Today’s feast of the Body and Blood of Christ celebrates the central role of the Eucharist in our Catholic Faith. Everything we do as a parish, especially in forming community and building up the Kingdom of God, flows to and from the Eucharist.
The Holy Eucharist, of course, is the true Body and Blood of Christ, We have to be careful. It is not the body and blood of Jesus. It is the body and blood of Christ who suffered and died on the cross, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at God’s right hand. It is the entire Christ. It is not appropriate to refer to the Eucharist, the consecrated host, as “Jesus”.
When we celebrate the Eucharist we celebrate the entire Paschal Mystery. We become one with the Risen and living Christ. As a parish, it is our task to offer God the best worship possible. The new altar furniture, which will be installed in two weeks, will help enrich our celebration of the Eucharist. The new altar will show how Christ gathers us around the table to nourish us spiritually, as he did for the apostles at the Last Supper. Christ gives us himself to heal us and give us strength. Let’s never take the Eucharist for granted!
