Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (June 2, 2024)

Today we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi where, in the Eucharistic feast, the gifts of bread and wine really and truly become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ.
As St. Paul argues, one can only receive an “inheritance” once the writer of a will has died, and so our Blessed Lord had to die in order for us to receive the inheritance he willed for us. That is why we must never let our sins, however terrible they be, have the last word or lead us to despair but instead remember that our misery will draw forth God’s mercy if we but ask.
Jesus did die. So now we can claim the inheritance: forgiveness and eternal life. And in dying, our Lord mediated a new covenant between us and God – a covenant that replaces the old one. For “if the blood of goats…sanctifies…how much more will the blood of Christ!”
Today’s feast also reminds us of the sacredness of the human body. The body is not some disposable possession that we can treat as we wish; it is truly us. So, when Christ offers His body as a sacrifice, He is really offering Himself. If this is true, we must also treat our own bodies and the bodies of others with great respect, especially protecting those who are unable to protect themselves.

For a new Culture of Life, that welcomes children with a self-sacrificing love that says, “This is my body, given for you”, we pray to the Lord ...