Ex. 24:3-8; Ps. 116:12-13, 15-18; Heb. 9:11-15; Mk. 14:12-16, 22-26
On this the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the gospel returns to that last day of Passover for Jesus and the first day of the institution of the Eucharist celebrated on Holy Thursday. From that day until now in the Church we have celebrated the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus together with his appearance to the disciples, his Ascencion and the descent of the Holy Spirit. This is our Easter to celebrate the Lord’s victory over sin and death and our redemption by the Body and Blood of Christ.
“This is my body…this is my blood” is the power of Jesus to transform bread and wine into the sacrifice of his life to be repeated as a covenant of his redemption for our sins. In a world where sin abounds his mercy comes to us through his body and blood not only on the cross but also on the altar. Who can deny his words and live? Yet many reject his words and fail to recognize that the God who brought us creation, who changed water into wine and multiplied loaves of bread has the power to make of himself a perpetual sacrifice on the altar of salvation.
Many will try to explain that Jesus is the “living bread” who comes to us in his Word. That the bible alone is the living bread made flesh capable of transforming hearts. They will proclaim that we are to figuratively consume God’s word and allow it to change hearts and minds. The Word does have the power of transformation however the Word was given to Moses and the prophets and that alone did not bring about salvation. Salvation comes to us through Jesus, the incarnate word and this incarnation is the fulfillment of the promise of God to be with us as we consume him in body and blood to be incarnated in us. This is why the Mass is both the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy of the Eucharist.
Jesus is the “mediator of a new covenant” not simply by his teaching but by his sacrifice on the cross. It is this sacrifice that remains on the altar as a perpetual reminder of the Lord’s suffering to this day for our sins and those of the whole world. He is both risen in his glory and remains wounded by our sins. Recall that God is outside of time thus he can be both risen and crucified all according to our sanctity and sinfulness. Sanctity brings his great joy and sinfulness great pain and we each participate in bringing him both according to our love of God and neighbor or our rejection of each.
With Christ “good things have come to be” for he enters this sanctuary called the Mass where heaven and earth meet and kiss. The “more perfect tabernacle” he wishes to enter is into each one of us. If God is with us, that is in our very being, body and soul, good things will come to pass for he comes also with the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why we must come to him prepared to receive him, having confessed our sins and received his forgiveness, though unworthy he transforms the imperfect into his perfect tabernacle one soul at a time. Good things come through the power of the Holy Spirit as we saw on Pentecost Sunday. These good things were not meant only for the disciples but for all who come to believe and follow Jesus.
Today we receive the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord and he will answer us. This is how we are to return to him redeemed by his body and blood. Do we believe? Let us say “we will do everything that the Lord has told us”, from the Word of old to the new Word it all comes together in the person of Jesus Christ who makes all things new.
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