Solemnity of the Body And Blood of Christ, Year B

Solemnity of the Body And Blood of Christ, Year B

This Solemnity is usually referred to as the Feast of “Corpus Christi,” which means the Body of Christ. However, the Holy Eucharist is the fullness of the real presence of Jesus in his body and his blood, his full humanity and full divinity. Christ’s presence is not merely representational, but real! This year’s first and second readings focus on the role of blood in the making of a covenant agreement. In our culture we don’t like to speak much about blood, but if you think about it blood and the imagery of blood are extremely important. We speak of blood relatives, blood brothers, giving blood as the gift of life, and so on. Biblically, blood was used as a sign that a deep agreement, or covenant, was sealed. Moses sprinkled the people with blood as a sign of God’s commitment to them. In temple sacrifices the blood of animals was used as a sacrificial gift back to God. Jesus forgave our sins by the shedding of his own blood. When we receive Holy Communion, whether we receive only the consecrated bread or from the chalice, we receive the fullness of Christ – his body and his blood. Through his blood, we have become his blood relatives! Members of his body, the Body of Christ!

Call to action: This summer the Church in the United States will gather for a national Eucharistic Congress in Indiana. The purpose is several fold. First, it is meant to reinforce the Church’s teaching that the Holy Eucharist is the real presence of Jesus in the sacramental form, and not merely a symbolic representational presence. Second, it is meant to be a sign of our unity and our presence in this moment of history as one Body of Christ, the Church. Finally, it is meant to remind us, as Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have both said, that the Eucharist finds its fulfillment in us when we go forth into the world bringing the good of Christ to the needy, the poor, and the unevangelized. In other words, the Eucharist is the heavenly bread given now to sustain us in our mission “until he comes again.”

Pastoral Action Points

1. Use your GC SmartTools to promote not only devotion to the Holy Eucharist, but also to encourage your parishioners to “be the Body of Christ” in the world. You can text or email them every day! It’s easy using GC SmartText.
2. Summer is a great time to get your staff and volunteers trained or retrained on using GC SmartTools. Sign up for our webinars and training here!