On Easter Sunday we celebrated an event that defied the laws of nature. Jesus of Nazareth who had been crucified days before had risen from the dead. This was no ghost as the disciples later recounted. Without warning, Jesus appeared behind locked doors and dined with them. They recognized him yet they knew that physically what they were touching and seeing was not the human Jesus whom they had known. His risen body possessed qualities they had never seen before.
Two weeks ago, we celebrated the ascension, another event that defied the laws of nature, for this time, Jesus ascended into heaven, leaving the apostles spell bound. No person before or since has done what Jesus did during that first Easter season.
In the Nicene Creed, Christians profess their belief in what Jesus did. From being born of a virgin to ascending into heaven, Jesus demonstrated his divine nature and ability to defy the laws of nature. Why does that matter today as we celebrate this feast?
Just hours before he died, Jesus dined with the apostles in what we affectionately call the Last Supper. It was a simple meal of bread and wine yet one that changed the world forever. As you heard him say in the gospel, “Take it, this is my body…This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.” Those words formed the basis of the consecration, the highlight of our liturgy when our gifts of bread and wine are transformed into his true body and blood as Jesus said they would be.
What happens is not an act of magic, but a mystery brought about by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is a mystery we have accepted since the first Easter when Cleopas and his companion recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread in his home. This God, who created the heavens and the earth and all else in the universe and beyond out of nothing, has the means to act in ways that defy what we define as the laws of nature. That Jesus demonstrated in the presence of his apostles.
In his risen and ascended nature, Jesus is now able to be present to us when our gifts of bread and wine are consecrated.
In the early Church, Christians took Jesus’ words literally. They never presumed Jesus to mean that bread would symbolize his body or that wine would symbolize his blood. Not until the Protestant reformation in the 16th century did certain Christians begin to question and then reject the mystery of the Eucharist. They may accept much of the Bible literally but this is one event in the life of Jesus they find hard to swallow.
Many Catholics have lived and died for the Eucharist. I will never forget an episode from the life of Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador. Under gunfire from the militia, he entered a church to remove the Blessed Sacrament. When a soldier began firing into the sanctuary, Romero dropped to his knees to retrieve what hosts he had spilled rather than flee for his life.
Blessed John Paul II said, “The Eucharist is the Church’s most precious possession in her journey through history.” That makes sense to me for the Eucharist is what distinguishes us from most other Christians. We are blessed, truly blessed, to really have the Lord present to us whenever we celebrate the Mass.
Jesus is present to us in numerous ways just as our friends are. They are present to us when they send us emails or text us by their words, making known to us their thoughts. When they call on the phone, they are even more present for now we hear them. Their message becomes much more intimate than any written message can be. When they visit us in person, they become totally present; body and blood, heart and soul. The same applies to Jesus when we experience him in the Eucharist.
It is because of his true presence that we do things such as genuflect out of reverence before the Blessed Sacrament. Many of you genuflect before entering your pew because years ago the tabernacle was in the sanctuary. The correct protocol is to bow if you are facing the sanctuary or genuflect if you are facing the tabernacle or the Blessed Sacrament.
Contrary to what some people may think, we do not reenact the passion of Jesus on the cross each time we celebrate Mass. He died once and for all 2000 years ago. His sacrifice on the cross continues to affect and redeem us today. We believe that if he hadn’t done this, we would have no hope of eternal life. Thus, we come to Mass to express our gratitude for all that Christ has done for us. We call this Eucharist for in Greek, that word means thanksgiving.
Imagine how you feel when you offer someone a gift and never receive any manner of thanks? Now imagine how Jesus feels when we deliberately choose to skip Mass. When we do, the Church says we are committing a mortal sin. Why is that? When we consciously choose not to “do this in memory” of Jesus, as instructed in the consecration, we are rejecting the salvation that he won for us through his death on the cross. Given that there are 168 hours in a week, and every one of them is his gift to us, is God really asking too much of us to come and pray one hour?
However, we are expected to do more than merely be present and watch. We should express our gratitude, not half heartedly but with conviction, so listen attentively and pray sincerely. Let your thanksgiving be heart felt. Just think, if you truly believe in what is happening, and receive communion in a state of grace, then you are as close to God as you will ever get here on earth. How blessed we are to be called to the supper of the lamb. No wonder we should say “Amen” loudly and proudly when we come forth to receive the Lord in the Eucharist.