This is My Body

Corpus Christi Sunday
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060224.cfm

This summer, the Olympics games will be held in Paris, France, and there is good news from the City of Light, the exterior of the Cathedral of Notre Dame will be restored in time for the games. You may remember that five years ago, on April 15, 2019, a massive fire engulfed the historic church. As onlookers watched, it appeared as if this famous 800-year-old church, a symbol of France and one of the greatest churches in the world, was going to be gone forever. It is truly remarkable that Notre Dame survived and has been repaired.

I want to take us back to that day five years ago what the church was ablaze. On the scene was Paris’ famous fire brigade, which is actually a unit of army. They rushed into the church to try to control the fire and save some of the treasures inside. It was a hellscape inside. Father Jean-Marc Fournier, the priest-chaplain, described the interior. He said, “A rain of fire was falling without pause from the roof.” The heat was intense. He said:

As soon as I arrived, there were two things that it struck me as absolutely essential to recover: firstly, the invaluable treasure that is the Crown of Thorns, [which is believed to be the actual object Jesus wore on the cross] then, of course, Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament. Everyone understands that the Crown of Thorns is this precious, extraordinary relic, but the Blessed Sacrament is our Lord made flesh... you'll understand it's difficult to see someone you love perish in flames.

He describes standing alone in the cathedral "surrounded by flames, fire and smoldering objects falling from the ceiling" as he rescued this relic and the consecrated Eucharist. With the Eucharist, he gave a benediction, blessing the cathedral and entrusting its preservation to the Lord.

In the Gospel of Mark today, Jesus told the Apostles at the Last Supper the same words that Fr. Sebastian will soon proclaim, “this is my Body” and “this is my Blood.” Our faith teaches us that Jesus was not being metaphorical. He was not saying that the Eucharist is a ‘symbol’ of his Body. He was not being poetical saying, ‘this bread represents me.’ No, he says, “this is my Body.”

In another passage in the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (6:55-56).

Most of us can say “AMEN” to this in some capacity, as we do when we step forward to receive Communion. And yet, can you imagine believing it so strongly that you would rush into a burning church to rescue Jesus?

You may think, why would anyone possibly risk their life for the Eucharist? There are more than 200,000 Catholic parishes in the world and more than 400,000 priests, most with mass offered daily. By that measure, the Eucharist is not exactly a scarce commodity. While this is true, each of those altars and tabernacles carries the real body of our Lord made flesh, as Fr. Fournier said. It is not scarce, but is incredibly precious—indeed, the most precious thing in the world—yet offered to all who come, free of charge, every day. If it is worth rushing into a fire to rescue, isn’t it worth coming to mass to receive? Shouldn’t we be as excited as 2nd grader receiving their First Communion?

In six weeks, there will be a huge Eucharistic revival in Indianapolis. 80,000 Catholics from all over the United States will be gathering to worship the Eucharistic Lord from July 17th to 21st. In preparation, there will be a Eucharistic pilgrimage passing through our city from July 5–7. You might consider joining them. If that’s not possible, perhaps you might spend a few extra minutes in prayer before the tabernacle this summer, adoring and reflecting on our God who comes to us as bread.

One final point here in our understanding of the Eucharist: we correctly focus on the bread and wine, but this is not a full picture. Early Christians had an expression, “the Eucharist makes the Church.” This means that by consuming Christ’s Body, we become what we receive. We eat Christ’s Body and we are transformed into Christ’s Body.

Christ is really present in us, his Church, not just in the bread and wine. If we truly believe that, how can we live it? How can we cooperate with that transformation?

St Theresa of Avilla wrote a famous poem titled, “Christ Has No Body” that I will close with:

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

May the Body of Christ bring us all to eternal life and may we be hands and feet that work to bring his kingdom here on earth. Amen.