Sunday´s Reflection (Feast of “Corpus Christi”)

“…do it in memory of me…” 
This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as "Corpus Christi". It has its biblical background in the the Lord’s Supper which is remind the liberation of the people of God from slavery in Egypt when the angel of death passed over the houses of the Hebrews who had painted their doorposts with the blood of a lamb (cfr. Ex 12, 1-14). 
    All three Readings that we'll be hearing this Sunday  are related to the Eucharistic theme. They speak about food, wine, fish and prayer of blessing before the meal. Especially in the second reading (1 Cor 11,23-26),  we  see Saint Paul describing the Eucharistic gesture per excellence which is performed by Jesus in his last hours with the disciples. This gesture also challenges us. Now Jesus becomes the lamb, offering himself in sacrifice in order to give us life. According  to our human Nature, we cannot live without food. Jesus says the same about the Eucharistic in the gospel of St.  John: “if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man, you will not have life in yourselves”. (John 6:53) The Lord who breaks no one, yet allows himself to be broken; The Lord who does not demand sacrifices, but sacrifices himself; The Lord who asks nothing but gives everything. 
    In celebrating the Corpus Christi, we are all called to imitate our Lord Jesus. He takes everyday bread and transforms them into food that will last. Today we are so grateful for this bread and wine that Jesus gives us. We too are called to share our bread to others.  Receiving  and Having Jesus in our heart means that we become the bread for others exactly as it happens in the Eucharist. For we cannot partake of that Bread if we do not give bread to the hungry. We cannot share that Bread unless we share the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in need. 
    Therefore this celebration of the most holy body and blood of Christ is inviting us and challenging us to become the body of Christ, the real presence for others in our family, in our parish,in our neighborhood and for all whom we encounter today. This why we are always reminded that our celebration of Eucharist doesn't end when we leave the church; it is just the beginning.                
Happy feast to all of us.
Father Louis Gbandi Nakpane,SVD