HOMILY FOR THE MOST
HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS
CHRIST)
1.EX24:3-8
|
2.Hebrews
9:11-15
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Mark
14:12-16, 22-26
|
“The
table of fellowship”
In most of African
traditions and cultures, when it is the time for meals people who share the same
meal feel the sense of togetherness, in fact, this goes beyond eating, sharing
meal makes bond between people; it makes people to share their ideas, interests
and concerns be in their daily lives or in their families. Sharing meals and
eating together is symbolic act of communion and love between people.
Today we celebrate the
solemnity of the most Holy body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus
shared table many times with his disciples. In this context it is likely that
when he shared food with them, as we have just seen above in the African context,
Jesus not only shared food alone with his disciples, but also he shared with
them his vision of God’s kingdom the disciples imbibed ( took knowledge)
something of Jesus’mind, heart, and spirit. Of all the meals Jesus shared with
his disciples, was the meal he shared before his passion, the last supper. The last meal Jesus shared with his disciples
captured memory of his disciples down the centuries up to our times. Jesus,
personally when he shared with his disciples his bread and wine, this was an
invitation to the disciples to be strong in their mission they were about to be
entrusted, and to stand firm with him, to give themselves to him as he was
giving himself to them.
It is because of the
last supper , and what went on there that we are here continuing to celebrate
the same act and the same presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in our daily Eucharistic
celebration. Jesus even today continues to give himself as food and drink to
his followers. Jesus in sharing his body and blood, he reminds each one of us
to live his ideals( values), walking on his ways, the cross. Jesus in
commanding his disciples to eat his flesh and drink his blood, he invites us to
take his life to the core of our being( Jn 6:53). To our celebration of Lord’s
last supper is an anticipation of eschatological banquet when the Lord will feast
with all of his disciples in heaven.
The celebration of the
most holy body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ reminds us about the
communion with our Lord Jesus who makes us sharers in his body and blood. According to St. Ignatius of Antioch( 35-107
A.D.) calls it the one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the
antidote for death and the food that makes us live forever in Jesus Christ.
Communion and Unity in the Church of God have to be fostered in all aspects of
the church’s worship. Our union with Christ gives us strength to become more
charitable to the needy of our time. To be in communion with Christ is an
invitation to detach ourselves from what we are addicted with and avail our
selves ready for the service to the people of God.By participating in Eucharist we commit ourselves to the new and everlasting covenant, a covenant that recognizes that we are brothers and sisters of Jesus and Children of the one Father. As we share the meal let us pray for the grace to live a life that is worthy of it.
Thanksgiving to God is our obligation as we celebrate the holy Eucharist, this is done through Eucharistic prayer said by priest. When the faithful are assembled for the communion, they express their thanksgiving to God to what He has done for them in Jesus Christ. We are reminded always to submit ourselves to God by thanking him through prayers and giving our selves to others. When the institution narratives are being chanted or recited by the priest before the assembly, thus we recall the last supper as part of our prayer and so justifying ourselves why do we recall last supper institution narratives.
Lastly, as we celebrate this solemnity of the most holy body and blood of Christ, we have to bear in our minds that without the Eucharist there is no church and without the priest there is no Eucharist, just as Jesus used his disciples as ministers to bring the loaves of bread and fish to the crowd, in the same manner He uses priests to bring himself to us everyday ( Through consecration of the gifts of bread and wine into body and blood of Jesus), it is necessary to include the priests in our church pray and praying for the vocations.
Thanksgiving to God is our obligation as we celebrate the holy Eucharist, this is done through Eucharistic prayer said by priest. When the faithful are assembled for the communion, they express their thanksgiving to God to what He has done for them in Jesus Christ. We are reminded always to submit ourselves to God by thanking him through prayers and giving our selves to others. When the institution narratives are being chanted or recited by the priest before the assembly, thus we recall the last supper as part of our prayer and so justifying ourselves why do we recall last supper institution narratives.
Lastly, as we celebrate this solemnity of the most holy body and blood of Christ, we have to bear in our minds that without the Eucharist there is no church and without the priest there is no Eucharist, just as Jesus used his disciples as ministers to bring the loaves of bread and fish to the crowd, in the same manner He uses priests to bring himself to us everyday ( Through consecration of the gifts of bread and wine into body and blood of Jesus), it is necessary to include the priests in our church pray and praying for the vocations.
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Chapisha Maoni