Sunday June 23rd: The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
St. Francis Parish | June 23, 2019, 10:18 am | Reflections
On this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, we have the opportunity and even more so, the obligation to become more aware of the true magnificence of the Holy Eucharist. Jesus’ presence on the altar. Through the miracle of transubstantiation, bread truly becomes the flesh of Jesus our Lord. If we are asked about this by our peers or perhaps those from another faith, we would likely state this as fact with great confidence. However, do our actions show the true reverence that this miracle deserves? At each Mass, we are reminded of the sacrifice by our Lord and then come forward to receive Him into our own bodies. How do we prepare ourselves for this moment? How do we show our devotion to Him in this moment? How do our actions tell the story of our faith to those who may be getting a glimpse of it for the first time?
In today’s Gospel, we hear from Luke 9:11-17, the story of the feeding of the 5,000. As you review this Gospel passage, take note of the second line in the Gospel from verse 11, Jesus “healed those who needed to be cured.” This happens just before Jesus performs the miracle, “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.” (LK 11:16) This is of course a foreshadowing of the Last Supper and in turn, today’s Holy Mass. Let’s step back to that earlier verse which spoke of Jesus healing those who needed to be healed. We are reminded of our own need for healing through the Sacrament of Confession. For us to be in communion with our Lord through the receiving of His Body in the Eucharist, we ourselves must be in the state of grace that warrants our being living tabernacles once we receive Him.
So on this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, let us be reminded of Jesus’ presence in the Mass. Let us be reminded of His presence in the Eucharist. Let us be reminded of His presence within us. Let our actions show the proper reverence to His presence in our Lives.