BODY  OF  CHRIST - AMEN 

BLOOD  OF  CHRIST - AMEN 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Body of Christ - Amen. Blood of Christ - Amen.”

Today we’re celebrating the great feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

Obviously, we should be doing some deep thinking and reflecting upon this great reality and mystery  in our faith.

We can be in Holy Communion with Christ - someone who lived some 2000 years ago. 

Moreover, we believe Christ is God  - in the Trinity. Our God is one God - 3 persons. 

These are amazing beliefs.

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN  PALMYRA NEW YORK

Years and years ago - maybe in the early 1980’s - I’m driving down a road in Palmyra, New York and I spot a Mormon Museum or Visitors center off to my right. I stop. I go in. I’m wearing a T-shirt and while walking about someone offers me a guided tour.

I say, “Yes” and all kinds of things are shown me and told me about the Mormon Religion.

After the tour - I’m on the road again - heading for Webster, New York where I was going to preach a Parish Mission for a week.

Boom! It hits me. I say, “Holy Cow, people believe what I just heard.”

Boom! On top of that, it hits me, “If I told people who never believed in Christianity and Catholicism, what we believe in, would they have the same thoughts and reaction I  had about Mormonism - or many religions?”

If I told them about Jesus Christ being both human and divine, about the miracles of Jesus - the virgin birth, that we believe that Jesus Christ is God and we can eat him in the bread, drink him in the wine - and that bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ - in our Mass -  what would be their reaction?

Yes that’s a central belief in Catholicism - in our understanding of what it means to be a Christian.

In preparing this homily, I looked up Mormonism

on line and found some amazing beliefs.

I don’t believe there are people living on the moon and they are tall - many of them 7 feet tall or more. I don’t believe there are people living on the sun. [Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, p. 217]

I don't believe that  "The Garden of Eden was in Missouri when Adam and Eve were kicked out.”

I don't want to make fun of other's beliefs -especially from the pulpit. What I'm talking about is my experience on the road from Palmyra, New York to Webster, New York.

I'm talking about my experience of wondering what others might think in hearing about Catholic teachings - especially our belief in what happens in our Mass - with the changing of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. 

SO TODAY’S READINGS

Today we're celebrating the feast of "The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ."

So we have appropriate readings for this feast.

In this first reading we have Moses sending young men of the Israelites to sacrifice young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord. Then Moses takes the blood from these sacrifices and puts half of the blood into large bowls and the other half of the blood was splashed on the altar. Then he sprinkled blood on people saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words of his.”

What would it be like experiencing that? What would that feel like? We know what it’s like to be sprinkled with Holy Water. What would blood be like? Oooh!.

And today’s gospel brings us into the upper room where Jesus takes bread - unleavened bread - and blesses it, breaks it, and says, “Take it; this is my body.”  Then he took a cup with wine in it, gave thanks and says, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.”

Every once and a while that should be hitting us - and hitting us big time.

When was the last time that overwhelmed us?

Today when you are coming up the aisle for communion - walk mindfully. Receive with reverence and amazement.

Pause when you’re handed the bread and the wine - and say appropriately, “Amen.”

LEN THE PLUMBER

As I was working on this homily last night and paused and tried to come up with experiences I had with the Bread and the Wine.

Back in the 1970’s I was stationed in a retreat house in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. On Saturday night, based on the number of men making the weekend retreat, each man would get around 20 minutes of time alone in our retreat chapel, kneeling in front of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament in the gold monstrance - all through the night.

Right after that evening Mass - everyone would clear out of chapel - and one man at a time would kneel there in prayer - up front - in the dark - by himself in prayer. Candles on the altar would be the only light.

I’m in the sacristy after that Saturday night Mass and I forgot where I was and was figuring out a few things in the sacristy. I finished up and walked out of the sacristy. I  headed across the sanctuary. I stepped down into the  main aisle - to walk quietly towards the back door of the chapel.

Boom, I stepped off the first step and right onto the back of a man lying on the floor - worshipping Christ the Lord. I crashed into the benches - said “I’m sorry!” I wasn’t hurt and quickly got up and walked out of the chapel.

The next morning I went up to the man. I saw who he was the night before. He was a big powerful 6 foot 5 or so man - named, “Len the Plumber”. He was not the Len the Plumber - the one whose name is on billboards here in Maryland. This was up in the Scranton - Wilkes Barre - Wyoming Valley part of Pennsylvania. I said, “What were you doing on the floor last night.”

He said, “That’s the way I pray when I come here on retreat before Christ - in the Holy Eucharist.”

I said, “Ooooooh.”

He added, “That’s my God and my savior.”

Then - he must have seen my face - said, “7 years ago we were digging this deep hole in the ground next to a building. It was a big plumbing job. Well, my son was down at the bottom of the hole and the whole thing caved in onto my son. We should have used a caisson. I grabbed a shove and jumped into the hole and started digging and praying furiously. I prayed,  ‘Jesus save my son.’ Then my shovel hit his head - under the dirt. I screamed to my other son, ‘He’s here! I got him.’ I pulled the dirt away from his mouth with my hands and he was still breathing. Jesus saved my son. That’s why I was on the floor last night - still praying and still thanking my Lord and my God for saving my son.”

Many, many, many, times when I’m receiving communion I remember that story.

WHAT ARE YOUR COMMUNION STORIES?

What are your communion stories?

One Holy Thursday evening I was preaching in Upstate New York and as I was giving out Communion I started noticing the hands that reached out to receive Communion that night.

The 10^th  person was an old lady with very arthritic hands. “Body of Christ! Amen.”

The 15^th person was a teenager with a boy’s name in ballpoint pen written on the palm of her hand. “Body of Christ! Amen.”

The 20^th person was a big burly man - with lots of black oil or tar or grime on his hands. “Body of Christ! Amen.”

Near the end of the Receiving communion line was a teen age girl with just the palm of her hand - and her fingers were just tiny beads of flesh.

“Body of Christ! Amen.”

Well, after Mass on that Holy Thursday night I had some time to just sit there in communion with Christ - and pray and reflect - and those moments with all those people hit me big time. “Body of Christ! Amen.”

CONCLUSION

Those are a few thoughts and memories and moments of Holy Communion. I have many more. What are yours?

 I have many. What are yours?

Amen.