Corpus Christi

This Sunday is the solemn feast of Corpus Christi, celebrating the body and blood of Christ.  

Though Christ’s physical presence has been gone ever since the Ascension (Acts 1:9-11, Luke 20:50-53, Mark 16:19), he remains physically present through the Sacrament of Eucharist, which is the very body and blood of Christ, through transubstantiation of bread and wine, consecrated by the works of the Holy Spirit.  Needless to say, the Triune God is always with us through the Holy Spirit even in place of Christ’s physical absence, making Christ’s presence an ongoing reality spiritually, rather than physically (i.e. John 16:7).

Though Jesus left us with the Holy Spirit to stay in touch with us upon his Ascension, this Sunday, Corpus Christi Sunday, reminds us of another very important truth: Jesus Christ, the Son in Trinity, continues to keep his physical presence through the Sacrament of Eucharist! Corpus Christi Sunday’s readings (Genesis 14:18-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 9:11b-17) offer us some thoughts to reflect upon what the Corpus Christi really is.  The first reading (Genesis 14: 18-20) and the Gospel reading (Luke 9:11b-17) offers prototype of the Eucharist, while the second reading (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) offers the anamnesis of the Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-39).

On Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), we memorialized that Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Eucharist during the Last Supper through John’s description of the Last Supper with a focus on Jesus washing the disciple’s feet (John 13:1-15).  While this Gospel reading for Holy Thursday focuses on Jesus washing the disciple’s feet, cleanliness in receiving the Eucharist, the second reading for Holy Thursday is exactly the same as the Corpus Christi’s second reading, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Paul reiterating the Synoptic Gospels’ description of the Eucharistic institution during the Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-39). 

Because Holy Thursday’s Gospel reading is about Jesus washing the disciples’ feet and commanding the disciples to practice servant leadership, exemplified by Jesus’ washing their feet, it is called Maundy Thursday.  Maundy, derived from “mandatum”, means “commanding”. In fact, during the Last Supper, Jesus gave more than one commandment. First, he commanded to humbly serve one another as Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (John 13:15). Second, Jesus commanded to practice the Eucharistic offering in anamnesis (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). Third, Jesus gave a new commandment to love one another as he has done so, elaborating on the deeper meaning of his feet washing for the disciples (John 13:34), during his Last Supper discourse. 

In addition to remembering the institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, on Corpus Christi Sunday, we also remember the pretext of the Eucharist in the bread and wine that Melchizedek, a priest of God the Most High, offered to Abraham (Genesis 14:18-20, First Reading). 

Melchizedek was the king of Jerusalem at the time of Abraham and offered bread and wine as a refreshing reward to Abraham for his excellent military skills in saving his nephew, Lot, from a war with foreign kings.  It is also important to understand that Abraham’s encounter with Melchizedek over bread and wine reward leads to God’s covenant with Abraham.

Because Jesus called his offering of bread and wine to the Apostles the covenant (Matthew 26:25, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20), the institution of the Eucharist follows the pattern of Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine to Abraham leading to God’s covenant with Abraham.  Therefore, Melchizedek in this Sunday’s first reading (Genesis 14:18-20) invokes a prefiguring image of Jesus.

As a matter of fact, Corpus Christi Sunday’s Psalm (Psalm 110:1-4) suggests that Christ, who is God, was prefigured in the manner of Melchizedek, a priest and a king of Jerusalem. Furthermore, Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans, 7:1-22 describes Jesus as the priest after the Order of Melchizedek. In Hebrews 7:20-22, Paul further tells that Jesus’ priestly identity comes with a Lord’s oath to install him as the eternal priest, while pries of Levitical order do not have a divine oath. 

Thus, divine oath for Jesus’ priesthood with the Order of Melchizedek makes Jesus the perfect and eternal priest. This priest and king, Jesus, the Christ, the Son, performs a priestly role of feeding the hungry multitudes by multiplying a scanty amount of bread and fish, as described in today’s Gospel (Luke9:11b-17).  None of the Levitical priests can perform such a miraculous deed to take care of people.

As we remember and receive the Body and the Blood of Christ, as Jesus commanded, we also follow another command of his: To love one another. Thus, we shall feed the hungry out of love, while we are fully in touch with the Body and the Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi. 

The one Melchizedek offered bread and wine to and blessed was Abraham, whom Jesus traces his human lineage through his step-father, Joseph. Thus, Jesus' Abrahamic earthly family lineage was blessed by an ancient priest and king, Melchizedek.

In order to reveal his complete priesthood of the Melchizedek order, Jesus offers his own body and blood through bread and wine at the Last Supper. Now, consecrated by the works of the Holy Spirit, Catholic priests throughout the world continues this tradition in celebrating the Sacrament of Eucharist in the forms of bread and wine on the alter. For us to receive this special bread and wine, we did not have to earn as Abraham did from Melchizedek. Christ offers his own body through the consecrated bread and wine at every Mass out of love. Christ does this because this is our sustenance and his covenant. All we have to do is to say Yes to Christ and receive with gratitude. That is why this is called Eucharist, which means “to give thanks”.

This is what we celebrate today on the solemn feast of Corpus Christi, the Sacrament of Eucharist!

Now, it is also important to remember that we, the faithful, who regularly receive the  Sacrament of Eucharist formulate the one Body of Christ with many parts, which is the Corpus Christi image in the Pauline Christology, found in 1 Corinthians 12. In becoming Corpus Christi, we serve one another as many parts of one body of Christ as our sign of love for one another. This way, we keep the commands of Jesus, as he commanded upon instituting the Eucharist, as we become an Eucharistic being.

In thinking of this, what comes to my mind is Fr. Ricky Monalo's beautiful hymn,  "Ang Katawan Ni Kristo (Behold, the Body of Christ)".

In the presence of our God,
as we gather here in Christ,
feel the Spirit breathe upon us,
the breath of life, graced and divine.
We have come to break the bread;
we have come to share our lives.
Let us bring these fruits to the table,
the love of God, yours and mine!

Refrain
Ang Katawan Ni Kristo (2x)
Behold the Body of Christ, Jesus our Saviour and Life!
Rejoice O people of God! We are the Body of Christ!

When we gather in our homes,
through our prayers and our meals,
we are fed and nourished together,
our families, broken and blessed.
In the household of the Lord,
where we come to share the meal,
we are fed the words of our Saviour,
one family, strengthened and healed. (Refrain)

Bridge:

Is not the meal that we bless and share a communion in the life of Christ?
One bread, one blessing, one cup make us one body in our Lord.

In the presence of our God,
by the justice that is shown,
We will build a kingdom together;
The love of Christ given to all (Refrain)