Message of Abbot Paul - Corpus Christi
Message from Fr Paul for Sunday, 6th June 2021 Corpus Christi
Today, in England and Wales, as in many other countries, we celebrate Corpus Christi, so I will share with you the homily I have prepared for the monks’ Mass, the Conventual Mass. Normal service will be resumed on Monday!
“When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, O Lord, until you come again.” We often sing these words, based on First Corinthians, at the Elevation of the Mass, when we adore the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and so recognise our Risen Lord in the Breaking of Bread. From the Church’s beginnings in the Upper Room, where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples, and in the Cenacle, where together with Our Lady, they received the Holy Spirit, Christians have believed without doubting the word spoken by the Lord and its power to bring about what it says, just as “in the beginning” God had said, “Let there be light”, and there was light. This is the Church’s faith, our faith. When Jesus says, “This is my body, which is given for you,” and “This is the cup of my blood, which is shed for you,” we know that his word is true, for what he says, he does. But it’s not only in the Real Presence that we believe, for Jesus asks us to “do this in memory of me”. The Eucharist is a memorial of the whole of Christ’s life, from the moment of his coming from the Father by the grace of the Holy Spirit to the moment of his return to the Father and the outpouring of the same Spirit. Thus, the Mass is a commemoration of the Incarnation and a thanksgiving for the fruits of the Sacrifice of the Word made flesh. What is more, we anticipate and pray for his Second Coming as Judge at the end of time.
When we talk of the Sacrifice of the Mass, we naturally think of Christ’s Passion and Death, and in the Mass, in a very powerful way, we are totally immersed in the Mystery of the Cross, in that aspect of his sacrifice, but the whole of his life is sacrificial, for in him all things are sanctified and made new. In the Mass, we celebrate the totality of the Mystery of the Incarnation, the whole Christ event: his Conception in the Virgin’s womb, his Nativity in the cave of Bethlehem and his lying in the manger, his Circumcision and first shedding of the Precious Blood for our redemption, and so on. Every moment, every aspect of the life of Jesus is sacrifice, including his Resurrection. It is Christ in his fullness whom we celebrate and whom we receive at Mass, for in the Son we receive the Father and the Holy Spirit. God, though three persons, is One and in communion with Christ we are united to the Holy Trinity.
But there is more. In the Gospel, we read of the feeding of the five thousand. With the humble offering of a small boy, five loaves and two fish, one of the loveliest images in the Bible, Jesus is able to feed the multitude and there is an abundance of food left over, enough to fill twelve baskets. Like the manna in the desert, the food with which Jesus feeds us does not run out. He who created all that exists out of nothing can feed the hungry and nourish our souls. As with the widow’s mite, he can work miracles with the little we give, especially if it is given with a loving and generous heart. At Mass we offer him his gifts of bread and wine and receive in return his Body and Blood. What an extraordinary exchange! Even the tiniest crumb of Christ’s body and the smallest drop of his blood suffice for us to receive the whole Christ and with hIm the Father and the Holy Spirit. There are times when this might not be physically possible, as we experienced during the pandemic lockdowns. Then, we can receive Christ in spiritual communion, so strong is our desire to give ourselves to him that he might give himself to us. In a mystical sense, the Real Presence is always with those who have given their hearts to Jesus and, as he promised his disciples, he is with us always.
Today we give thanks to God for the Blessed Sacrament and for the immense privilege of celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. May our thanksgiving extend to every moment and aspect of our lives that we may never leave the Divine Presence but live in Christ now and for all eternity. Amen.
