Living the Eucharist – We are the Body of Christ!

May 31, 2024

As I was contemplating - Fr Gerard Steve Theraviam
The Feast of Corpus Christi, or more correctly the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is one of the highlights of the Church’s calendar. Here at the Central District of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, the four parishes involved have decided to celebrate it by coming together at the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist to celebrate Masses in all the different languages. In these last few weeks it has been exciting to see the different language groups coming together to plan, discuss, meet and rehearse together for the masses that we hope will be a point of unity as parishioners of the different churches come together and truly manifest ourselves as The Body of Christ.

The Solemnity originated in the Diocese of Liege in 1246 as the feast of Corpus Christi. In the reforms of Vatican II, Corpus Christi was combined with the feast of the Precious Blood (July 1) to become the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Often, it is celebrated with the masses as the highpoint, in addition to the processions and Benediction. Permits for the public manifestations have sometimes been difficult to obtain from the local civic authorities but today the climate has been kinder. Sadly, some shy away from the crowds and it can be daunting for some of the elderly. Nevertheless, this is one of the highlights of the Church’s calendar.

So what exactly is the purpose of this feast as it had developed over the centuries? It is to come together as a community of faith to give God thanks for the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and to honour him. For us Catholics, the Eucharist is not merely bread and wine being shared among us. “The Catholic Church teaches that in the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of the God-man are really, truly, substantially, and abidingly present together with his soul and divinity by reason of the Transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. This takes place in the unbloody sacrifice of the Mass.” (Council of Trent, 1551; CCC # 1374).

Thus ‘Corpus Christi’ is a wonderful opportunity to instruct the faithful in the Mystery, Faith and devotion surrounding the Eucharist. We need to learn to appreciate and make use of the Holy Eucharist, both as a Sacrament and as a sacrifice.

Our belief in this Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist is biblical. It comes from the literal interpretation of Christ’s promise to give us his Body and Blood for our spiritual food and drink, as found in the sixth chapter St John’s Gospel. We also see this in the four accounts of the Last Supper (Mt 26; Mk 14; Lk 22; 1 Cor 11). As mentioned earlier, we understand the Real Presence by a process called transubstantiation — the entire substance of bread and wine is changed into the entire substance of the risen, living, and glorified Body and Blood of Christ, retaining only the “accidents” (taste, colour, shape) of bread and wine.

If we have a true Eucharistic faith, then we will be fully present each week (and perhaps, even daily!) to participate in the Eucharist and to receive him in the Word and Sacrament. Perhaps the Pandemic has affected some who see their physical presence at Mass as unnecessary since online Masses and spiritual communion were possible. Yet they fail to see that those were extraordinary times where ‘online masses’ were at least better than no masses at all. Now that it is safe to venture out again, ‘online Masses’ must surely be an option only for the seriously sick and housebound.

Corpus Christi is an opportunity for us to reexamine our attitudes towards the Eucharist and our participation in it. Do I come with the sense of expectation that I come into the Divine Presence of Almighty God? Do I unite myself to the actions of Jesus at the Last Supper and his giving up of himself on the Cross for the salvation of all? Do I take it so lightly that come unprepared or late? Does my physical posture and even dressing reflect that I am coming for a Divine Banquet? Perhaps, looking up the readings might help me enter into the celebration better. Appreciate the moments of silence as opportunities to allow God to speak to you. Switch off the phone and do not allow any distractions to get to me – perhaps, sit as close to the front that I might be able to see all that happens.

What happens when we leave church is perhaps the best test of the efficacy of the mass in my own life. How do I live the Eucharist in my daily life?

St Augustine says, “Become what you eat!” He invites us to go beyond merely partaking of the Eucharist in the physical sense. We are instead called to be and become the Body of Christ — to be fully aware of our call to belong to Christ and our sisters and brothers who make up the Body. If this is to be so, then surely it is not just bread and wine that are transformed at the Eucharist. So are we, all of us — the community who partake of it!

At the Offertory, we offer not just bread and wine but also our own selves – inviting the Lord to also take, bless, break and give us to a hungry world. Thus the Eucharist is not just a ritual that we celebrate at church but rather a reality that is lived out in our daily lives. The Eucharist is thus not something that we ‘do’ on Sundays but rather what we are, every single moment of each day.
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TAKE - Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” Take me, Lord, as I am with my imperfections as well as the gifts and goodness you have endowed me with. Draw me away from my self-centredness and comfort zone to where you want me to be.

BLESS - Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” Bless me, not just for my own selfish wants and desires. Instead, may I be a blessing for others.

Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.”

BREAK - Break away from me, all that is not of You, O God — my sin, selfishness, harmful habits and addictions. Prune me so that I might bear more fruit, fruit that will last!

In my brokenness, may I rise from the ashes, a new person.

May I break free from me and instead abide in You.

Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me."

GIVE - Give me as bread to a hungry world. May I unselfishly give of myself to people around me who are in need, without counting the cost or holding back. Teach me generosity. May I give without expecting anything in return.


(Fr Gerard Theraviam is the Parish Priest of the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist in Kuala Lumpur, as well as the Spiritual Director to the World Community for Christian Meditation, Malaysia.)