Acts of the Apostles. 4

May 25, 2008

Corpus Christi

“Jesus said to the Jewish crowds, “I am the living bread that came down from Heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

Today we celebrate the solemnity of the body and blood of Christ, “Corpus Christi,” marked throughout the world with Benedictions and special processions. This is the great mystery of faith: the Holy Eucharist, which is the source and summit of our faith. Here the Eucharist is not just a symbol nor a reminder of Christ’s presence or self-offering.

In truth, Jesus is truly present in this sacrament. We call this His real presence. The Catechism says that “the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.” That is why St. Paul refers to Holy Communion as a “participation” in the body and blood of Christ. This wonderful mystery manifests how much Jesus really loves us. He pours out His body and blood for us so that we can partake in His divine life.

How do we best benefit from what He has to offer? One can say that the Mass, the Eucharist, will engage us to the extent that we have the spiritual depth and maturity to receive what God has to offer us. And preparation is the best way for us to work on that. There are two kinds of preparation: remote and proximate.

Remote preparation refers to how we live our lives, being in a state of grace, adhering to the teaching of Christ and the Church, praying regularly, and being properly disposed.

Proximate preparation refers to how we prepare for this particular mass: reconciliation, reflection on readings, asking: what does God want from me this mass? How can I best give Him glory today?, and fasting. We cant become Christ unless we make room for Him. Paradoxically, this also involves thanking Him after mass and not rushing out of Church.

“With all this we begin to hunger for God and holiness, instead of money, pleasures, reputation, and success. If we starve ourselves eucharistically, we become weak in the face of temptations and begin to wander away. We need Jesus, the food from heaven, the food of truth.

St. Francis de Sales

-Rev. Todd Molinari

http://www.stjosephchurch.com/pastor.html