Bulletins
June 2, 2013
Download the Bulletin as a PDFThe Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Our Lord or Corpus Christi is a good time to be reminded of the nature of this mystery and how our faith in It is expressed.
First of all, the Blessed Sacrament, the Most Holy Eucharist, is not something,it is someone. When we receive Holy Communion we are given the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ Incarnate, Crucified, Resurrected and Ascended into Heaven. Bread and wine really turn into Jesus. We receive Him in His entirety, not just a piece of His Body as though it were a cadaver with separable flesh and blood. Rather, He is alive. He comes to dwell inside of us. It is one of the few moments in a human life that truly deserves to be called "awesome".
St. Paul reminds us that "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we should not be judged" (1Cor 11,27-31).
Just as much as unrepentant sinfulness will eventually turn our hearts cold to the Blessed Sacrament so too will failing to go out of our way to be reverent in our internal and external disposition. Our apparent indifference will also make it more difficult for others to take seriously our claim that God really is present on the altar and in the tabernacle.
Before you receive Our Lord, while the person before is receiving, make an act of profound reverence in your heart and with your body. It should go without saying, but it can't, that well before receiving please, please, please scrub your hands and brush your teeth. Please. Really. Brush your teeth and floss, too. A little bit of mouthwash wouldn't hurt either. When you receive Our Lord, just open your mouth deeply and peacefully and look up at Him. Please don't stick out your tongue. Please. If you are in a diocese that permits Communion in the hand, please put out your hands flat, one underneath the other. Please don't cup your hands. From receiving Jesus on your hand to placing Him in your mouth, do not take your eyes off Him for an instant. If you are adoring Him, you will not let your gaze go anywhere else. It should be obvious to others that you love Him.
Lastly, it really makes sense to schedule Mass and dress for Mass (read Matthew 22,1-14) as the most important event of the day, if not your life. Let other people elsewhere wonder what Church you attended instead of inadvertently inviting people in Church to wonder where you are going or what the score was.
God bless you!
Rev. Christopher J. Pollard
