HOMILY SERIES: The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
June 3, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.
The following homily was prepared by Father Edward Blanchett, pastor of Visitation Parish, Brick. This homily is tenth in a series of homilies with Eucharistic themes to be used in churches across the Diocese.
EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL IN THE PARISH 2023-2024
SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
June 1-2, 2024
On March 27, 2020, the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order had only started a week before in the United States. Although we still were hoping that it would only last a short time, much of the world had been struggling through it for months. It was in this situation that a truly amazing sight was broadcast to the world: Pope Francis, walking across a deserted St. Peter’s square in the rain, to offer prayer for the world in crisis.
“Faith,” he said, “begins when we realize we are in need of salvation. We are not self-sufficient; by ourselves we flounder. We need the Lord, like ancient navigators needed the stars.” On that day, the Holy Father presided over Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction in order to focus our attention on the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. In a particularly powerful moment, the image of the visible head of the Church on Earth was shown, kneeling, united before her invisible head. He did this to remind the world that, even in a time of turbulence and crisis, Jesus is present among us.
Pope Francis was following the example set by Jesus himself in today’s Gospel. Recall the context for this reading from Matthew: it was Holy Thursday and the Last Supper, the night before Jesus was to undergo his Passion and death on the Cross. He knew that the Apostles – his closest friends – would betray, deny and desert him in the time of his greatest need. He also knew the crisis that would come over them when they realized what they had done and how it could undo them.
It was for this reason that he used the Jewish feast of Passover to inaugurate the first Mass: offering his body and blood for them to strengthen them, consummating his sacrificial self-giving in the Crucifixion. By tying together the old Covenant with the new one instituted in his Body and Blood, Jesus continues to show his Father’s on-going love for us regardless of circumstances. Through the mystery of the Eucharist, we unite ourselves to Jesus in the mystery of the Cross.
This is what we recall every time we celebrate the Eucharist. By celebrating the Last Supper with his apostles in the course of the Passover meal, Jesus gave the Jewish Passover its definitive meaning. Jesus' passing over to his father by his death and Resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipated in the Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the kingdom. The command of Jesus to repeat his actions and words "until he comes" does not only ask us to remember Jesus and what he did. It is directed at the liturgical celebration, by the apostles and their successors, of the memorial of Christ, of his life, of his death, of his Resurrection, and of his intercession in the presence of the Father (CCC 1340-1341).
In the unbloodied sacrifice of the Mass, we re-present and bring to mind the reality of the on-going offering of the Son to the Father for our salvation and it was given to support us both in times of great joy and in times of great struggle. This should give us pause to think whenever we are tempted to look upon the obligation of attending Mass as just another “errand” for the day. When we enter the confines of the church coming together for worship, we step out of ordinary space and time. Whether we are conscious of it or not, for those few minutes we go beyond the worldly and touch the sacred. It is not just the priest we hear speaking the prayers, it is not just bread and wine that we see, touch and taste.
It is Jesus speaking to each of us as if we were the only one before him, it is his Body and Blood broken and poured out for us as if we were the only one in need of his salvation. It is also the point where the present connects with the eternal. When hearing the words of institution, we are not only brought back to an event that happened 2000 years ago. We also join with every Mass that has ever been celebrated or will be celebrated. It is through the Eucharist that we are most intimately connected with those who have gone before us (a comforting thought when remembering loved ones) and with those who will follow after us.
As well as a sacrifice, the Mass is also a communal meal. Think about the importance that meals hold for us. Much more than just an opportunity to consume food, meals often have a strong social connection. Friendships are strengthened, conflicts are addressed, opportunities to share experiences and wisdom are offered. In this regard, the Mass is an ideal insofar as the physical and social support it presents; it also provides spiritual strength and comfort.
Like the celebration of Passover by the Jewish people, the celebration of Mass – as Meal (the Seder meal culminating in the Last Supper on Holy Thursday) and as Sacrifice (the slaughter of the lamb prefiguring the Crucifixion on Good Friday) – brings Christians together as the Mystical Body of Christ, which we proclaim by our “Amen” in responding to the invitation “The Body of Christ.”
