Over the past month, the Church has remembered the conclusion of Jesus’ mission on earth and the beginning of the Church.
Four weeks ago, it was the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, when Jesus was taken up to heaven to be with his Father. Besides reflecting on the historical significance, it reminds and urges the faithful that life on earth is fleeting and our ultimate desire is to be with God and one another for eternity.
The following week, Jesus promised he would not leave his followers orphaned and sent his Holy Spirit to them on Pentecost. The sending of the Holy Spirit connected believers in an intimate bond of the divine and human. Just as the Word (divine) took on human flesh at the Incarnation, so ordinary humans, through the Spirit, took on the divine. At our baptism, we change and become temples of the Holy Spirit, never before possible.
Last Sunday, we pondered the greatest mystery of all, the meaning of the Holy Trinity. What is comprehensible is that the union of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is a perfect union of relationship without any diminution. Created in the image of the Triune God, human beings are called to be in loving relationships with God and one another. When the fundamental characteristic of a relationship is altered, evil takes a foothold in the world. Knowing this, Jesus mandated his disciples to love even those who do not love you: “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, to love their enemies.”
Today, we focus on Christ, who is risen from the dead and ascended into heaven, yet remains with his people through the Eucharist. Through the sacrament, the glorified body, soul, and divinity are present, and every time we receive it, we receive Christ.
Importantly, by reverently receiving the Eucharist and Jesus uniting with us, we become better people. We may have received Jesus in the sacrament for many years and become oblivious to its effects. Feelings and emotions have no place because if we believe that Christ is present and he resides in us, we will become better disciples. The more we receive, the farther we get on our journey to heaven.
This is the culmination of Jesus’ mission, to save us from death and offer eternal life with the Trinity. Just before his death, Jesus unambiguously tells us what happens when we receive the sacrament. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.” Notice, even before our death, he tells us we are experiencing eternal life. How many of us take this statement to heart? We are experiencing eternal life while still as pilgrims on a journey. What a gift!
Jesus then promises that when our earthly journey has ended, he will raise us on the last day. The Feasts celebrated in the last four weeks assured disciples of God’s desire to be with his people. Corpus Christi is the obvious overture of God to be with us, affirming that our relationship with him is not only for the here and now but for eternity in heaven.
“For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him.”