God Dwells with His People. God has an incredible history of doing what He loves to do: dwell among His people. He loves us and wants to be close to us! Since the beginning, He has chosen to do this not only spiritually, but also materially or physically on earth. The Lord walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he dwelt among His chosen people Israel in the Holy of Holies on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant for over 850 years, and he became man and lived among us for 33 years and died for us to show us how much He loves us.
With that kind of a track record, would he just leave and never come back to us physically? No, for Jesus said, “I will not leave you orphans; I WILL COME TO YOU.” (John 14:18). Jesus here was not referring only to the coming of his Spirit—the Holy Spirit who proceeded from the Father and the Son—but also to the fact that he WAS coming back to dwell with us sacramentally, physically in the Eucharist at Mass.
Jesus’ Most Emphatic Teaching. Today we celebrate the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist: the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (Latin: Corpus Christi). Today’s Gospel reading from John 6, one of the longest dialogues in Scripture (John 6:25-71) is arguably Jesus’ most emphatic teaching dialogue in all the gospels. He uses straightforward language in his discourse with the Jews and his disciples, leaving no room for misinterpretation: “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” He uses the word flesh 6 times, blood 4 times, and two different Greek words for eat 8 times. Jesus’ disciples clearly understood that he was not speaking symbolically, because they said: “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it? …and after this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.” (John 6:60, 66). Driving his literal—not figurative—point further, Jesus turns and asks his 12 apostles, “Do you also wish to go away?” (6:67).
Heaven on Earth. Receiving Jesus’ Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in Holy Communion IS the fulfillment of Jesus’ assurance that he would always be with us to the end of the age through all our joys, trials, and suffering. The Word becomes flesh and dwells among us in His Most Holy Body and Blood in the Eucharist at Communion, making us truly united as one in His Body on earth, the Church.
Eucharistic Revival. This fall our pastorate will be actively participating in the national and archdiocesan Eucharistic Revival, offering a variety of opportunities for us to encounter anew Jesus in the Eucharist, who desires us to spend sacred time with him not only spiritually, but also in his real sacramental, physical Presence. More to come!
Peace in Christ,
Father Jim
