Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ was instituted by Pope Urban IV in 1264 at the request of Thomas Aquinas. Our tradition honors Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. It is customary to carry the Blessed Sacrament through the church on this feast. In fact, in parts of Catholic Europe, an outdoor procession with the Blessed Sacrament on this day was often held.

"He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves." They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people." Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty." They did so and made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets." (From today's Gospel, Lk 9:11b-17)

The miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes, to feed about five thousand people is a Gift of God through Jesus Christ. He still feeds us, through the Sacrament which he instituted at the Last Supper, where He said, "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins." (Mat. 26:26-28)

On this great feast, we honor His Gift, the Gift of Himself to all of us. Every time we receive Him in Holy Communion, he comes to us silently to visit the depth of our soul, and all his wisdom and grace will be available to us. Think of the honor, of Jesus Christ visiting us in this manner. Make your walk to the altar rail or where His Body and Blood is extended to the parishioners, an "informed" walk, that is, think about the Miracle you are about to receive. You are receiving His Body and His Blood, within ourselves, not symbolically but in real life.  He is alive because He has Risen. He is inviting us to be with Him until the end of time. He is present in us, so let us live a life worthy of that. Love Him by curtailing habitual or recurring sin in our lives, ideally by sinning no more.

As Franciscans, we have a seraphic father, St. Francis of Assisi, who lived in the Presence of Jesus, bearing His wounds in his hands, feet and side. Let us honor our brother Francis, as we do all our sisters and brothers, by accepting all in our lives equally and without prejudice. The Feast we celebrate today is the key to our daily lives in Christ, and to our love of the people who come into our lives.

Fred Schaeffer, SFO
6/5/2010

see also Corpus Christi

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