Saint Rita Catholic Church and School in Webster, NY - An Introduction to the Sunday Scriptures

“Whoever Eats My Flesh And Drinks My Blood Remains In Me And I In Him”

This Sunday celebrates our communion (participation) in the Body and Blood of Christ. It is commonly known as the Feast of Corpus Christi. It celebrates the real presence of Jesus in the gift of His body and blood that is the “source and summit of our Christian life.” (ccc 1324).

In our first reading (Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16), we hear Moses reminding the Israelites how God provided real food and real drink to sustain them in their sojourn through the desert. This bread and drink foreshadowed the true food and drink Jesus gives us through His Body and Blood. This is an association between the physical nourishment of the Mana with the spiritual nourishment we receive in the Eucharist.

In our Epistle reading (1 Corinthians 10:16-17), St. Paul reminds us that the cup we bless and the bread we break in the Mass is real participation (communion) in the Body and Blood of Christ. And in that participation, we become part of that one body—we are all one in Christ.

In our Gospel reading (John 6:51-58), we hear in Jesus’ own words what He means when He says that in order to have eternal life, we must eat His flesh and drink His blood. The Jewish crowds asked, “How can this be?.” For the people of Jesus’ day, it was certainly a very hard and disturbing thought. But Jesus doubled down and even used the word “eat” that corresponded with animal eating of flesh and not human consumption of food. Jesus didn’t mince His words; He meant what He said, “the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.”

The Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, like any blessing, can be taken for granted and at times, seem routine. How often do we ponder the awesome gift and blessing in this Communion with God? How often do we give thought to the real, true presence of Jesus entering into and nourishing our bodies and our souls? Some people think it would be impossible for bread and wine to contain the true presence of Jesus. To this, we might ponder two questions: First, could Jesus, if He wanted to, transubstantiate bread and wine into His Body and Blood? The answer is, of course He could, He is God. Secondly, would Jesus want to do this? Again, the answer is, of course He would, He loves us beyond all measure and wants us to be like Him.

bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060726.cfm