Day2 "Body of Christ"? Really???

"Body of Christ"? Really???

In one word, YES.

When Catholics receive the Eucharist, the minister holds up the host and says, "The body of Christ", and the communicant responds, "Amen."

I'm a modern kinda gal. I recycle stuff. I have a computer. (Several, actually, but that's for another day...) I'm a telecommuting, high-tech worker. Who can take all that "real presence" talk seriously? I do.

Now, I'll admit it's a far-fetched idea. It was a far-fetched idea when Jesus first said it.

What did He say? He said, "If you don't eat my body, drink my blood, there will be no life in you." That sounds serious to me. The people who heard Him say it didn't seem to think that Jesus was talking figuratively or metaphorically, or symbolically. They reacted like when Jesus said, "eat", He meant "eat", and when He said, "my body", He meant His actual body. Most of the people decided that was just too far, and they walked away.

Jesus didn't offer clarification. Jesus didn't soften His words. Jesus didn't back off. He watched them go, and His heart must have been so heavy, so sad.

Jesus turned to his closest friends. I can imagine His quiet, gentle question. "Are you going to go, too?"

Peter was right there. You know, big-mouth Peter, who was always talking before he thought, and always going just a little bit farther than the other guys in his commitment and devotion to the Lord.

Peter's bravado deserted him, his confidence wavering a bit. Peter the big mouth, quiet and avoiding the Lord's eyes, says, "Lord, where would we go?"

The Apostles had some time to think it over. (One of them decided it was a bit too far for him as well.)

Jesus gave His body to the Apostles at the last meal they had together before Jesus died. He gave them the bread and said, "This is My body" and so it became His body. He gave them the cup and said, "This is My blood" and so it became His blood.

It must have been so hard for the Apostles. Jesus had been talking about dying. His enemies had been talking about Jesus dying as well. So the Apostles went along. I don't think that they understood at the time. (Often God gives to us gifts that we understand only later. Some times much, much later.) But Jesus said to eat, so they ate, an act of their faith and their love for Jesus.

Often people talk about Catholics who don't believe in the Real Presence. Perhaps they are like the Apostles at the Last Supper. They were told to eat, so they ate. Perhaps they don't understand. Maybe they haven't really given it much thought. If that's you today, please ask the Lord to show how to understand it. Then keep your eyes open to see His answer. You'll be amazed by His response.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the Solemnity of the Body of Christ. Thank you for the reality of Your body. Thank You for giving us eternal life and for sustaining that life.

Please give us the light to understand this mystery more fully so that we might love You more fully.

Amen.

St. Thomas the Apostle, pray for us.