22/06/2025
HOMILY FOR CORPUS CHRISTI YEAR C
BY REV. FR. ANTHONY ADETAYO
No man can live without food. Though some people live for food alone. But there is a food more important than that of the body. It is rather the food of the soul. The Bible says in John 6:53 that if you donāt receive it, you will DIE. It is a hard teaching right? Thatās it.
Today we celebrate the solemnity of Corpus Christi. The Solemnity of the body and blood of Christ began as a feast in 1246AD. The council of Trent declared that a public adoration must be in honour of the body and blood of Christ. By a way of explanation, the Eucharist is from the Greek word āEucharistoā which means āThanksgivingā. It is therefore the offering of the true body and blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ to God in thanksgiving and in expiation for our sins. Other names for it are; Holy sacrifice, Holy and Divine Liturgy, Holy Communion, the Holy Mass.
ORIGIN
In the first reading today Gen 14:8, Abram was blessed by Melchizedek the high priest who on his behalf offered bread and wine as an exchange for a grateful heart. In the Old Testament, blood represents life and was used to ratify sacrifices Exodus 24:3-11. This banquet was what Christ inaugurated at the last supper but it is of a new and everlasting covenant since the blood of animals no longer washes away our sins Heb 10:4-6. Jesus Christ became the altar, the priest and the victim. He gave his body and blood and forgives us on the cross. Then he said ādo this in memory of meā Mark 14:22-25. In the Gospel passage today, Jesus gradually began what would lead us into the corpus of Eucharistic teaching in John 6.
LESSON
FOLLOW AT ANY COST
I see how people were following Jesus listening to him and remaining excited. I see how they were eager to hear him even though with an empty stomach. But today people complain in the church almost about everything. Yet some can stand for hours watching a football match. They can sit for hours seeing a movie. How many of us today can risk our life for the sake of hearing or preaching the gospel. They sought him and they were fed satisfactorily. That is who Christ is, feeding us fully as we yearn for him.
BELIEVE THE EUCHARISTIC DOCTRINE
The first doctrine is āTransubstantiationā which means a change in substance and not a change in matter. It means the body and blood is really present while bread and wine is seen. The substance changes but the appearance, colour, shape, size and taste remains the same. They are all accidental. The second is āReal presenceā. This means that Christ is present in many ways like in the people of God, the priest, the word of God. But his presence par excellence is in the Holy Eucharist even in a single specie or smallest particle.
CHARITY MULTIPLIES
The miracle of multiplication happened during distribution and not before it. Give and you will never lack. The more you give, the more giving remains because Christ himself is the giver. It charity to pay your tithe or do charity of its equivalence. Abraham paid his tithe today and more blessings were added to him as also confirmed in Malachi 3:10-12.
HAPPY CORPUS CHRISTI SUNDAY
