Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Cycle A)

The tie in between today’s readings: When Something is More Than It Seems

Psalm 147:12-20, Deuteronomy 8:2-3;14-16, 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, John 6:51-58

Of the many things that we may ask from God security and prosperity rank high on the list. That’s what the Lord provides in verses 12-19 of our reading today in Psalm 147. There’s wheat in the fields, kids at home, peace on the borders along with His guidance to make it all work together. What more can you want? Well, as we see in verse 20, there is one more thing…a relationship with Him. While food, clothing, and shelter are necessary for life, they won’t make it worth living. Merely having your needs met makes for a mundane existence. You need discovery! You need surprises! You need a connection to the infinite almighty Christ!

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ or Corpus Christi. Transubstantiation, the conversion of the Eucharistic elements into the actual body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ, is a fundamental teaching of the Church and a primary purpose of the Mass. Recent surveys show, however, that many Catholics do not believe in it. They look upon the bread and wine as only symbols of Jesus’s body and blood. It will serve no purpose here to argue one side or the other. Instead, let’s use today’s readings to explore each position and dig a little deeper into their beautiful mysteries. Perhaps, in the unearthing, we will discover a more fulfilling life with this God of ours.

No doubt about it, the Lord uses symbols throughout the Bible. We find representations of Jesus as manna from heaven and as the water gushing rock in our reading in Deuteronomy 8:2-3;14-16. The thing about symbols is what you see is not what you get. Symbols say, “Don’t look at me. Look at what I’m pointing to.”  Symbols always direct you to something bigger than what they are, and by that, they are themselves elevated by their connection to it. An engagement ring declares a couple’s love for each other and so the diamond, despite what it costs, becomes priceless in their eyes. A flag represents a nation and its design is thereby honored by its citizens. Partaking in the Lord’s Supper in memory of Jesus’ sacrifice makes the bread and wine sacred. Accepting the symbols beckons us to go deeper into the truths behind them. Sometimes they’ll take us where we don’t want to go. In our reading, In our Deuteronomy reading God leads His people out of Egypt, through a snake and scorpion filled desert to suffer hunger. The Lord tells Moses that He did this to humble them and challenge their faith. He wants them to see through the manna to reach the truth that man does not live by bread alone, but by the word of God. In the Bible, there is always the spiritual behind the physical. Our Eucharist, even as a symbol, presents to us particular mysteries of faith. Seek for the hidden truths behind the bread and wine. There is more here than meets the eye.

The Jews balked at Christ’s proclamation that they needed to eat His flesh and drink His blood in today’s gospel reading, John 6:51-58. Many left Him because of this. But examine the words of Our Lord about being the living bread, combine it with the Church’s clear teaching on the Eucharist, take to heart Peter’s declaration that Jesus knows what He’s talking about in John 6:68-69, and you have the foundation for believing in transubstantiation. Transubstantiation turns this whole symbol idea on its head. Instead of the bread and wine acting as sacred signposts pointing the way to Christ, you have the Host and Chalice calling attention to themselves. The Lord is actually here and, wherever Jesus is present, He always commands the room! The faithful who receive the true body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist are participating in a literal miracle. The believers take on a deeper awareness that they are, in fact, holy temples housing the Lord, Himself. In short, the recipients become the literal symbols of the Eucharistic God who indwells them.

The worst thing you can do is treat the Eucharist with nonchalance. As today’s passage in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 reminds us that we are united as one body as we share Christ’s sacrifice in the bread and wine. The Lord’s Supper fuses us with Jesus’ death and resurrection in the past. It declares the reality of God’s eternal life abiding in us today. It is our connection to the heavenly temple where that selfsame Eucharist becomes the basis of Christ’s intercession for the forgiveness of our sins,

Symbol or Substance, God will meet you where you are in your faith journey with the Eucharist. If you are struggling to see the hints behind the host or the challenges of the chalice, Jesus says, “Seek and you will find.” Keep at it! If you believe in the Lord’s presence, then act in the faith that you are the symbol of His love to a needy world. Either way, symbol or actual, Christ will always be with you. Lose yourself in the pursuit of the mysteries, the paradoxes, and the hidden beauty of our Savior, who died so that we may live. Confess your sins and participate in the sacrament that will energize and emphasize the truth of the Divine life abiding in you. Take up the adventure of a God centered life. Man does not live by bread alone…so don’t.