The saving work of Jesus Christ, which has brought to fulfillment what was announced in figure in the Passover, is now re-presented in the celebration of the Eucharist. The Eucharist makes present the one sacrifice of Christ the Savior. As Pope St. John Paul II taught: “The Church constantly draws her life from this redeeming sacrifice; she approaches it not only through faith-filled remembrance, but also through a real contact, since this sacrifice is made present ever anew, sacramentally perpetuated, in every community which offers it at the hands of the consecrated minister” (On the Eucharist in Its Relationship to the Church, 12).
Finally, this great sacrament is also a participation in the worship offered in heaven, in and through Christ, by the angels and saints. Pope Benedict XVI explained that “every Eucharistic celebration sacramentally accomplishes the eschatological gathering of the People of God. For us, the Eucharistic banquet is a real foretaste of the final banquet foretold by the prophets and described in the New Testament as ‘the marriage-feast of the Lamb’ to be celebrated in the joy of the communion of saints” (Homily, 8 December 2005).
With this understanding of what happens spiritually at every celebration of the Mass, how should we approach this “everyday” miracle (if there could be such a thing!) to best open ourselves in receiving this grace of comfort and support? Maybe it can start with small steps, each one helping to bring a new appreciation for this great gift:
One has already been suggested: instead of looking at weekly Mass attendance as an obligation, try to see it as an opportunity to allow God to speak to you today. Let that guide your preparation for Mass. During the celebration – and it is a celebration – listen to the words of the prayers and pay special attention to the Scripture readings and homily for what they may be saying to you personally.
Next, remember that, although Jesus’ offer of salvation is special to you, it is made through membership in the Mystical Body of Christ. Even if you have been sitting in the same pew for years and have gotten used to the faces around you, think of others as fellow pilgrims journeying towards the divine and let that come through in the greetings and interactions.
As the gifts are presented for the Offertory, remember that this mirrors the ancient custom of the people’s offering of their sacrifices in the Old Testament for the forgiveness of sin. Part of that was calling to mind the sin (or sins) that they needed forgiven. When making your offering (and be thankful that we no longer have to offer animals!) quietly include your sins, concerns and anxieties as part of that so that the priest can lift them up for forgiving and healing as well.
During the Eucharistic Prayer, instead of thinking about what will happen later in the day, imagine yourself near the altar as the priest lifts up the bread and wine and speaks the words of transubstantiation: This is my Body, This is my Blood. Silently echo the words of St. Thomas when he beheld the resurrected Jesus: My Lord and my God! (Jn. 20:28)
When coming forward for Communion, remember that this is no ordinary walk: it is approaching the Lord of Creation. Do so with reverence, remember that your “Amen” means you agree with what you just heard: “The Body of Christ” and consume the host with silent gratitude for his saving act of love for you – and let that gratitude wash over you for a time. If you are a priest, deacon or Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion distributing Communion, look at both the host and recipient as you do so. Remember the important role you bear in bringing Jesus to others and let that awe show in your ministry.
At the end, when the deacon or priest says: “Go forth, the Mass is ended”, remember that this isn’t just a statement, it’s also a command: take what you have received here and share it. Through the week, invite others to learn how they can get to know Jesus and experience the peace he wants them to have as well.
My brothers and sisters, in this time of Eucharistic Revival that the Church invites us to celebrate, we have a unique opportunity to share in the wondrous journey of Jesus as participants in his Mystical Body. She invites us to remember the support Jesus has offered to us through the institution of the Eucharist. She also challenges us to remember through the example of Jesus, in his suffering and death on the Cross, we, too, will experience suffering and hardship. But we also take consolation in knowing that, through the reminder we receive when participating in the meal and the sacrifice of the Mass, we too will share in the mystery and the glory of Christ’s Easter resurrection. It’s all connected through the mystery of the Eucharist – the mystery of our salvation expressing the infinite love of Christ for us: for you and for me. May God bless you!
