The Feast of Corpus Christi
Jesus established the New Covenant by spilling his own blood on the cross at Calvary. Jesus sat with his followers to eat the Passover supper, which foreshadowed the eternal meal the Eucharist, consisting of his body and blood, which would give them eternal life. Before his passion and death, Jesus wishes to reveal to them the most holy mystery, 'the Everlasting Covenant,' which was our Heavenly Fathers' plan for the salvation of all humanity.
We are very much privileged to share in this Most Divine Meal; Body and Blood the Eucharist. Jesus institutes the Eucharist: ‘Then he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘this is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you.’ (Luke. 22: 19-20) He poured out his own blood to save us from evil and lead us to salvation for making us the heirs of His Kingdom. ‘Yes Lord, you are the bread of life, and through this eternal bread you are sharing everything belongs to you! ‘I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever hunger; no one who believes in me will ever thirst.’ (Jon 6: 35)
When the people searched Jesus again for the matters of this world, Jesus said to them: ‘In truth I tell you, you are looking for me not because you have seen the signs but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat. Do not work for the food that goes bad, but work for food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of man will give you, for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.’ (Jon. 6: 26-27)Jesus is the eternal food which will endures us the eternal life. The eternal life will be our ultimate aim to achieve from Christ. God created us only for this purpose and nothing else. Because of our greediness and pride in possessions are the main reasons; that Lord is not abiding in our heart. ‘For God created human beings to be immortal, he made them as an image of his own nature ’ Wis. 2: 23 His ultimate aim is to give us the eternal life to unite with Him. That’s So God made His own Son to become a sacrifice for the remission of the sin for ‘many’. “Christ too, having offered himself only once to bear the sin of many, to manifest himself ……..” Heb. 9: 28.
Jesus said to them, that he is the true brea, ‘It is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven, the true bread; for the bread of God is the bread which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ (Jon. 6:32-33) Jesus himself is the bread of life, which Heavenly Father brought from heaven for the salvation of His whole creation, which was His own plan and revealed through the secret mysteries hidden in His Words. They asked Jesus to give them this bread of life. Jesus will be our food and drink; he is everything to us, and the only One who will guide us to the Father’s House. When people of Israel asked for the food, God brought the heavenly Manna and Quail for them to eat.
We should not have any doubt about Jesus and about the Word of God. The disciples start grumbling and they could not believe his words or he is the Son of God. Then Jesus said to them: ‘I am the bread that has come down from heaven.’ They were saying, ‘surely this Jesus son of Joseph, whose father and mother, we knows.’ How can him now say, “I have come down from heaven” (Jon. 6:41-42) All of them seeing Jesus through their external eyes and their internal eyes are blinded by the evil spirit.
Many years ago, Br. Joemon while giving a talk about the Eucharist he said: ‘Many Christian denominations still not believe in the mystery of the transubstantiation of the bread into Body and wine into Blood of Jesus Christ and for us Catholics this is essence of our worship.’ Jesus himself says about this act of consecration to be done on his remembrance of establishing the New Covenant. ‘Then he broke the bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the New Covenant in my blood poured out for you. ‘1Cr 11: 26 He is the Lamb of God, the true sacrifice and the fullness of all other sacrifices. There is no other sacrifice greater than our Lord’s own sacrifice on the Cross in Calvary and it is very important as Br Joemon explained.
