Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him, says the Lord.

Last week we discussed one of the great mysteries of the church, the Holy Trinity. That there are three divine persons in one God. This week we encounter another great mystery the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, also known as Corpus Christi. Both mysteries, though not proceed by our senses, are revealed to us through God's wonderful theological gift to us.

It is called faith. We first received his virtue at baptism. The first half of today's gospel are Jesus instructions for preparing for the Passover, or what we call the Last Supper, which takes place on Holy Thursday. Let us focus when Jesus institutes the Holy Eucharist. The gospel says he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, take it.  This is my body. The word. This does not refer to the act of the breaking of the bread, but to that which Jesus gives his disciples. That is something which looked like bread, and which was no longer bread, but the body of Christ. This is my body. That is to say, what I am giving you now and what you are taking is my body. The bread becomes his very body. The Lord has said, the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh. What does this mean? The Lord maintains the appearances of the bread and wine but changes their substance into the reality of his flesh and blood. The words of consecration of the chalice. This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Clearly shows the Eucharist is a sacrifice. The blood of Christ is poured out, sealing the new and definitive covenant of God with men. This covenant remained sealed forever by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, in which Jesus is both priest and victim. Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, body and blood, soul and divinity. Under the appearance of bread and wine.  After the words of consecration are said by the priest, the substance has been changed into Jesus. The church calls this transubstantiation. The mass looks like a meal, but the mass is also a sacrifice upon the cross. Jesus offered himself in suffering and sacrifice. In the mass, he offers himself under the appearance of bread and wine. But this is the same Jesus.

 

Saint Paul says the Eucharist is a reliving of the sacrifice of the cross. Therefore, in faith we know we are receiving Jesus. As the gospel concludes. Jesus says, I shall not drink again. The fruit of the vine. Until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom. He promises the day will come when he will meet with them again. When the kingdom of God will have come in all its fullness. He's referring to the beatific life in heaven so often compared to a banquet.

 

Homily begins at 31.06