The Importance of Receiving and Participating in the Body of Christ

by Father Joe

The Importance of Receiving and Participating in the Body of Christ

We have something so wonderful, so powerful, and such a grace to help us as we go through life, and it is right in front of us for the asking: Christ’s gift of his own Body and Blood as food for our journey! The only downside to how accessible the Son of God has made himself to us is that we can so easily slip into complacency, forgetting what an awe-inspiring gift this is. This can happen to any of us, from those who attend Mass sporadically to those who participate daily. I could even call it an “occupational hazard” for priests in living our vocation of celebrating the Mass (particularly when we celebrate two or three Masses on a Sunday). Loosing appreciation for this gift can be especially easily for many of our brothers and sisters who have been away from Mass for long periods of time, as we all experienced a few years ago.

As we celebrate this Sunday the Solemnity of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ, I would like to focus on the two things we missed the most during the time of restrictions that are now behind us. The gift of being able to participate in Masses by video (on cable or internet, with our parishes or others) has proven a great fallback option when we are unable to participate in-person. It allowed us to be nourished by God’s Word and to have some kind of connection with the community of faith that is the Church. However, this option lacks the full experience of that Christian community – the mystical Body of Christ - and receiving the powerful sacrament of the Eucharist in Communion.

Two of the many powerful qualities of the Body and Blood of Christ are those of unity and healing. We are what we eat: receiving Christ in Communion makes us one body in Christ, supporting and strengthening one another. When someone is homebound and we bring them Communion, they are in fact united with all of us; when we do it together in church, it is an even more powerful experience of being the Body of Christ. Secondly, the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus made present in the Eucharist brings us salvation and healing. Far more than just a ritual or symbol, this sacrament makes present the Body and Blood of Christ and acts powerfully in those who receive it to transform and heal us in body, mind, and spirit.

As I said in this column last week, our Archdiocese of Boston is allowing all parishes to restore the practice of offering Communion under both forms, including the Precious Blood from a chalice. Until we get more parishioners as Extraordinary Ministers of Communion, our parishes will only be able to offer Communion under both forms for this weekend’s solemnity – not every week. I plan to offer training for new and returning EMCs later this month, so please complete a volunteer application form ASAP – they are available on our website and at the doors of the church.

May this feast about the Body of Christ, the Church, help us deepen our appreciation of the need for healing in our lives, and reconnect us more fully with the Eucharist as an important source of that grace and healing. May we help one another to find in the Mass and Communion the strength we all need to experience Jesus’ gift of more abundant life! (John 10:10)