The Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The above feast (often called Corpus Christi-the Body of Christ) is one of the most beautiful in our Catholic liturgical calendar and may be foreseen in the feeding off the Israelites as they made their way thru the desert, under Moses to the Promised Land(Exodus , ch 16). Each morning the immediate area of their camp was covered by the manna which they collected – sufficient for the day and no more. This gift lasted until they entered the Promised Land under Joshua when it ceased because they had left the desert and entered that Land of milk and honey.

The first intimation of the reality of this feast is to be found in the multiplication of the five loaves and two fishes which took place traditionally by the shores of the Sea of Galilee after people had spent the day listening to His teaching and having their sick healed.

It is remarkable that this is the only miracle of the Lord Jesus recorded by all four evangelists .Moreover St.John used the miracle as a prelude to His discourse on the Blessed Eucharist to which the rest of the sixth chapter of St.John is devoted.

The discourse is very unequivocal and it is impossible to misunderstand the teaching of the Lord Jesus. For example we read  ”I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world”(Jn6.51).Sadly those who listened did not believe, however His disciples did.This promise of the Lord Jesus was realised on the evening before He died,at the Last Supper.  ”Then he took bread,and when he had given thanks,he broke it and  gave it to them saying’This is my body given for you; do this in rememberance of me. “He did the same with the cup after supper,and said”This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you.”Lk.22.19,20.

In the centuries that have slipped away since the Last Supper,our Holy Mother,the Church,has never failed to follow the instruction of the Lord Jesus and to make available to the faithful the Body and Blood  of the Lord Jesus in the most holy sacrifice of the Mass..In so doing we share we share in the merits of His Passion, Death and Resurrection and like pilgrims on a long journey from here to eternity are nourished by His Body and Blood.

Father Michael. St Joseph Parish, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates