Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi 2019:

As I mentioned last week, this is one of the doctrinal Sundays.  Last week we reflected on the doctrine of the Trinity, the heart of our faith because it’s our very belief in God.  Today we reflect on the Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ, corpus Christi.  The belief in the Trinity is the heart of our faith.  But, the belief in the Eucharist is the heart of our worship.  

I think it’s really beautiful that we celebrate these two feast days in successive weeks, because it really shows the connection between faith and worship.  What we believe affects the way we worship.  The way we worship affects the way we believe.  Worship is like our faith in action.  Yet without the firm foundation of our faith, our worship becomes empty.  The two are intimately connected.  

It’s almost impossible to overstate the importance of the Eucharist in our Catholic life of faith.  The Second Vatican Council called the Eucharist the source and summit of our Catholic life.  Source and summit.  So, for the feast of Corpus Christi, I thought I would reflect a little bit on these two terms: source and summit.

What does it mean to say that the Eucharist is the source of our Catholic life?  First, it’s important to state boldly and unapologetically what we believe at the Eucharist: it is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ himself.  The Blessed Sacrament is the true presence of Christ. We believe that Bread and Wine are transubstantiated into the very body and blood of Christ.  Not a mere sign or symbol, but the true presence of Christ. This is why we genuflect on our way into mass and on our way out of mass.  We reverence Christ who is truly present in the Eucharist.  So, of course, the Eucharist is the source of our Catholic life.  It’s the presence of Christ.  Christ is the source of all Christianity.  Everything comes from him.  Without him we would have nothing, we would be nothing.  He is the source of all that is.  Since the Eucharist is the true presence of Christ, the Eucharist is the source of our Catholic life.  Practically, how would this make an impact in our lives?  What would happen to a river if it was cut off from its source?  It would shrivel up and die.  It would no longer be a river.  It could even turn into a stagnant swamp.  What happens to us if we are cut off from our source?  We can dry up too.  By our faithful participation here at mass we stay connected to Christ, our source.  

Summit.  The peak, the top, the pinnacle of our Catholic life is the celebration of the Mass. Think about the Church year.  It’s full of many feast days and big events. This past week I finished my first year here at the Cathedral.  It’s been a great experience.  But, it has also seemed like a wild ride sometimes.  We have the big events like Christmas and Easter.  But, being the Cathedral, we also have big events like ordinations, baccalaureate masses, confirmations, etc.  All these big events celebrate important moments in Christ’s life or important moments in the faith lives of people from our diocese.  What do all these events have in common?  The mass.  At our most important events, we celebrate the Mass.  At our biggest celebrations, we celebrate the mass. Why?  The Eucharist is the summit of our life of faith.  This is the biggest thing we do.  The best activity of prayer and worship to God is to celebrate the Mass, the Eucharist.  There are lots of ways for us to pray.  There are lots of ways for us to worship God.  But, nothing compares to the Mass.  It’s the very summit.

Another goal I had this weekend was to reflect on the mass as the source and summit so that all of you might have some talking points for family members.  I know that so many of our friends, family, and loved ones do not attend Mass.  Maybe use these images of source and summit as beautiful ways to share with them the glory of the Mass.  Personally, I can’t imagine life without the Mass.  It’s the source and summit of our Catholic life. So, let us give thanks to God for this amazing gift.  But, let us also ask God to help all his people to grow in their love and amazement for the Mass, for the Holy Eucharist.  May it be the source and summit for everyone’s life of faith.