READINGS
1. Dt8:2-3.14b-16a
2.1Cor10:16-17
3.Jn6:51-58
Introduction
Today we are celebrating the feast of body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words this is known as Holy Eucharist feast. The eucharist from Greek etymology means " Thanks giving". In Catholic tradition this feast means to give thanks. The Luya People among Kenyans have the vocabrary that goes like that "fried meat can't be sweet if you forget the one fried it." It's under this background that today we find ours selves and the rest of Catholics in the World being in procession to thank God for what had done to us through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Homily on the readings.
From the first reading Dt8:2-3.14-16b we hear an invitation to the people of Israel to remember and not to forget what God had done to their fathers. Israelites in their tribulations more especially in that arid place their difficulties were huge, they were angry, thirsty, beset by poisonous snakes and the risk of getting lost, who saved them? Deuteronomy tells us that it was the word of God that brought them Manna. This manner as fore seen in the old testament was a foreshadow( Prefiguration of the sacrament of eucharist). God did not only save Israel by sending them bread, this would have been counted miracle, rather God brought them something even more than sensonal, a food they had never seen before, His Word, (Jesus Christ).
From the second reading we hear what was taking place in Corinth. Corinth had a problem. The problem was that many of Corinthians had been converted from paganism yet many of them had relatives and friends who offered their sacrifices to idols, what should a converted Christian do in such a situation? could they continue taking part in these rites? could they eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols? this problem really pastorally can be equated with ours we are encountaring today, that's how should we regard the worship, and faiths of other religions around us which sometimes is a threat to our faith??At Corinth the discussion of these matters resulted into tension. It was no longer the matter of defending each others beliefs and opinions, rather people begun to condemn and excommunicate each other. For Paul to bring reconciliation a midist of this confusion, he used the Eucharist, the bread shared by all from which springs unity within a community. It's under this background that the sacrament of eucharist signifies unity and communion among catholic believers.
Can brothers and sisters sitting at the same table and dipping their hand in the same dish continue to hate each other?Those who are not at peace with their fellows cannot share in the eucharist. Jesus was very clear in that point that " if you are bringing your offering to the altar and remember that your brother has something against you leave your offering before the altar go and be reconciled with your brother first and then come back and present your offering ( Mt5:23-24). We are invited to meditate on the role and value of the sacrament of eucharist. That role is not based on the identification with Christ, but rather the sacrament by its very nature reminds us of our union with each other. The fact that there is only one loaf means that though there are many of us we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf( 1Corinth10:17).
From the Gospel reading the point to ponder and meditate is that, what did Jesus mean when he told his disciples to eat his flesh and drink his blood? we are not like the jews who thought he was asking them to understand this clearly. This in fact goes beyond our sensual perception of what we think Jesus says. Jesus uses the metaphorical expression of his body and blood to go beyond our sensual understanding. For example what happens when we eat bread? it's assimilated by our own bodies and thus it becomes part of us , our own bodies, when Jesus says that he is a bread he reflects his own Identity, and Personality, these two things reflects his personal life, that is, serving instead of being served, dinning with taxcollectors and sinners, being humble and forgiving etc, these qualities form the body of Jesus and it is under this background Jesus is inviting us to partake in these qualities( His own body). Thus it is the existence of Jesus that must become ours.
Communion in the body of Christ means to identify ourselves with him. Communion in the body of Christ means not to exclude love and suffering for without these it does not suffice to call ourselves disciples of Jesus/Christians. To partake in the bread of Christ means to let the very life of Christ reign in our heart.
Our transformation in the person of Jesus does not happen margically. It's no t a guarantee that when we receive the Holy communion automatically we are healed and transformed. There christians who think that to receive the holy communion is a medicine that act automatically, that it's enough to receive it and its effects are immediate whatever their state of preparedness. Nevertheless if the eucharist is to have any effect it must be received in faith , that is, we must be ready to be transformed into Jesus. Before receiving eucharist we dare first to listen to the word of God, as in the word of God we discover new aspect of the person of Jesus. By listening to the word of God and sharing the body of Christ God will work hsi miracle on us.
0 Response to "HOMILY ON THE FEAST OF BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST"
Chapisha Maoni