The Corpus Christi celebrations throughout the Archdiocese this year were truly celebrations of faith that gave positive and supportive witness to many people in the nation.

Coverage by the media, which is so important to the housebound, was excellent.  I am grateful to the many people who prepared for and facilitated the Corpus Christi celebrations.  Their ministry is important to the Archdiocese.

From the comments I received, I am happy to report that the celebrations of faith were especially helpful to those who had to admit they had retrogressed in the practice of their faith and now realize that they are in need of spiritual renewal.

I shall use my column this week to share the text of my homily at the Cathedral celebration. Hopefully, it will provide material for Eucharistic reflection.

“Why is it that Catholic people all over the world and throughout the Archdiocese will gather to celebrate Corpus Christi either in morning light or in evening darkness with candlelight processions?

Why do people work so hard to prepare for the Corpus Christi liturgy and procession? Why do they care about giving witness to the Nation? Why do they reach out to people who are searching for meaning in their lives? Why is it that they never give up on those who have ceased being faithful to the Covenant?

The answer to all those questions is the faith of the people in the Eucharist, the proof of God’s love for us and the symbol of God’s presence among us. In some cases, the faith of the people is simple. In other cases, their faith is very well informed.

However, in each case, the Eucharist is part of their faith experience. Eucharist is in their heart and it is there to stay.  How do they experience Eucharist?

They experience Eucharist as sacrifice, as sacrament and as food for life’s journey. They experience Eucharist as God’s presence among us, as the pledge of heaven and as made present through the ministry of a priest.

I want to review some basic catechesis on some examples of the Eucharist experience of God’s People.

Eucharist as Sacrifice: When we celebrate Eucharist, we remember the passion and death of the Lord. We remember with gratitude that we are no longer trapped by our sins and alienated from God.

We remember that through the ministry of a priest, who acts in the person of Christ, Calvary is made present to us again. We remember that priests will make Eucharist available to us until the Lord returns in glory.

Eucharist as Sacrament: In every Catholic Church, consecrated hosts are reserved for the sick and for prayer. Since the Eucharistic Year in 2005, many churches in the Archdiocese have built Blessed Sacrament Chapels to facilitate the adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and prayer to Jesus present in the tabernacle.

 In Sacramentum Caritatis, the Holy Father corrected the view that is sometimes heard that ‘the host is to be eaten not to be looked at.’ He wrote that the opinion creates a false opposition. He taught that Eucharistic adoration is the natural consequence of Eucharistic celebration.

Eucharist as Food: Eucharist is food for life’s journey.  We know from our physical lives that without food we weaken and eventually die. The same is true of the spiritual life. Without Eucharistic food we weaken.

The proclamation of the Word which is part of every Eucharistic celebration and the presence of the Holy Spirit who helps us appreciate the Word and motivates us to seek the Eucharistic food are indispensable parts of our lives.

The first sign of weakening in a person’s spiritual life is a distancing from the Eucharist. We must remember that one of the common signs of approaching death in both physical and spiritual life is that people are no longer interested in eating.

They die rather quickly. Without Eucharist there is no food for the spiritual journey, no food for growth in prayer and no food for responding to the call of God for relationship with us. 

Eucharist as Presence: There are two aspects to the presence of the Eucharist among us: 1)We must appreciate it; and 2)We must respond to it.

For people who do not appreciate the presence of Jesus in the Mass and in the tabernacle, there is a proportionate and unnecessary loneliness and emptiness in their lives. The remedy is to slow down our pace of life and pray to the Spirit to help us appreciate what we have been given by God.  

Our response to the presence of God in the Eucharist must be conscious and explicit. Usually, we respond through prayerful silence or culturally acceptable forms of reverence e.g. through posture and gesture.

The most common forms of reverence are genuflecting,   kneeling and bowing. Each is a sign that we understand we are in the presence of the sacred.

The procession that will follow the Mass is an interesting symbol of God’s presence among us. The procession is a sign of witness to our faith in the Eucharist, but it is not a sign of triumphalism. A procession is a symbol that we understand that we are pilgrims in this world. We are a people on the move.

We are on journey, but we are not alone. As the Ark of the Covenant was a symbol of God’s presence to the Israelites as they journeyed through the desert, so the Blessed Sacrament is present for us not only during the procession but also during life’s journey.   

Eucharist as Pledge of Future Glory: Every time the Eucharist is celebrated, the work of redemption is carried on. Through our Eucharistic communion with Christ on the altar, in the tabernacle and in the community, we share in Christ’s life now.

As we live in union with Christ, we grow in our understanding, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, that the Eucharist is in truth an anticipation of our heavenly glory. 

Eucharist and the Ministry of Priests: A priest, acting in the person of Christ, brings about the Eucharistic sacrifice and offers it to God in the name of all the people. A priest is a person who by ordination has a specific identification with the eternal High Priest who is the author and principal subject of the sacrifice.

The capacity that flows from ordination to the priesthood radically transcends the power of the believing community. Without a bishop or a priest there is no Eucharist. 

Priests must understand and live this theology. Priests and people must pray for vocations to the priesthood.”

Conclusion

These catechetical observations that have been gleaned from the magisterial teaching on the Eucharist are not just for the times when major Eucharistic feasts are celebrated. They are everyday opportunities and can be used for reflection at any time. I recommend them for prayerful consideration.

See Front Page story - 'Corpus Christi a sign of Church's pilgrimage'