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Saturday, September 07, 2024
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The following homily was prepared by Father Edward Blanchett, pastor of Visitation Parish, Brick. This homily is tenth in a series of homilies with Eucharistic themes to be used in churches across the Diocese.
EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL IN THE PARISH 2023-2024
SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
June 1-2, 2024
On March 27, 2020, the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order had only started a week before in the United States. Although we still were hoping that it would only last a short time, much of the world had been struggling through it for months. It was in this situation that a truly amazing sight was broadcast to the world: Pope Francis, walking across a deserted St. Peter’s square in the rain, to offer prayer for the world in crisis.
“Faith,” he said, “begins when we realize we are in need of salvation. We are not self-sufficient; by ourselves we flounder. We need the Lord, like ancient navigators needed the stars.” On that day, the Holy Father presided over Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction in order to focus our attention on the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. In a particularly powerful moment, the image of the visible head of the Church on Earth was shown, kneeling, united before her invisible head. He did this to remind the world that, even in a time of turbulence and crisis, Jesus is present among us.
Pope Francis was following the example set by Jesus himself in today’s Gospel. Recall the context for this reading from Matthew: it was Holy Thursday and the Last Supper, the night before Jesus was to undergo his Passion and death on the Cross. He knew that the Apostles – his closest friends – would betray, deny and desert him in the time of his greatest need. He also knew the crisis that would come over them when they realized what they had done and how it could undo them.
It was for this reason that he used the Jewish feast of Passover to inaugurate the first Mass: offering his body and blood for them to strengthen them, consummating his sacrificial self-giving in the Crucifixion. By tying together the old Covenant with the new one instituted in his Body and Blood, Jesus continues to show his Father’s on-going love for us regardless of circumstances. Through the mystery of the Eucharist, we unite ourselves to Jesus in the mystery of the Cross.
This is what we recall every time we celebrate the Eucharist. By celebrating the Last Supper with his apostles in the course of the Passover meal, Jesus gave the Jewish Passover its definitive meaning. Jesus' passing over to his father by his death and Resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipated in the Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the kingdom. The command of Jesus to repeat his actions and words "until he comes" does not only ask us to remember Jesus and what he did. It is directed at the liturgical celebration, by the apostles and their successors, of the memorial of Christ, of his life, of his death, of his Resurrection, and of his intercession in the presence of the Father (CCC 1340-1341).
In the unbloodied sacrifice of the Mass, we re-present and bring to mind the reality of the on-going offering of the Son to the Father for our salvation and it was given to support us both in times of great joy and in times of great struggle. This should give us pause to think whenever we are tempted to look upon the obligation of attending Mass as just another “errand” for the day. When we enter the confines of the church coming together for worship, we step out of ordinary space and time. Whether we are conscious of it or not, for those few minutes we go beyond the worldly and touch the sacred. It is not just the priest we hear speaking the prayers, it is not just bread and wine that we see, touch and taste.
It is Jesus speaking to each of us as if we were the only one before him, it is his Body and Blood broken and poured out for us as if we were the only one in need of his salvation. It is also the point where the present connects with the eternal. When hearing the words of institution, we are not only brought back to an event that happened 2000 years ago. We also join with every Mass that has ever been celebrated or will be celebrated. It is through the Eucharist that we are most intimately connected with those who have gone before us (a comforting thought when remembering loved ones) and with those who will follow after us.
As well as a sacrifice, the Mass is also a communal meal. Think about the importance that meals hold for us. Much more than just an opportunity to consume food, meals often have a strong social connection. Friendships are strengthened, conflicts are addressed, opportunities to share experiences and wisdom are offered. In this regard, the Mass is an ideal insofar as the physical and social support it presents; it also provides spiritual strength and comfort.
Like the celebration of Passover by the Jewish people, the celebration of Mass – as Meal (the Seder meal culminating in the Last Supper on Holy Thursday) and as Sacrifice (the slaughter of the lamb prefiguring the Crucifixion on Good Friday) – brings Christians together as the Mystical Body of Christ, which we proclaim by our “Amen” in responding to the invitation “The Body of Christ.”
