"I am the living bread that came down from heaven."
Mark 14: 12- 16, 22-26
This Sunday we celebrate a day to reflect on the most precious and often seen central sacrament of our Church: the Holy Eucharist. The origin of today's Feast is based from a miracle in the 13th century in Bolsena, Italy. A traveling priest, who struggled in his belief of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, was celebrating Mass when suddenly blood began to flow from the consecrated bread and fell upon the corporal below. Shocked and moved deeply he ran to neighboring Orvieto where the Pope was visiting and presented the stained corporal. After some investigation about it's authenticity, a Feast marking the Holy Eucharist was established and to this day we remember that event, and much more about the mysterious presence of Christ in the Eucharist, on this Feast of Corpus Christi. You can visit the town of Orvieto, not too far from Rome, up on a large hill and the stunning Cathedral in Orvieto which contains the relic of the stained corporal to this day, in a large side chapel above the altar.
On one of our pilgrimages to Italy, I had the great honor to celebrate Mass at that altar with our pilgrims.
Below is a link which tells the story of that Eucharistic miracle:
However, the Feast has become far more than a remembrance of a 13th century miracle. It has certainly become, two Sundays after Easter, a time to embrace the mystery of this miraclous presence of Christ under the signs of bread and wine. During the celebration of Mass, we express our reverence and respect for Christ: we genuflect or bow to the tabernacle, we listen attentively to the word of God proclaimed, we kneel in humility during the Eucharistic prayer if possible, the great and central prayer of the Mass, offered by the priest who acts in "persona Christi" - the person of Christ. He offers this great sacrifice to the Father and prays for the world, the Church, calling down the Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine, he prayers for the living assembled in worship and for our deceased brethren. We, united as one, offer a prayer to our Father and extend the peace Christ brings to one another as we prepare to come for this food.
All kneel to his presence in the Eucharist as the "Lamb of God" begins and the priest hold up the host: "Behold the Lamb of God . . ." then approach the priest or minister, who are insignificant at that moment, to bow in reverence before Christ in the Holy Eucharist and then receive him into our hands or on our tongue. Rather than seeking a "blessing" from the priest or minister at that time, it would be more important to be concerned about what you do, your response, rather than what they might do. What a wonderful moment to encourage your small children to bow to Jesus in the Eucharist rather than seek a blessing from the priest who can bless them after Mass or certainly everyone at the end of Mass.
Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is present body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Holy Eucharist. We encounter him in a living way as he comes to feed us with himself as food for the journey in this life. He is like manna provided in the desert to the wandering Hebrew lot. His blood was shed for us as Moses sacrificed animals on the altar and then sprinkled the people as a sign of a covenant sealed between them and God (our first reading).
The earliest of Christians broke bread together, they gathered in assembly, they knew there was something unique and wonderful about how Christ came among them and over time, the Mass as we know it today is the product of their faith and an expression of ours.
Below is a link to Bishop Robert Barron's reflection for this Sunday from his website: wordonfire.org As the Eucharist creates a unity among us, untied in Christ as head of our Church, let us become his body to others and live out the Way he has shown us.
Bishop Barron's reflection:
O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament
have left us a memorial of your Passion,
grant us, we pray,
so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood
that we may always experience in ourselves
the fruits of your redemption.
Who live and reign with God the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
(Collect of Feast)
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