREPARATION FOR RECEIVING THE HOLY EUCHARIST. IT IS JUST ANOTHER ROUTINE; WE STAND IN LINE AND GET OUR COMMUNION BARELY THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING. SOME OF US TAKE COMMUNION AND WALK OUT THE DOOR NOT EVEN BOTHERING TO FINISH PARTICIPATING IN MASS. SOME OF US RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST EVERY SUNDAY BUT HAVEN'T BEEN TO CONFESSION IN YEARS.
IT TAKES EFFORT TO APPRECIATE AND BELIEVE IN THE REAL PRESENCE. AS HUMAN BEINGS, WHAT WE DO WITH OUR BODIES INFLUENCES OUR SOULS. IF WE PREPARE TO RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST BY ASKING FORGIVENESS FOR OUR SINS AND OFFERING OURSELVES TO JESUS; IF WE RECEIVE THE HOLY EUCHARIST AND SPEAK TO JESUS IN OUR HEARTS AFTERWARD; IF WE GO OUT OF THE CHURCH IN TUNE WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BEEN CHANGED BY THIS MIRACLE, WE WILL FIND THAT WE WILL GRADUALLY ENTER INTO THIS MYSTERY. IT NEEDS CULTIVATION. THE GREAT SAINTS KNEW THIS, AND STRUCTURED THEIR LIVES AROUND THE HOLY EUCHARIST. POPE JOHN PAUL, POPE BENEDICT, MOTHER THERESA, AND SO MANY OTHERS WHO ARE SAINTS OR NEAR-SAINTS THOUGHT IT ESSENTIAL TO SPEND TIME EVERY DAY BEFORE THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. AND YET, EXCEPT FOR SATURDAY EVENING AND SUNDAY MORNING THIS CHURCH IS LIKE AN EMPTY CAVERN – AND YET WE SAY THAT WE BELIEVE JESUS IS HERE, REALLY PRESENT.
JESUS SAID THAT WE MUST EAT HIS BODY AND DRINK HIS BLOOD IF WE WOULD HAVE LIFE. HE HAS GIVEN US THE MEANS TO DO THIS. BUT EATING HIS BODY AND DRINKING HIS BLOOD IN THIS SACRAMENT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO TRANSFORM US, TO BRING US INTO THAT NEW LIFE, ONLY IF WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING. AND IF WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING, WE CAN'T HELP BUT PREPARE, WE CAN'T HELP BUT SPEAK TO JESUS AFTER RECEIVING HIM; WE CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL UNWORTHY THAT WE ARE BEING GIVEN THIS GREAT PRIVILEGE WHICH IS NOT AVAILABLE TO MOST PEOPLE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. AND IF WE REALLY BELIEVE, DOESN'T BEING IN JESUS PRESENCE FOR A FEW MINUTES NOW AND THEN BEAT EVERYTHING ELSE WE CAN THINK OF ? IF A LONG-LOST FRIEND CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT HE WAS STAYING IN THE SHERATON TONIGHT AND COULD I JOIN HIM FOR A DRINK AND A LITTLE CATCHING UP, I WOULD CHANGE MY PLANS TO DO SO. BUT IF THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE AND THE LOVER OF MY SOUL IS PRESENT IN THE HOLY EUCHARIST, AND EXPOSED TO MY VIEW ON TUESDAYS AND FIRST FRIDAY HERE AT SAINT MARY'S, ALMOST ANYTHING I CAN THINK OF IS MORE IMPORTANT TO ME THAN TO COME AND SPEND SOME TIME IN HIS PRESENCE.
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF CHRISTIANITY OUR PREACHERS AND THEOLOGIANS, SAINTS AND POPES, HAVE INSISTED THAT JESUS IS PRESENT, REALLY PRESENT IN THE HOLY EUCHARIST. MANY OF OUR CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS CANNOT BELIEVE THIS; THEY DON'T ACCEPT THAT THERE IS A MIRACLE HERE. WHEN THEY SEE HOW CATHOLICS REACT TO THE EUCHARIST, THEY COULD EASILY SAY, “YOU DON'T BELIEVE EITHER, BECAUSE IF YOU DID, YOU WOULDN'T BE WATCHING THE NEWS WHEN YOU COULD BE IN HIS PRESENCE. YOU WOULDN'T BEGRUDGE AN HOUR A MONTH TO SIT IN HIS PRESENCE AND SPEAK TO HIM. YOU WOULDN'T RECEIVE HIM INTO YOUR OWN BODY AND FORGET WHAT HAPPENED A FEW MINUTES LATER AS YOU DIVE BACK INTO THE WORLD.
SAINT THOMAS WAS ONCE ASKED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF A MOUSE CONSUMED A CRUMB OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST. HE REPLIED, “NOTHING” BECAUSE A MOUSE HAS NO CAPACITY TO BE CHANGED, A MOUSE HAS NO ABILITY TO FORM A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. MAY YOU AND I CULTIVATE A DEEP APPRECIATION FOR THE REAL PRESENCE THROUGH OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS. MAY YOU AND I NOT BE MICE WHERE THE HOLY EUCHARIST IS CONCERNED.