The saving work of Jesus Christ, which has brought to fulfillment what was announced in figure in the Passover, is now re-presented in the celebration of the Eucharist. The Eucharist makes present the one sacrifice of Christ the Savior. As Pope St. John Paul II taught: “The Church constantly draws her life from this redeeming sacrifice; she approaches it not only through faith-filled remembrance, but also through a real contact, since this sacrifice is made present ever anew, sacramentally perpetuated, in every community which offers it at the hands of the consecrated minister” (On the Eucharist in Its Relationship to the Church, 12).
Finally, this great sacrament is also a participation in the worship offered in heaven, in and through Christ, by the angels and saints. Pope Benedict XVI explained that “every Eucharistic celebration sacramentally accomplishes the eschatological gathering of the People of God. For us, the Eucharistic banquet is a real foretaste of the final banquet foretold by the prophets and described in the New Testament as ‘the marriage-feast of the Lamb’ to be celebrated in the joy of the communion of saints” (Homily, 8 December 2005).
With this understanding of what happens spiritually at every celebration of the Mass, how should we approach this “everyday” miracle (if there could be such a thing!) to best open ourselves in receiving this grace of comfort and support? Maybe it can start with small steps, each one helping to bring a new appreciation for this great gift:
One has already been suggested: instead of looking at weekly Mass attendance as an obligation, try to see it as an opportunity to allow God to speak to you today. Let that guide your preparation for Mass. During the celebration – and it is a celebration – listen to the words of the prayers and pay special attention to the Scripture readings and homily for what they may be saying to you personally.
Next, remember that, although Jesus’ offer of salvation is special to you, it is made through membership in the Mystical Body of Christ. Even if you have been sitting in the same pew for years and have gotten used to the faces around you, think of others as fellow pilgrims journeying towards the divine and let that come through in the greetings and interactions.
As the gifts are presented for the Offertory, remember that this mirrors the ancient custom of the people’s offering of their sacrifices in the Old Testament for the forgiveness of sin. Part of that was calling to mind the sin (or sins) that they needed forgiven. When making your offering (and be thankful that we no longer have to offer animals!) quietly include your sins, concerns and anxieties as part of that so that the priest can lift them up for forgiving and healing as well.
During the Eucharistic Prayer, instead of thinking about what will happen later in the day, imagine yourself near the altar as the priest lifts up the bread and wine and speaks the words of transubstantiation: This is my Body, This is my Blood. Silently echo the words of St. Thomas when he beheld the resurrected Jesus: My Lord and my God! (Jn. 20:28)
When coming forward for Communion, remember that this is no ordinary walk: it is approaching the Lord of Creation. Do so with reverence, remember that your “Amen” means you agree with what you just heard: “The Body of Christ” and consume the host with silent gratitude for his saving act of love for you – and let that gratitude wash over you for a time. If you are a priest, deacon or Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion distributing Communion, look at both the host and recipient as you do so. Remember the important role you bear in bringing Jesus to others and let that awe show in your ministry.
At the end, when the deacon or priest says: “Go forth, the Mass is ended”, remember that this isn’t just a statement, it’s also a command: take what you have received here and share it. Through the week, invite others to learn how they can get to know Jesus and experience the peace he wants them to have as well.
My brothers and sisters, in this time of Eucharistic Revival that the Church invites us to celebrate, we have a unique opportunity to share in the wondrous journey of Jesus as participants in his Mystical Body. She invites us to remember the support Jesus has offered to us through the institution of the Eucharist. She also challenges us to remember through the example of Jesus, in his suffering and death on the Cross, we, too, will experience suffering and hardship. But we also take consolation in knowing that, through the reminder we receive when participating in the meal and the sacrifice of the Mass, we too will share in the mystery and the glory of Christ’s Easter resurrection. It’s all connected through the mystery of the Eucharist – the mystery of our salvation expressing the infinite love of Christ for us: for you and for me. May God bless you!