Homily
for June 18, 2017
Our first reading today is a
reminiscence of how the Israelites grumbled for food and water for fear of
dying and God fed them with manna. However, we human beings are more than mere physical
creatures. We are more than ordinary flesh like other animals; we are spiritual
beings. Even if we can’t find physical food to eat, we can still survive.
No wonder Moses says the desert
experience was simply a test; God wanted to prove to them that man does not
live on bread alone but on everything that comes from the mouth of God. The manna
they ate came from God, it was not ordinary food. Since manna could sustain
them, we ought not to think that without food, we cannot survive.
As long as we take care of
our souls, our life is assured. And when we really consider it, we discover it
is more important to feed our souls than to feed our bodies. “For what will it
profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall
a man give in return for his life?” Matthew 16:26.
If you have ever been to the
mortuary, you would agree with me that this our flesh is nothing. No matter how
sumptuous a person feeds, only a few days after death, the body begins to smell
and decay, beauty disappears and the flesh is only good for burial. But the
soul remains ever fresh, ever alive and ever active. Meaning, it is a matter of
wisdom to feed the soul over and above the body.
And how do we feed our soul?
By eating and drinking the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Holy Communion is
our life. Without it, we are doomed to perish because our bodies cannot sustain
itself. This is what Jesus tells us in our Gospel passage today: “Truly, truly,
I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood,
you have no life in you.” John 6:53
This means, if we do not
receive Holy Communion, we are simply walking dead. Without Holy Communion, we
have no life in us because our soul is our life and our soul depends on Holy
Communion to survive. So, we need to constantly eat and drink the body and
blood of Jesus not just once in a while but as often as possible.
How does Holy Communion
sustain our life? By eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus, we are entering
into a covenant relationship with God. “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
abides in me, and I in him.” John 6:56. Moreover, since God cannot die or go to
hell, we cannot have Holy Communion in us and still go to hell. Jesus would
make sure we are in heaven because we are carrying his own flesh and blood. “He
who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up
at the last day.” John 6:54
Now, as much as we see how important
Holy Communion is, we must bear in mind that if at all we are to receive it, we
must do so properly – with the right disposition, with the right understanding,
with deep faith and in the state of grace. Hence, St. Paul warns us in 1st
Corinthians 11:28-30,
“Let every man examine
himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and
drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That
is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.”
What does it mean to be in a
state of grace? Recall the parable Jesus gave about the wedding feast? How the
invited guests refused to turn up giving flimsy excuses, to the extent that the
master had to send his servants to go into the streets and bring in as many as
they could find? Nonetheless, when the King came around and noticed a man not
wearing a wedding garment, he said: “Friend, how did you get in here without a
wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants,
`Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will
weep and gnash their teeth.” Matthew 22:12-13
Yes, Holy Communion is free,
we all have been given a free invitation to receive the body and blood of Jesus
but if we are to come forward, we must ensure we are free from any mortal sin;
that we have gone to confession, that we pay full attention during mass and
that we truly believe that it is not just ordinary bread but Jesus himself that
we are receiving. Receiving Holy Communion without these conditions is
dangerous. May we not be cast out like the man without the wedding garment.
Amen.
Finally, Holy Communion is
symbol of Unity amongst us. During every mass, do you notice that all those who
receive are eating from the same place? There is an African adage that says: “You
cannot eat from the same plate with me and still be my enemy.” This is deep. We
cannot receive Holy Communion and still be having quarrels, hatred, suspicion,
gossips and betrayals among ourselves. This is what St. Paul teaches us in our
second reading: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body.” 1st
Corinthians 10:17. We are one so just as Christ gave us his flesh, we out to
share ourselves out freely for the sake of one another.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, may
my reception of your body and blood not bring me judgement and condemnation but
through your loving mercy, be for me protection in mind and body. Amen.
*Happy Sunday. Be Happy. Live
Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Solemnity of
Corpus Christi. Year A. Bible Study: Deuteronomy 8:2-3.14-16, 1st Corinthians
10:16-17 and John 6:51-58).*
Fr. Abu.
No comments:
Post a Comment