Corpus Christi : The Gift of Jesus Himself

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season : Tenth Week: Sunday*

*Feast : The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ : Corpus Christi*

*Gospel :  John 6:51-58*

*First Reading : Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16*

*Responsorial Psalm : 147: 12-20*

*Second Reading : 1 Cor 10:16-17*

*Corpus Christi : The Gift of Jesus Himself*

*1) Jesus did not merely give us something; He gave us Himself.*

Most gifts we receive are separate from the giver. A parent may give a child an inheritance, a friend may give a present, a king may give riches to his subjects. But no human being can truly give himself completely to another.

Yet this is exactly what Jesus does in the Eucharist.

On the night before He died, Jesus knew that His suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension were near. He was about to leave His disciples physically. If He wanted to leave them a reminder, He could have left a book. If He wanted to leave them a symbol, He could have left a monument. If He wanted to leave them a memory, He could have left a teaching.

Instead, He left Himself.

At the Last Supper, Jesus did not say, "This represents my body." He said, "This is my body." He did not say, "This symbolizes my blood." He said, "This is my blood." He chose to remain with His people in the most intimate way possible.

*2) A God Who Refuses to Stay Distant*

The history of salvation is the story of God drawing closer and closer to humanity.

In creation, God revealed His power.

In the Old Testament, God spoke through prophets.

In the Incarnation, God became one of us.

In the Eucharist, God remains with us.

The Eucharist is the continuation of the Incarnation. The same Jesus born in Bethlehem, who walked in Galilee, who died on Calvary and rose from the dead, now comes to us under the humble appearance of bread and wine.

Corpus Christi celebrates this astonishing humility of God.

*3) Love Always Wants to Remain*

When people truly love one another, they do not want to be separated.

A mother keeps the photograph of her child close to her heart. A husband traveling far from home carries a picture of his wife. Human love always seeks closeness.

Jesus' love is infinitely greater than ours. Therefore, before returning to the Father, He found a way to remain with us in every age, every nation, every generation.

The Eucharist is Christ's answer to human loneliness.

Even when everyone abandons us, Christ remains.

Even when we fail, Christ remains.

Even when we suffer, Christ remains.

In every tabernacle throughout the world, Jesus silently says: "I am still here."

*4) The Greatest Gift Costs Everything*

The value of a gift is often measured by the sacrifice behind it.

A wealthy person giving a small coin sacrifices little. But a poor widow giving her last coin gives everything.

In the Eucharist, Jesus gives not a part of Himself but His whole self—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. This gift is inseparable from the sacrifice of the Cross.

Corpus Christi reminds us that the Eucharist is the fruit of Calvary. Every Mass makes present the same love with which Christ offered Himself for the salvation of the world.

*5) We Become What We Receive*

The purpose of the Eucharist is not only that Christ may come to us, but that we may become like Him.

Jesus gives Himself completely to us so that we may learn to give ourselves completely to others.

After receiving the Eucharist, the Christian should be able to say:

"I will be bread broken for my family."

"I will be a source of forgiveness."

"I will serve the poor."

"I will love as Christ loves."

The Eucharist transforms disciples into witnesses.

*6) The Eucharist Calls Us to Unity*

Many grains become one bread; many grapes become one cup. The Eucharist is a sacrament of unity.

We cannot truly honor Christ in the Eucharist while harboring hatred, prejudice, or division. The same Lord feeds all of us from the same table.

*7) The Eucharist Is a Gift, Not a Reward* 

At every Mass, we receive what we could never earn: the very life of Christ. The Eucharist is God's gift of love to sinners, pilgrims, and seekers.

The Lord feeds us not because we are perfect but because we need His strength. Just as food nourishes the body, the Eucharist nourishes the soul for the journey of faith.

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*