June 7^th,  2015   Corpus Christi -  :  Fr.Francis Chirackal CMI

Ex 24:3-8; Heb 9:11-15; Mk 14:12-16, 22-26

For Readings

http://www.usccb.org/nab/060715.shtml

The miracle of the Eucharist of Lanciano; the miracle of the Eucharist of the Bolsena -the miracle behind the feast of Corpus Christi, from which we have received the hymns by St. Thomas Aquinas, ‘O Salutaris’ and ‘Tantum Ergo’; the miracle of the Eucharist of Cascia-God comes to the aid of a priest who has lost his love for the Eucharist; the miracle of the Eucharist of Siena where the Lord proves without a doubt the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist,  in Hosts which we receive at every Mass; the Eucharist turned into flesh on the tongue  of Rani John in India in 1996. These are some of the Eucharistic miracles which made believers and non-believers to see the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, not only with faith, but also with physical eyes. The Hosts turned flesh, in their original state remain even after hundreds of years. When John Paul II visited the Shrine of the Miracle of the Eucharist of Siena, he said, "It is the Presence." Similar miracles are taking place even today at different parts of the world. If we look at ‘You tube’ entering ‘Eucharistic miracles’ we will find the videos of many such past and present time examples.  Because, Eucharist is instituted by the eternal living God who took the form of a human body to redeem the world.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of ‘Corpus Christi’, the Feast of the ‘Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ’. The first reading from the book of Exodus presents the first covenant which was the preparation for the second covenant established in Christ with His Blood. The second reading from the book of Hebrews, speaks of the eternal sacrifice offered by our high priest Jesus Christ, offering His own blood, opening the flood-gates of grace for the human race. In every Eucharist the same sacrifice is repeated at the Altar. It is Jesus who commanded us to repeat this sacrifice for our salvation. Therefore we see the same Lamb of God, the same victim, the same Son of God, is present in its real sense in every Mass.

Today’s gospel presents the story of the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Jesus transformed wheat bread and wine into his own body and blood and made it food and drink for our soul. He commanded us to celebrate it in His memory. So it became a sacrifice and a sacrament. It is a sacrifice because Jesus himself is the offering, the sacrificial lamb, the repetition of the same sacrifice at Calvary.  While Jesus was on earth, He stated, "I am the living bread that came down from Heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." So it is a sacrament, as it is the greatest source of divine grace and food for our soul and life. St. John puts it succinctly: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”

 The Eucharist is a sacrament, which has been celebrated for over two thousand years. Besides the usage ‘Breaking of the Bread” we see the references to the Eucharistic celebration among early Christians in the writings of the Church Fathers and some of the letters written during that period. Letters those were written around 107 A.D., by a christian named Ignatius, tells about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and he referred to Jesus as God. St.Justin wrote a letter to the pagan emperor Antonius Pius around the year 155 A.D. explaining the way Christians celebrated the Eucharist.

Every day, I see individuals, groups and families, who give visit to the Blessed Sacrament in our chapel. I have seen people come to the chapel to pray when somebody is sick in their families or dies; when they are in trouble, or in crisis they rush to the Blessed Sacrament and pour out their heart before the Eucharistic Lord. Some people come to the chapel just to thank God or experience the presence of God. Why do all of these people find time to visit the Blessed Sacrament and pray even with their busy schedule? The obvious answer is that all of them return with some kind of consolation, comfort, relief, peace of mind, uplifted, strengthened and blessed. So their experience prompts them to do so.

 Our God is a giving God. Our God is a forgiving God. Our God is a living God. The Host-turned-Flesh, and the Wine-turned-Blood, in Lanciano in 700 A.D., without the use of any form of preservative, is still present in the reliquary. The most recent, an extensive scientific research done in 1970 on this Host, turned flesh, used the most modern scientific tools available. The tests proved that even now it has all characteristics of a living man’s flesh and blood. It is an ongoing miracle. The same miracle takes place even at this Holy Mass. The only difference is that here, we can see Jesus only through the eyes of our faith, while in those Eucharistic miracles we can see also through our physical eyes.

Therefore, let us receive the Eucharist with proper preparation as we, as human beings are unworthy to have Jesus in our heart, except, for His love, mercy and forgiveness. Let us approach the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus in every Mass, with great devotion and faith, and become really Spirit-filled, healed and uplifted, as Jesus comes to our heart. God will do miracles in our lives too. Let us always rejoice in our Eucharistic Lord by receiving and keeping Him in our hearts. God bless you.