MAY 25, 2008

CORPUS CHRISTI SUNDAY

“In the MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT of the EUCHARIST …

… the BODY and BLOOD, together with the SOUL and DIVINITY, of our LORD JESUS CHRIST and, therefore, the WHOLE CHRIST IS REALLY, and SUBSTANTIALLY CONTAINED.”

(Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1374)

This is one of the most fundamental teachings of the Catholic Church. This is one of the most difficult faith mysteries to embrace, for it defies the light of reason and the laws of nature. This is one of the greatest stumbling blocks for all people from the very first time that Jesus introduced it to the people of every age till this very day.

Even after Jesus Himself, Son of God, Lord of Lords, Word and Wisdom of God had annunciated the ineffable mystery to the disciples, after the miracle of feeding over five thousand men and additional women and children with five loaves and two fish, they refused to believe Him! Most of them left Him and refused to follow Him any longer. Most of our Christian Churches deny the Eucharist! The ones who believed were the twelve Apostles. They were in time sanctified as the first priests and bishops at the Last Supper and given the divine mandate and the sacerdotal power to change bread and wine into the precious Body and Blood of Jesus. The priest, in persona Christi, (in the person of Christ) through the power of the Holy Spirit performs the Eucharistic Miracle at the altar at every Mass to make Jesus present until the end of the world.