No one, but our Lord Jesus Christ, can make such an offering to God our Father in order to save us, all of humanity. He is God's only Son, so His contribution is the most precious and significant. God made him the only sacrifice for the salvation of all humanity. That is why it is an everlasting sacrifice, and it will endure forever, Amen! Those who ignore this mystery are heretics, enemies of Jesus and his kingdom.. 1 John 2:22 (NJB): Who is the liar, if not one who claims that Jesus is not the Christ? This is the Antichrist, who denies both the Father and the Son. They are the Antichrists. They doubted Jesus and were thinking how they will eat the flesh of a man and drink his blood. It is impossible to understand as if we think in human way, and scrutinise these heavenly things with our own intelligence. Jesus said to them with great pain in his heart: ‘No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me, and I will raise that person up on the last day.’ (Jon. 6:44)We cannot come closer to Jesus unless Heavenly Father allows us to approach him. When we come to know Jesus and approach him wholeheartedly, then we will realise this; that he is the gift of God. Jesus again told them, ‘He went on, ‘This is why I told you that no one could come to me except by the gift of the Father.’ Jon. 6: 65. Again Jesus said to them: ‘I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate manna in the desert and they are dead; but this is the bread which comes down from heaven, so that a person may eat it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’ (Jon.6: 48-51)Death will not approach us if we eat His Body and drink His Blood with genuine reverence and purity. When the priest consecrates the bread and wine, it is done in a celestial manner and according to the plan of celestial Father. It is happening through the prayer that Jesus proclaimed to the Heavenly Father. Jesus said: ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. Then he said: ‘This cup is the New Covenant in my blood poured out for you. (which our Lord proclaimed while establishing the Eucharist). Jesus told unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood ……. John 6:53–56 (NJB): 53 Jesus replied to them: In all truth I tell you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise that person up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in that person. Jesus is saying to all of us to eat his flesh and blood to live in him and he will live in us. So the Holy Mass is the real sacrifice the enactment of the sacrifice on the Cross on Calvary. Then whatever Jesus has said is fulfilled and it is not a mere meal but the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
Jesus says clearly that he will not share this Passover or supper till he finish the will of God. When will be the wish of Heavenly Father would fulfill? By Jesus’ Passion, death and resurrection it will be fulfilled.‘I have ardently longed to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; because I tell, I shall not eat it until is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ Lk. 22: 15-16 Again Jesus said by raising the chalice: ‘Because from now on, I tell you, I shall never again drink wine until the kingdom of God comes. Lk. 22: 18. If it was a mere meal Jesus would not say do this Sacrifice of Mass in the remembrance of him. “because I tell, I shall not eat it until is fulfilled.” That means it is not just the Passover Meal, but also the Eucharist, which was made possible by his own sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary. When he stated "It is fulfilled" on the cross, it was fulfilled. His flesh and blood became the Body and Blood of the Eucharist, which is superior to all earthly feasts but has been changed into the Divine Meal that came down from Heaven. Jesus instituted the Eucharist, the Everlasting Covenant, by sacrificing his own body and blood, which no other god can provide on earth or in heaven.
A Divine Embrace
Oh, Most Blessed Holy Sacrament
Oh, Jesus, my sweetheart and love
Oh, meek and humble of heart
Make my heart like yours
Lord, You brought us the food from heaven
Your Body and Blood for our salvation
Lord, am unworthy to receive the Holy Eucharist
But Your immense mercy and love, enable me to have it.
Oh, Most Holy Name to be honoured
Jesus, my Lord, live in the holy Tabernacle
Maketh yourself the humblest bread
To share your eternal glory with us
Oh Lord, sanctify my body and soul
Oh Lord, of our fathers’, who loved you endlessly
Purify my heart and open my eyes
To see your glory till the end of my days
Lord, how much I was longing for You
To be in your House
To receive Your Heavenly Meal
And I am pleased to have You day after day
Lord, you are the eternal grace and salvation
May you fill my heart, with your sublime love?
Oh, gentle master of my soul
I plead to you, my Lord, lighten my burden.
Lord, you poured all the blessings on your people
To lead them and make them the rulers of the world
Lord, wash me with your precious Blood
Sanctify me, with hyssop till...I am clean
Lord, let my words always to praise you
All my gestures always to praise you
Lord, let all my wishes to praise you
Let all creatures of the seas, lands and sky praise you
Lord, You embrace me with Your love
And come into my flesh, immerse Your Body into me
Lord, let your Blood come into my blood
And make me one with You in flesh and blood
Lord, my hearts’ only desire is to praise you
Lord, I thank you for everything, You have done for me
Let my happiness; always to be with you
Lord, give me your love and grace to abide in you
