Corpus Christ, A June 11, 2023
Fr. Alexander Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette
“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” How indeed? In almost every culture, cannibalism is recognized as something repugnant, unacceptable, evil. Eating human flesh is almost always sinful because the dignity of the human person extends even to their body. Only the rarest of exceptions – as a last resort for survival – could such a thing even begin to be conceivable, though many would still prefer to die than eat someone. For the Jewish culture of Jesus’ day, it is even more offensive because of the strict dietary laws and ritual purity laws.
So, this Jewish audience rightly wonders how Jesus could ask them to do such a thing, yet Jesus not only repeats himself but emphasizes that it is the only way to have “life within you.” He repeats this challenge no less than three times. We know that when people get so upset they say they’d rather stop being disciples, he still doesn’t back down. This scene from John’s Gospel is the strongest – but not the only – biblical proof we have for our Catholic belief that the Eucharist is truly the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. By receiving communion, we are eating his body and drinking his blood, yet without being cannibals
How, though? How can we believe such a thing? We believe it because that’s what faith means, to believe things beyond our rational limits because we trust the one who tells us. Jesus is God, He is sinless, and we ought to trust what tells us, especially when it’s something we don’t fully understand. As St. Thomas Aquinas put it in a hymn he wrote “Truth Himself speaks truly or there’s nothing true.” Jesus says in three Gospels: “this is my body… this is my blood.” St. Paul likewise repeats that the bread and wine really are Jesus’ body and blood.
Okay, so if we believe it is true, how do we answer the other question? How does Jesus make it true? The crowd probably wondered if they were supposed to eat his corpse or if Jesus maybe would cut off chunks of his legs. Obviously, he doesn’t. What does he do? The Church uses the term “transubstantiation.” Reality is deeper than many people imagine. There is what we can see, touch, feel on the surface, but everything around has a deeper aspect. Like an iceberg, there’s more beneath the surface and it’s that “substance” that “transforms.”
By God’s divine power – he is all-powerful after all – when a priest prays the Eucharistic Prayer, the hidden, deeper reality of bread and wine are replaced with the hidden, deeper reality of Jesus Christ’s body, blood, soul, and divinity. That’s why it still tastes like bread and wine, though we insist that it really is Jesus. Before the prayer, there is bread and wine. After the prayer, there is no more bread or wine, just Jesus with the appearance of bread and wine.
This unique metaphysical transformation is also how we say that every crumb and every drop is the whole Jesus. We’re already transcending normal physical limits, so it shouldn’t be hard to accept that it doesn’t matter how big or small the piece or drop is, it’s the same amount of Jesus – all of him. This is why receiving only the host or only from the chalice is just as good as receiving both. Today we’re going to receive both host and chalice because of the special feast, but we must not think that we’re somehow getting more Jesus today or that, next week when we go back to just the host, we’ll be getting less Jesus. Receiving under both kinds is a nice extra symbolism that we’ll use on special occasions, but it doesn’t change how much Jesus you get.
Today begins the Parish Year of Eucharistic Revival – part of the multi-year national revival that started last year, so it’s a fitting time to strengthen our Eucharistic faith and witness. If you want more explanation of the Eucharist, you might find it helpful to go back and look at the homily I gave at 1st Communion last month. I won’t repeat that because telling people about the Real Presence of the Eucharist isn’t enough. It’s not even the best way to prove it’s true.
The Jews asked “how can this man give us his flesh to eat?” but I’m asking, “how can we show the world that that is really what he did?” By answering this question, “how can we receive his flesh to eat?” The Jews didn’t believe Jesus back then because they didn’t have the faith to see past the idea of literal cannibalism. People today don’t believe because they can’t see past us treating it like an unimportant cracker. Thank you to those who, week after week, treat Our Lord in the Eucharist with the respect he deserves – it helps my faith to see it. No one is perfect, however, so fair warning that I’m going to fuss a bit now. Try to receive it as a challenge and invitation to conversion and greater faith. On a personal note, today is the 7th anniversary of my ordination and the only gift I want is to see a greater love of Jesus in the Eucharist.
We claim the Eucharist is Jesus himself, but then get so lazy in how we receive him that we drop him on the ground. We claim to have God himself in this Church, but then treat the building like a social hall. We say the words “I’m not worthy to receive you,” but act like it’s no big deal to receive communion in a state of mortal sin, despite St. Paul literally warning us that that can send us to hell and maybe even kill us.
Stop it! Stop taking the Eucharist for granted! Stop ignoring our Lord in the tabernacle! Stop saying you don’t have time to ever visit the chapel when dozens of hours each week are spent pointlessly scrolling the internet or watching soap operas. Stop coming up to communion chit chatting, chewing gum, or making faces at your friends. Stop lazily dangling your hands to receive without even looking at what you’re doing, much less prayerfully paying attention.
I’ve laid out important reminders in the bulletin about receiving communion. Read it. I’m going to start enforcing it. Either use both hands or stick out your tongue, or I’ll wait till you do. If you’re chewing gum, no communion. Act like you’re receiving Jesus, because you are. Act like it because how you act changes what you believe. Act like it because the world is watching. They are asking “how can they say Jesus gives his flesh to eat?” Our answer is not what we say about the Eucharist, but how we act. Receive it worthily and well, live as if it is the source and summit of your life let that speak for itself.
I wondered if it were appropriate to mention the events that lead to the creation of the Corpus Christi feast, and the writing of the liturgy (including the music) by St. Thomas Aquinas.
The homily did spur a renewed resolve to receive Eucharist reverently, both for reverence and the Grace received. To both know how to live, and also receive the grace to do the good is so unique to this Savior of ours. Thank you Father Albert!