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Today is the Feast of the
Body and Blood of Christ; we celebrate Christ’s sacramental presence
among us through the Eucharist. Every week, every day, if we so choose,
we can participate in the Eucharist and receive the body and blood of
the Lord. Just weeks ago our second graders made their First Holy
Communion. It is always special to watch the little ones receive the
Lord for the first time. Perhaps familiarity breeds contempt; we adults
sometimes do not appear to realize the importance of the Eucharist and
Holy Communion in our lives.
Jesus has given us the gift of his body and blood in all its fullness.
Our parents and grandparents had so great an awareness of the dignity of
this sacrament that they would not receive it unless they had gone to
confession immediately before. Each and every venial sin should not keep
us away from the sacrament, but serious sin requires reconciliation
before the sacrament can be received worthily. Can we go for months and
years at a time without serious sin? Perhaps, but more frequent
reception of reconciliation insures the proper disposition to receive
Holy Communion worthily.
In the Eucharistic prayer, which the priest offers in our name, we join
Christ in giving thanks and praise to the Father for all that he has
done for us. We invoke the Holy Spirit to change the gifts of bread and
wine into the body and blood of the Lord.
As we offer this sacrifice of
praise with Christ, we witness the same sacrifice that Jesus offered to
the Father on Calvary. This time we are present. This time Jesus offers
his sacrifice through our human nature. God's generosity is never
outdone. We offer our gifts of bread and wine, and our own human natures
to the Father and then this great gift is given back to us.
Body and Blood, soul and divinity we receive our Lord Jesus Christ in
Holy Communion. Before we take communion, we are reminded that we must
be at peace with one another before we enter into communion with Christ
and all those who belong to him.
Communion time is most sacred. It is no time to be worried about how
fast I can get out of church or how crowded the parking lot will be.
This moment is the closest we can come to God's kingdom here on earth.
Savor this special time with Christ in the company of the people with
whom you will share eternity. Our celebration ends with a blessing and a
charge from the deacon, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.”
Once the Eucharistic celebration is over we are to go out and bring
Christ to others.
This is the part we so often
forget. God has given us the Body and Blood of Christ so that we can
bring Christ to the world. Eucharist is the beginning of our
transforming work for another week. |
