“Lord, it is good to be here” (Mt. 17: 4). Have you had experiences that were so moving, maybe even life-transforming, and you deeply desired to remain with them? Our liturgical year seems to do this after the Easter season. The celebration already lasts for 50 days, culminating with the earth-shattering feast of Pentecost! Thus ends the Great Celebration! Or does it? The Church doesn’t seem to want to settle in quite yet. We move on to Trinity Sunday to bask in the Community Life of our God. Then what happens? We celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi, also known as the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.
As you read this, we bid farewell to such feasts as we enter Ordinary Time (named for “ordinalis”, which is Latin for numbered or ordered: meaning we return to naming Sundays by their number). As we do so, every Sunday is the celebration of the Eucharist. I want to share with you the challenge I received from Fr. Dan Crosby, OFM Cap in his talk given at the Dublin Eucharistic Congress June 15, 2012.
“Unless we BECOME the Eucharist, become the Body and Blood of Christ ourselves, all our Eucharistic celebrations and devotions are incomplete! Say “Amen” to the complete Eucharistic mystery- the mystery that first takes place on the altar and then takes place (or at least Christ wants it to take place) in your own body, your own blood. “
“Do this in memory of Me…” is also meant for the priesthood of all the faithful. It is our way of life in which we break open our bodies and pour out our blood. Women do this when they birth their children. Jesus does this every minute of every day. How often in a day do I “Do this” with my life?
